Women around the world still earn, on average, 20 per cent less than men. This gap is neither inevitable nor acceptable. Equal pay for work of equal value cannot wait.
On International Equal Pay Day, UN Women stands with women workers everywhere calling for equal pay for work of equal value.
The gender pay gap affects far more than a pay cheque. It means lower lifetime earnings, less economic security, smaller pensions, and greater inequality across generations. And for many women - including migrant women, women with disabilities, and women from racial and ethnic minorities - the gap can be even wider.
Equal pay for work of equal value is therefore critical for reducing poverty, advancing women's economic justice and rights, and building more inclusive economies globally.
This year has brought renewed momentum. At the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, governments, employers, workers, and private-sector leaders renewed commitments to tackling the structural barriers holding women back at work. The adoption in June of ILO Convention no. 193, the first international labour standard on decent work in the platform economy, holds the potential for stronger protections for women working through digital platforms - from unfair pay, harassment, and discrimination to opaque algorithmic decisions.
Through the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), UN Women, ILO, and OECD continue to work with governments, employers, workers' organizations, and other partners to turn commitments on equal pay into action.
At a time of economic uncertainty and widening inequality, equal pay is not only a matter of justice. It strengthens families, economies, and societies.
As the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly opens in New York, UN Women reaffirms its commitment to women's economic empowerment as a cornerstone of our Strategic Plan 2026-2029.
Closing the gender pay gap is possible. What is needed now is action - to ensure that every woman is valued equally for work of equal value.
