EVERY year, International Equal Pay Day reminds us of a principle that is simple in expression but profound in its implications: women and men should receive equal remuneration for work of equal value. For Pakistan, this principle is not only about fairness in the workplace. It is about the kind of economy we want to build, one that values the contribution of every worker, makes full use of the country’s human talent and creates opportunities for women and men to participate in and benefit from economic progress on equal terms. As representatives of the Government of Pakistan and the International Labour Organization, we mark this Equal Pay Day by reaffirming our shared commitment to advancing equal remuneration for work of equal value and, importantly, to translating that commitment into sustained and measurable change. Pakistan has made important progress, but the challenge remains considerable.

The ILO’s Gender Pay Gap in Pakistan: An Empirical Analysis and Policy Implications, released in 2025, found that women in wage employment earn approximately 25 to 30 per cent less than men, depending on the measure used. Among workers in informal employment, the gap is around 40 per cent. At the same time, the evidence shows that progress is possible. The gender pay gap has narrowed from 33 per cent in 2018. This is encouraging, but occupational segregation, informality, unequal access to opportunities and discriminatory practices continue to affect women’s earnings and economic participation.

The task before us is therefore clear: sustain the progress already achieved while addressing the structural factors that continue to reproduce inequality. Pakistan does not begin this journey from scratch. The country has a long-standing commitment to equality at work. It ratified the ILO Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) in 1961 and the Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) in 2001. Convention No. 100 establishes a particularly important principle. Equal remuneration is not confined to women and men performing exactly the same job. Different jobs can be of equal value when they involve comparable levels of skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions.

This distinction is critical. Women and men are often concentrated in different occupations and sectors and work traditionally performed by women can be undervalued even when the skills and responsibilities involved are comparable to........

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