International Equal Pay Day

September 19, 2022

The International Equal Pay Day is observed on September 18 every year.

Key facts

The International Equal Pay Day is observed to highlight the issue of gender pay gap and raise awareness about the same at the international level.
It seeks to put an end to the problem of women getting lesser salaries than their male counterparts.
It builds on the United Nations’ commitment towards promoting human rights and fighting all forms of discrimination, including those targeting women and girls.

Background

International Equal Pay Day was observed for the first time in 1996 by the National Committee on Pay Equity – a coalition of women’s and civil rights organizations involved in the elimination of gender and race-based wage discrimination. It was officially recognized by the Equal Pay International Coalition in 2019 and in 2020, it got recognition from the United Nations. The inaugural edition of the UN-recognized International Equal Pay Day was observed on September 18, 2020.

Significance

The International Equal Pay Day provides global platform for women to raise the issue of gender pay gap through various campaigns. It encourages people across the globe to come together and identify strategies to achieve the goal of equal pay. Ensuring equal pay for both men and women can contribute towards a just society where everyone have equal opportunities. Businesses will also benefit from providing equal pay as it could improve their productivity and efficiency by attracting the best talent and reduce the risk of staff turnover. It would be a critical step towards achieving women empowerment in patriarchal societies.

About Equal Pay International Coalition

The Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) is an international initiative led by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Women and others. Its aim is to reduce gender pay gap and make equal pay for work of equal value a reality across all sectors in all countries.

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