Summary of the online seminar "Closing the Gender Pay Gap - Practical Measures and Initiatives in the Garment Sector"

Women represent a large share of the workforce in the garment and textile sector in Asia. Yet women working in the sector are disproportionately represented in low-wage jobs in the lower tiers of the supply chain, and consistently lag behind men in terms of pay. In the Asia region, the gender pay gap (i.e. male-female difference in earnings) in the garment sector is highest in Pakistan (64.5 per cent) and India (34.6 per cent). In comparison, the unadjusted gender pay gap ranges from around 17–25 per cent in the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. While a portion of the gender pay gap in the sector can be attributed to differences in age and education, occupational segregation and direct and indirect discrimination also appear to be contributing factors. Notwithstanding ‘equal pay for work of equal value’, recognising that jobs and tasks that are ‘traditionally’ deemed as female tend to be under-valued. SDG target 8.5 aims to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value by 2030. This webinar will provide attendees with the opportunity to become familiar with the key concepts related to closing the gender pay gap in the garment sector. At the end of this webinar, attendees will have become more familiar with pay equity and the data on pay gaps across the sector, and learned of the importance of and key barriers to pay equity, as well as examples of effective policies and measures to prevent and address pay gaps in the sector. This session will also highlight indicators and international frameworks that support equality in the labour market, such as Convention No. 100 and EPIC (Equal pay international Coalition). https://www.equalpayinternationalcoalition.org/