Notes: Gender Wage Gap | Sociology Mains Optional for UPSC 2024 PDF Download

 Page 1


 
 
Gender Wage Gap 
Meaning 
Gender wage gap means the average difference between earnings of both men and 
women in the work force.  
Gender wage gap in the world 
According to World Economic Forum (WEF), women around the world get paid just 
63% of what men earn.  
 
It further estimates that it will take 202 years for the world wage gap to close. The 
harsh reality is that there is not even a single country where there is no disparity 
between the wages of men and women. 
 
Laos, a south-east Asian country, has the least disparity with women earning 91% 
of what men are paid.  
Yemen, Syria and Iraq have the biggest pay gaps with women being paid less than 
30% the level of mens’ wages.  
 
Gender wage gap in India 
International Labor Organization (a United Nations agency), in its Global Wage 
Report, states that India is the country with the highest wage disparity.  
In India, women are paid 34% less than men, making it the country with the highest 
wage gap. 
How is it measured 
It is the number of hours an individual works that determines the salary he/she 
gets. 
This varies with whether that individual has full time employment or part-time. 
And it also varies with how it is measured- hourly, weekly, monthly or yearly. 
  
Page 2


 
 
Gender Wage Gap 
Meaning 
Gender wage gap means the average difference between earnings of both men and 
women in the work force.  
Gender wage gap in the world 
According to World Economic Forum (WEF), women around the world get paid just 
63% of what men earn.  
 
It further estimates that it will take 202 years for the world wage gap to close. The 
harsh reality is that there is not even a single country where there is no disparity 
between the wages of men and women. 
 
Laos, a south-east Asian country, has the least disparity with women earning 91% 
of what men are paid.  
Yemen, Syria and Iraq have the biggest pay gaps with women being paid less than 
30% the level of mens’ wages.  
 
Gender wage gap in India 
International Labor Organization (a United Nations agency), in its Global Wage 
Report, states that India is the country with the highest wage disparity.  
In India, women are paid 34% less than men, making it the country with the highest 
wage gap. 
How is it measured 
It is the number of hours an individual works that determines the salary he/she 
gets. 
This varies with whether that individual has full time employment or part-time. 
And it also varies with how it is measured- hourly, weekly, monthly or yearly. 
  
 
 
The gender pay gap is often divided into:- 
o Unadjusted Pay Gap- Gender pay gap, when calculated by comparing wages 
of all male and female workers without considering different worker 
characteristics 
o Adjusted Pay Gap- When the gap is calculated by taking other factors into 
consideration. For e.g. education, experience, and other factors that matter 
for the pay gap. 
 
Adjusted pay gap helps in making comparisons within workers or groups of 
workers with similar jobs, which in turn, helps in determining the extent of 
inequality. 
 
Difference between Gender pay gap and Equal pay 
While the gender pay gap is the average difference between hourly wages for men 
and women, 
Unequal pay is when women are paid less than men for doing the exact same work. 
 
Reasons why gender pay gap exists 
o Gender Conditioning- Since birth, there is a distinct behavior towards 
children depending upon the sex of the child.  
Girls, since childhood, are conditioned in ways that drive them away from 
areas like Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  
While boys are given robots and cars to play with, girls get dolls and kitchen 
sets.  
This direction, that is shown to kids at a very young age, due to stereotypes, 
later determines their role in society and the fields they work in.  
This can be described as one of the reasons behind less women 
representation in high paying jobs especially in fields like science, technology 
and engineering. 
 
o Restrictions by law- A World Bank report states that there are widespread 
job restrictions on women in India.  
Page 3


 
 
Gender Wage Gap 
Meaning 
Gender wage gap means the average difference between earnings of both men and 
women in the work force.  
Gender wage gap in the world 
According to World Economic Forum (WEF), women around the world get paid just 
63% of what men earn.  
 
It further estimates that it will take 202 years for the world wage gap to close. The 
harsh reality is that there is not even a single country where there is no disparity 
between the wages of men and women. 
 
Laos, a south-east Asian country, has the least disparity with women earning 91% 
of what men are paid.  
Yemen, Syria and Iraq have the biggest pay gaps with women being paid less than 
30% the level of mens’ wages.  
 
Gender wage gap in India 
International Labor Organization (a United Nations agency), in its Global Wage 
Report, states that India is the country with the highest wage disparity.  
In India, women are paid 34% less than men, making it the country with the highest 
wage gap. 
How is it measured 
It is the number of hours an individual works that determines the salary he/she 
gets. 
This varies with whether that individual has full time employment or part-time. 
And it also varies with how it is measured- hourly, weekly, monthly or yearly. 
  
 
 
The gender pay gap is often divided into:- 
o Unadjusted Pay Gap- Gender pay gap, when calculated by comparing wages 
of all male and female workers without considering different worker 
characteristics 
o Adjusted Pay Gap- When the gap is calculated by taking other factors into 
consideration. For e.g. education, experience, and other factors that matter 
for the pay gap. 
 
Adjusted pay gap helps in making comparisons within workers or groups of 
workers with similar jobs, which in turn, helps in determining the extent of 
inequality. 
 
Difference between Gender pay gap and Equal pay 
While the gender pay gap is the average difference between hourly wages for men 
and women, 
Unequal pay is when women are paid less than men for doing the exact same work. 
 
Reasons why gender pay gap exists 
o Gender Conditioning- Since birth, there is a distinct behavior towards 
children depending upon the sex of the child.  
Girls, since childhood, are conditioned in ways that drive them away from 
areas like Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  
While boys are given robots and cars to play with, girls get dolls and kitchen 
sets.  
This direction, that is shown to kids at a very young age, due to stereotypes, 
later determines their role in society and the fields they work in.  
This can be described as one of the reasons behind less women 
representation in high paying jobs especially in fields like science, technology 
and engineering. 
 
o Restrictions by law- A World Bank report states that there are widespread 
job restrictions on women in India.  
 
 
The restrictions are prevalent in sectors like mining, and in jobs requiring 
them to lift weights above a particular threshold, or the ones involving glass. 
The law also prohibits them from jobs that pose danger to life, health or 
morals. 
 
o Gender bias- This is something that has a huge historical background and 
cannot be overlooked.  
Employers, whether consciously or unconsciously, end up choosing men over 
women, when it comes to hiring or offering promotions or bonuses. 
 
o The Price of Motherhood- Women, when on maternity leave, miss out on a 
lot. During this time, what suffers is both their career and financial status.  
It is also known as ‘motherhood penalty.’ 
 
o Inflexibility at work- Women are still seen as care givers. Their responsibility 
does not end at child birth, it is just the beginning. They have to maintain a 
balance between their work and child care, because society expects them to 
do that.  
Lack of flexibility at work places, especially when it comes to working hours, 
puts them under tremendous pressure, to which many accept defeat and 
drop out of the labour force. 
 
  
Page 4


 
 
Gender Wage Gap 
Meaning 
Gender wage gap means the average difference between earnings of both men and 
women in the work force.  
Gender wage gap in the world 
According to World Economic Forum (WEF), women around the world get paid just 
63% of what men earn.  
 
It further estimates that it will take 202 years for the world wage gap to close. The 
harsh reality is that there is not even a single country where there is no disparity 
between the wages of men and women. 
 
Laos, a south-east Asian country, has the least disparity with women earning 91% 
of what men are paid.  
Yemen, Syria and Iraq have the biggest pay gaps with women being paid less than 
30% the level of mens’ wages.  
 
Gender wage gap in India 
International Labor Organization (a United Nations agency), in its Global Wage 
Report, states that India is the country with the highest wage disparity.  
In India, women are paid 34% less than men, making it the country with the highest 
wage gap. 
How is it measured 
It is the number of hours an individual works that determines the salary he/she 
gets. 
This varies with whether that individual has full time employment or part-time. 
And it also varies with how it is measured- hourly, weekly, monthly or yearly. 
  
 
 
The gender pay gap is often divided into:- 
o Unadjusted Pay Gap- Gender pay gap, when calculated by comparing wages 
of all male and female workers without considering different worker 
characteristics 
o Adjusted Pay Gap- When the gap is calculated by taking other factors into 
consideration. For e.g. education, experience, and other factors that matter 
for the pay gap. 
 
Adjusted pay gap helps in making comparisons within workers or groups of 
workers with similar jobs, which in turn, helps in determining the extent of 
inequality. 
 
Difference between Gender pay gap and Equal pay 
While the gender pay gap is the average difference between hourly wages for men 
and women, 
Unequal pay is when women are paid less than men for doing the exact same work. 
 
Reasons why gender pay gap exists 
o Gender Conditioning- Since birth, there is a distinct behavior towards 
children depending upon the sex of the child.  
Girls, since childhood, are conditioned in ways that drive them away from 
areas like Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  
While boys are given robots and cars to play with, girls get dolls and kitchen 
sets.  
This direction, that is shown to kids at a very young age, due to stereotypes, 
later determines their role in society and the fields they work in.  
This can be described as one of the reasons behind less women 
representation in high paying jobs especially in fields like science, technology 
and engineering. 
 
o Restrictions by law- A World Bank report states that there are widespread 
job restrictions on women in India.  
 
 
The restrictions are prevalent in sectors like mining, and in jobs requiring 
them to lift weights above a particular threshold, or the ones involving glass. 
The law also prohibits them from jobs that pose danger to life, health or 
morals. 
 
o Gender bias- This is something that has a huge historical background and 
cannot be overlooked.  
Employers, whether consciously or unconsciously, end up choosing men over 
women, when it comes to hiring or offering promotions or bonuses. 
 
o The Price of Motherhood- Women, when on maternity leave, miss out on a 
lot. During this time, what suffers is both their career and financial status.  
It is also known as ‘motherhood penalty.’ 
 
o Inflexibility at work- Women are still seen as care givers. Their responsibility 
does not end at child birth, it is just the beginning. They have to maintain a 
balance between their work and child care, because society expects them to 
do that.  
Lack of flexibility at work places, especially when it comes to working hours, 
puts them under tremendous pressure, to which many accept defeat and 
drop out of the labour force. 
 
  
 
 
Things that can be done to close the gender wage gap 
• Education Policies- The education structure and policies should be such that 
they do not leave any loophole in the equal development of every child.  
The education system, instead of fuelling stereotypes, should nurture every 
child and help her grow to the best of her capabilities. It should not try to fit 
‘a round peg in a square hole.’ In India, more encouragement in required for 
parents to send their girls to school. 
 
• HeForShe- This global movement started by UN Women focuses on 
engaging men in the fight to stop inequalities faced by women, whether they 
are social, political, or economical.  
As of October 2015, about half a million men from every continent pledged 
to support women as they work together to end discrimination. 
 
• Paternity leave- Giving enough paternal leave to the father will help the 
parents share the responsibility. It will be a way of extending workplace 
flexibility and will help women come back to work.  
 
• Subsidized childcare- State can take up the responsibility of providing 
subsidized childcare for working parents to relieve them off the pressure of 
added expenditure. 
 
• Female entrepreneurship- Females should be encouraged and mentored at 
different stages of their career to be the masters of their field. They should 
be encouraged to become entrepreneurs and change the work-pay dynamics 
altogether.  
 
These are some of the ways that can be used to close this huge gender wage gap. 
Effective implementing of these strategies may have a positive effect.  
For example, flexible, family oriented policies that lead to higher participation in 
labor-force and salaries for women, will increase a women's investment in 
education, which will in turn will reduce the gender gap in labour force, eventually 
reducing the gender wage gap. 
Page 5


 
 
Gender Wage Gap 
Meaning 
Gender wage gap means the average difference between earnings of both men and 
women in the work force.  
Gender wage gap in the world 
According to World Economic Forum (WEF), women around the world get paid just 
63% of what men earn.  
 
It further estimates that it will take 202 years for the world wage gap to close. The 
harsh reality is that there is not even a single country where there is no disparity 
between the wages of men and women. 
 
Laos, a south-east Asian country, has the least disparity with women earning 91% 
of what men are paid.  
Yemen, Syria and Iraq have the biggest pay gaps with women being paid less than 
30% the level of mens’ wages.  
 
Gender wage gap in India 
International Labor Organization (a United Nations agency), in its Global Wage 
Report, states that India is the country with the highest wage disparity.  
In India, women are paid 34% less than men, making it the country with the highest 
wage gap. 
How is it measured 
It is the number of hours an individual works that determines the salary he/she 
gets. 
This varies with whether that individual has full time employment or part-time. 
And it also varies with how it is measured- hourly, weekly, monthly or yearly. 
  
 
 
The gender pay gap is often divided into:- 
o Unadjusted Pay Gap- Gender pay gap, when calculated by comparing wages 
of all male and female workers without considering different worker 
characteristics 
o Adjusted Pay Gap- When the gap is calculated by taking other factors into 
consideration. For e.g. education, experience, and other factors that matter 
for the pay gap. 
 
Adjusted pay gap helps in making comparisons within workers or groups of 
workers with similar jobs, which in turn, helps in determining the extent of 
inequality. 
 
Difference between Gender pay gap and Equal pay 
While the gender pay gap is the average difference between hourly wages for men 
and women, 
Unequal pay is when women are paid less than men for doing the exact same work. 
 
Reasons why gender pay gap exists 
o Gender Conditioning- Since birth, there is a distinct behavior towards 
children depending upon the sex of the child.  
Girls, since childhood, are conditioned in ways that drive them away from 
areas like Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  
While boys are given robots and cars to play with, girls get dolls and kitchen 
sets.  
This direction, that is shown to kids at a very young age, due to stereotypes, 
later determines their role in society and the fields they work in.  
This can be described as one of the reasons behind less women 
representation in high paying jobs especially in fields like science, technology 
and engineering. 
 
o Restrictions by law- A World Bank report states that there are widespread 
job restrictions on women in India.  
 
 
The restrictions are prevalent in sectors like mining, and in jobs requiring 
them to lift weights above a particular threshold, or the ones involving glass. 
The law also prohibits them from jobs that pose danger to life, health or 
morals. 
 
o Gender bias- This is something that has a huge historical background and 
cannot be overlooked.  
Employers, whether consciously or unconsciously, end up choosing men over 
women, when it comes to hiring or offering promotions or bonuses. 
 
o The Price of Motherhood- Women, when on maternity leave, miss out on a 
lot. During this time, what suffers is both their career and financial status.  
It is also known as ‘motherhood penalty.’ 
 
o Inflexibility at work- Women are still seen as care givers. Their responsibility 
does not end at child birth, it is just the beginning. They have to maintain a 
balance between their work and child care, because society expects them to 
do that.  
Lack of flexibility at work places, especially when it comes to working hours, 
puts them under tremendous pressure, to which many accept defeat and 
drop out of the labour force. 
 
  
 
 
Things that can be done to close the gender wage gap 
• Education Policies- The education structure and policies should be such that 
they do not leave any loophole in the equal development of every child.  
The education system, instead of fuelling stereotypes, should nurture every 
child and help her grow to the best of her capabilities. It should not try to fit 
‘a round peg in a square hole.’ In India, more encouragement in required for 
parents to send their girls to school. 
 
• HeForShe- This global movement started by UN Women focuses on 
engaging men in the fight to stop inequalities faced by women, whether they 
are social, political, or economical.  
As of October 2015, about half a million men from every continent pledged 
to support women as they work together to end discrimination. 
 
• Paternity leave- Giving enough paternal leave to the father will help the 
parents share the responsibility. It will be a way of extending workplace 
flexibility and will help women come back to work.  
 
• Subsidized childcare- State can take up the responsibility of providing 
subsidized childcare for working parents to relieve them off the pressure of 
added expenditure. 
 
• Female entrepreneurship- Females should be encouraged and mentored at 
different stages of their career to be the masters of their field. They should 
be encouraged to become entrepreneurs and change the work-pay dynamics 
altogether.  
 
These are some of the ways that can be used to close this huge gender wage gap. 
Effective implementing of these strategies may have a positive effect.  
For example, flexible, family oriented policies that lead to higher participation in 
labor-force and salaries for women, will increase a women's investment in 
education, which will in turn will reduce the gender gap in labour force, eventually 
reducing the gender wage gap. 
 
 
Regardless of how powerful these strategies may be, they are only part of the 
solution.  
It is the social norms and culture that hold and limit the choices a man or a woman 
has with respect to both family and being a part of the labour force.  
What lies at the base is another fight, a fight against stereotypes and patriarchy. 
Getting rid of these forces will help in laying a strong foundation for an equal 
society and ultimately succeeding in closing this gap.