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ASSIGNEMENT NO: 1

WOMEN IN WORK AND BUSINESS

TOPIC: ORIGIN OF SLOGAN “EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK” AND

CURRENT STATUS OF EQUAL PAY IN USA AND OTHER COUNTRIES

SUMBITTRD BY
RIZMA AHMED (29)

SESSION (MORNING)

(2020-2024)

COURSE INSTRUCTOR
DR. AMBREEN SALAHUDDIN

SEMESTER 5th

DEPARTMENT OF GENDER STUDIES

UNIVERSITY OF THE PUNJAB, LAHORE

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EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK

ORIGIN

During World War I, the inclusion of women in the workplace has drastically transmuted
perceptions of their contribution in the society. The sphere of paid work was predominantly
existed and considered as a part of males’ “public” domain in the American psyche.
Nevertheless, women undertook errands during war years, ordinarily carried out by males and
demonstrated they could perform the work just as well. The leaders of suffragette Emmeline and
Christabel Pankhurst played an influential role in this, by calling a ceasefire with the government
and refocus their objectives to ensure that women “are able to keep the country going, to get in
the harvest, to carry on the industries.”

In the course of — World War II, acute labour paucity drove bulk of women into the labour

force as men were enlisted in the militia. As a result of this, previously prohibited job
opportunities were opened up for women for instance; their entrance in the industrialized labour
force and toiled in factories manufacturing munitions. Women were anticipated to exist in the
private domains, doing unpaid work. Acknowledging that women replaced male workers to a
large extent in war labour industry, at this point women generally earned less for the same work
than their male mates. In 1942, the National War Labour Board encouraged to provide equal
wage to men and women for work of comparable quality and quantity on identical operation.
Women faced huge setbacks in work force in 1945 after the war ended as men didn’t desired

women proceeding their jobs. Nonetheless, there were enduring effects. Women in the labour
force became a common sight. The war empowered women to gain strength and mobility in the
workplace. They were no longer forced into the traditional women’s roles that society had
always seen them as being in. Throughout the 50s and 60s it became more common for married
women to work, at least part time.

By 1960, “38% of married women worked but women were routinely sacked when they got
pregnant and continued to be paid less than men even for same jobs. By 1960, women still
earned less than two-thirds of what their male counterparts were paid. The Equal Pay Act passed
by President John F. Kennedy and was signed into law on June 10, 1963. This act (an
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amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act) made it illegal to pay men and women different
wages for doing equal work—defined as requiring equal skill, effort, and responsibility
performed under similar working conditions. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act further strengthened
laws for gender equality and made it illegal for employees to discriminate on the basis of sex,
race, religion, and national origin.

CURRENT STATUS OF PAY IN USA

In the United States, during past 15 years or so the gender pay disparity has remained

comparatively stable. According to Pew Research Center scrutiny of median hourly revenues of
part-time and full- time workers, women obtained 84% of what men acquired in 2020. Based
upon this estimation, it would take additionally 42 days of work to women to meet earnings of
what men achieved in 2020. This gap has been elucidated by measurable aspects for instance;
occupational segregation, educational acquirement and experience in work. Although there is an
increment of women in higher-paying posts conventionally dominated by men, such as
managerial positions, but they are overrepresented in jobs of lower wages relative to their share
of labour force. This may contribute to gender disparity in pay. Gender discrimination is also one
of the factors that contribute to gender wage gap.

In accordance with Pew Research Center survey in 2017, on account of discrimination, about 4
in 10 working women (42%) stated that they had suffered biases because of their gender at
workplaces, compared with 2 in 10 men (22%). 1 in 4 employed women declared that for the
same job they earned less than a man. On the contrary, 5% of men stated they earned less than a
woman performing the similar job. However, women working full-time are still remunerated just
83 cents to every dollar gained by men in the U.S. The consequences of this wage discrepancy
affect women throughout their lives. Even in retirement this wage gap follows women as they
have only 70% of what men do, with regard to overall retirement income. Resultantly, due to
lower lifespan earnings, women receive less pensions and social security.

CURRENT SITUATION IN PAKISTAN AND OTHER COUNTRIES

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It is the basic right of both males and females to have equal economic advantages, but women
get lower wages in persistent manner as compared to men across the world. A woman, on
average earns 77 cents in contrast to a dollar earned by men, according to worldwide average
data released by World Economic Forum. The gender wage gap is chiefly associated with the
economic welfare of a state. If women earn less, it hampers human capital development in a
country and declines the process of economic growth in long run. As a developing country,
Pakistan manifested a gender wage gap of 34% which is greater than double, the global average
and is one of the highest pay disparities around the globe, identified by International Labour
Organization (ILO), Global Wage Report 2019. Women are acutely underrepresented in the
work force in Pakistan, face discrimination in the labour market due to stereotyping and
fallacious presumptions of women’s roles and capabilities, commitment and leadership style.
Likewise, according to the estimates of the World Inequality Report 2022, in India, men earn 82
per cent of the labor income whereas women earn 18 per cent of it. In Afghanistan, the income of
an average woman is less than 16% than of that of an average man, according to 2021 data.

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

According to my viewpoint, the pay should be equivalent to the amount of work. The pay gap
impedes economic growth as the wage gap hampers women from exhibiting their full potential.
Discrimination against women in the workforce contributes to diminishing tax income and
higher outlays in unemployment and social security benefits. The elimination of discrimination
requires deliberate, focused and consistent efforts and policies by all parties concerned over a
sustained period of time.