CHENNAI DR.

AMBEDKAR LAW COLLEGE

PATTARAI PERUMBUDUR, THIRUVALLUR

PAPER VII – NON DOCTRINAL RESEARCH

RESEARCH TOPIC
THE WAGE DISCRIMINATION AND GENDER PAY GAP
WITH SPECIAL REFERENCES WITH VELLORE DISTRICT.

SUBMITTED BY
V.GAYATHRI
REGISTER NUMBER: PE23014
I LL.M., SEMESTER-II (2023-2024)
LABOUR AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW

SUBMITTED TO
Prof.N.KAYALVIZHI, LL.M., Ph.D.,

1
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents Page no
DECLARATION 2
ABSTRACT 4
1. INTRODUCTION 5
2. NEED FOR THE STUDY 7
3. SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES 8
4. STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS 8
6. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 10
7. HYPOTHESIS 11
8. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 11
9.CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS ON 14
WAGE DISCRIMINATION AND
GENDER PAY GAP
10. SOCIAL JUSTICE 15
11. SOCIAL SECURITY 16
PROVISIONS ON WAGE
DISCRIMINATION
12. STEPS TAKEN BY 18
GOVERNMENT
13. DATA ANALYSIS AND 20-30
FINDINGS
14.CONCLUSION AND 31
SUGGESTIONS
15. REFERENCES 32

2
 Declaration

I, V.GAYATHRI bearing the Reg. No. PE23014, 1st YEAR of L.L.M, for the
academic year 2023-2025, do hereby declare that this research paper entitled
“THE WAGE DISCRIMINATION AND GENDER PAY GAP WITH SPECIAL
REFERENCE WITH VELLORE DISTRICT” is an original work of mine and is
a result of my own intellectual efforts, submitted to CHENNAI DR.
AMBEDKAR LAW COLLEGE PATTARAI PERUMBUDUR,
THIRUVALLUR in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the
degree of L.L.M, under the guidance of PROF. Dr.N.KAYALVIZHI LL.M.,
Ph.D. I have quoted titles of all original sources i.e., original documents and
name of the authors whose work has helped me in writing this paper have been
placed at appropriate places. I have not infringed copy rights of any other author.

Date: /06/2024

Place: V. GAYATHRI
REG NO: PE23014
1st YEAR OF LL.M
LABOUR AND
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW

3
THE WAGE DISCRIMINATION AND GENDER PAY GAP
WITH SPECIAL REFERENCES WITH VELLORE DISTRICT

ABSTRACT

This paper talks about the Gender Wage Gap in India. It is the major problem
faced by every working women at their workplace because it is the difference in
Canings of women and men in the payed employment and Labour market. In our
Indian constitution Article 39 envisages. That all states ideally direct the policy
towards securing equal nay for equal unworked for both men and women. Other
than Article 39 our government also enacted an Act for equal pay of (i.e. Equal
Remuneration Act 1976. Sec 4 briefly explains about the duty of the employer to
nay equal Remuneration to men and women workers for same work or work of
similar in nature. According to world inequality Report 2022 Men earn 82 percent
and women count 18 percent of Labour income in India. So this Article briefly
explains about the above data and ratification. Ways to prevail equal
remuneration which our Indian government have brought fill now

KEY WORDS

Wages, inequality, equal Remuneration, article, wage discrimination

4
INTRODUCTION

Over the last four decades, India has seen low levels of women’s labour force
participation, with gaps of nearly 40 per cent between the proportions of men and
women in the labour force. Covid-19-induced lock-downs had a significant
impact on the global economy. It greatly affected the labour market, with many
businesses implementing pay freezes and rising unemployment, economic
inactivity, and redundancies. One of the main consequences is exacerbating pre-
existing inequalities, particularly those related to gender. Women’s employment
has suffered disproportionately, resulting in women being furloughed or losing
their jobs, especially those who work in sectors hit hardest by the economic
downturn.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently ranked India at 135 out of 146
countries in its Global Gender Gap (GGG) Index for 2022. According to the
World Inequality Report 2022 estimates, men earn 82 per cent of the labour
income in India, whereas women earn 18 per cent.

The long-term economic and social consequences of this can be severe. With the
widening of inequality, there is an urgent need for further research to understand
the extent of the issue and identify potential solutions to reverse the impact of
gender pay parity. Discrimination at the workplace. Educational attainments do
little to close the wage gap.
The gender pay gap is a reality in the Indian subcontinent as well. Among the
BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) economies, India ranks lowest on gender
parity including pay parity (i.e., equality between wages of men and women) as
stated in the Global Gender Gap Report (2010). World Economic Forum’s survey
(WEF) placed India among the bottom 10 countries in the world in terms of
women’s participation in the economy (Javeed & Manuhaar, 2013).

5
The gender wage gap study conducted by Chakraborty and Mukherjee (2014) on
the 66th Round of NSS data revealed considerable gender wage gap across
industries and occupations. The study found a large element of discrimination in
rural and urban areas reiterating the reality of wage discrimination and bias
against women in the labour market. The results revealed that there was a 37%
wage gap when the urban and rural areas were aggregated in the analysis. Another
encouraging finding of the study was that education played an equalizer among
both men and women and higher education enabled women to earn higher
remuneration. Unfortunately, increase in participation of women in different
sectors and industries did not lead to lowering of the gender wage gap. Thus, the
study one more time established the uncomfortable truth of the existence of
gender wage gap in the country.
In the present study the authors attempt to analyse the gender wage discrepancies
in the Indian scenario by basing the analysis on the 68th round of NSS data. The
authors wish to compare the results of the 66th Round of NSS data results
(Chakraborty & Mukherjee, 2014) with the 68th Round to check how the wage
gap has changed since the last study. It is important to engage in a periodic
analysis to understand the nature of changes and the changing role of the
influencers while studying wage related data. The study would analyse the 68th
round of NSS data:

NEED FOR THE STUDY

1. To determine whether gender pay gap exists in India across sectors using
the wage data from the survey
2. To explore the factors that determine the gap in pay between male and
female employees across sectors as revealed by the data from the 68th
Round. The factors that are being considered for the study are age,
education, marital status, caste, occupations and industries.

6
SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES

This section provides the theoretical frameworks available in the literature related
to wages in brief to highlight their scope and inadequacies to explain observed
wage behaviour and especially gender wage differentials in Indian labour
markets. Different wage rates define job hierarchies, and the presence of varied
labour use forms accommodates different wage systems and modes of payments.
Multiple wage rates prevail simultaneously for different sectors, occupations and
tasks within any local labour market, be it in rural villages or urban towns and
cities. The organised, public sector, government jobs have a predetermined wage
scale structure, and in the private sector organised jobs, payments are closely and
loosely tied to these wage scales. In the village rural labour market context, the
daily wage rates for casual labourers in agriculture are closely tied to the daily
wages paid in non-agricultural activities. Wages are paid as time rates, piece rates,
fixed contracts for specific tasks, in cash or in kind or a combination of both.
Labour with different human capital attributes are also paid same or similar
wages, contesting the potential of labour supply capability traits as an explanation
for wage differentials. Under these circumstances, gender differentials in wage
payments, especially among workers with same levels of educational attainments
and for undertaking similar jobs are a clear indication of discrimination against
women due to non-economic considerations.

Notionally set wage bands with upper and lower limits based on employers and
employees considerations respectively defines the range within which actual
wages are determined. The perfect competition models may be appropriate for
explaining long run trends in wages and labour allocation, in as much as changes
in the demand for and supply of labour are seen as determinants of wages and, in
turn, changes in wage rates influence both labour demand and supply. However,
they fail to account for the persistence of unemployment, and for understanding
short run wage determination and labour allocation due to presence of multiple

7
wage rates for different occupations, operations, and types of contracts. Extended
to the context of labour market segmentation or where gender based division of
labour locates women in certain specific occupations or tasks, differential wage
payments defy easy explanation and challenge these on wages due to the
availability of surplus labour and employers’ attempt to avoid adverse selection
that tends to push wage levels upwards makes it unclear whether wage rates ought
to move upward or downward. The subordination of women and patriarchal
mind-sets as operative in the system of social Organisation serves to reinforce the
structure of wages in the productive spheres. Thus, Increasing women’s
participation, the rising levels of education and skill content over time Have not
been able to eliminate the gender imbalances in wages and incomes in India.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

In order to understand or examine gender inequalities in wages and incomes, the

context of women’s labour market participation as compared to that of male
workers and all the varied dimensions associated with it have to be considered.
The difficulties associated with recognising women’s contribution to economic
activities on the one hand, and their participation in labour market activities on
the other hand define the widespread spectrum and nature of women’s work.
Factors determining women’s labour supply are not adequately explained by the
individual oriented work, effort, leisure or even wage remuneration based
considerations. In fact, in most cases labour supply decisions especially for
women need to be seen from the household point of view, since women have the
additional responsibility as domestic care givers women’s labour supply
behaviour is distinct from that observed for male labour in terms of age of entry,
inherent human capital attributes, marital status and social class position affecting
their mobility in public spaces, fertility or reproduction and so on. Despite the

8
increasing work participation among women over time, far fewer women than
men enter the labour market as workers and the age of entry among women is
later than that noted for men. The reasons for such behaviour relate to the socially
defined roles within the household and the gender division of labour. A
substantial number of women enter the labour markets in their thirties, generally
after completion of their reproductive roles of child bearing and rearing. A part
of the delay in age. The assumption of gender neutrality in spheres of
employment, remunerations and related calculations implicit in economic
thinking being erroneous, the comparisons and assessments of gender inequalities
remain inappropriate. Women being exceedingly employed in low productivity,
low value tasks on the one hand, and the active choice of employers in hiring
women for these tasks at times to prevent wage costs from increasing, on the other
hand, dictate the gendered context of labour use in India. An increase in labour
demand for jobs predominantly undertaken by women ought to lead to increasing
wages of women; instead the observed pattern is for jobs to switch from manual
to mechanised production, stimulate substitution of women by more ‘committed’
and ‘productive’ workers, that is, male workers. The coining of the term
‘feminisation’ of labour, especially in the post-liberalisation era since the 1980s
when women’s participation in export oriented industries showed remarkable
increase came to be associated with a regressive form of employment, whereby
their utilisation was found to be located in parts of the production chain which
are the poorest paid .the subordination of women and patriarchal mind-sets as
operative in the system of social organisation serves to reinforce the structure of
wages in the productive spheres. Thus, increasing women’s participation, the
rising levels of education and skill content over time have not been able to
eliminate the gender imbalances in wages and incomes in India.

9
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

There are two methods for conducting research work, doctrinal method and non-
doctrinal method of study. The methodology of this research work can be
described as ‘doctrinal’. Doctrinal method of study is done by analyzing the
materials which are available in the library; it is described as ‘research into the
law and legal concepts’. Whereas non doctrinal research requires field work for
the research work. Doctrinal method of study is found to be suitable for this
research work since it involves theoretical analysis of various issues. Thus, this
project researches the law by analyzing the legal decisions and legal instruments,
such as statutes and judicial decision making in order to identify legal and ethical
practice and principles and to draw a conclusion.

DOCTRINAL:- The Doctrinal research means a research which is carried out

upon the legal propositions or propositions by way of analysing the existing
statutory provisions and cases by applying the reasoning statutory provisions and
the cases by applying reasoning power. In other words it means and includes the
analysis of legal institutions through legal reasoning and rational deduction.

EMPIRICAL OR NON DOCTRINAL:-

It basically means a study or research carried out by collecting and gathering data
or information by a first-hand study in other words it means relaying solely upon
observations and experiment and not on theories. It also called as Fact research.
To understand the scope of the Empirical or Non Doctrinal research it is said
that," By fact research in law, it means a systematic search into social, political
and the other fact conditions which give rise to individual rules and examination
of the social, political and other effects of these rules. Considering the nature and
scope of the study of the present subject, it clearly requires the actual filed work

10
such as collection of information and data from various Governments
Departments, Investigation Agencies, Judiciary and other concerned related
offices even by taking interview of the concerned officer/s. It also may involve
the analysis of the legal propositions and all the relevant legal provisions so the
research methodology may be used for the present study involve both Doctrinal
as well as Non Doctrinal or Empirical research. As it may include field work for
legally possible data collection from the work place etc. the research
methodology would be Non doctrinal.

HYPOTHESIS

Hypothesis 1 (H1): The differences of income trajectories throughout working

life is expected to demonstrate more income over time among men than among
women.

Hypothesis 2 (H2): The income differences between men and women can be
explained by determinants of the human capital model.

Hypothesis 3 (H3): The occupational status of men and women can contribute to
the explanation of the GPG.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

In this paper investigated determinants of wage differentials between women

and men of equal productivity on Polish labour market. Blinder-Oaxaca
decomposition allows to: measure wage differences, return on individual
characteristics and gender pay discrimination by using 2002 data. In (2020)
examined the gender pay gap among full time managers in India over the
period 2010 to 2020.Using Blinder Oaxaca decomposition technique the paper

11
also explored the issue of discrimination and the roles played by labour force
experience and parenting. I focused on the changing trends and main explanations
of gender wage inequality in the Indian market. Jingo Suh (2009) in his paper
investigated the determinants and characteristics of changing gender wage gap
between1989 to 2005 in India. The result of the decomposition showed that
women narrowed the wage gap through, increase in experience, work hours
and education. Diminishing the level of discrimination was another important
factor for narrowing gender wage gap. After a pause in the mid-1990s, the gender
wage ratio has gained ground again recently. Most early gain was due to women’s
investment in education. Goldin (1990) has shown that in the India , the ratio
of women’s to men’s average wage increased from about 58percent in the
mid-1950s to 70 percent 1990. Mincer & Polachek (1974) in their study attributed
the gender wage gap to differences in work experience between men and women.
Smith & Ward (1984), using cross-section of data for their study, showed that
women’s relative wages fell to men’s as age and work experience increase and
declining relative wage was attributed to the interruptions in job careers and the
associated losses in job skills for women. Increase in career continuity since the
1970s resulted in the growth in women’s wages relative to men’s. Reimerand
Schroder (2006) have shown in their paper that women in Germany had an
earnings disadvantage compared women, which cannot be attributed entirely to
human capital differences or the allocation of women into less attractive jobs.
Wage discrimination was an explanation for this difference. Sherri Haas (2006)
examined the relationship between gender wage gap and degree of economic
development of a country, as measured by the gross domestic product per capita.
The study also analysed the relationship of educational attainment and general
wage inequality to the size of the gender wage gap. Sophie and Dominique
Meur (2005) in their paper decomposed the gender monthly wage gap, with
particular focus on the components of the parts of the gap due to
differences in characteristics. The analysis was done for 10 countries in EU using
12
Oaxaca & Ransom decomposition technique and finally they used Heckman two
steps method for selectivity correction. Their result suggested that differences in
working hours between men and women are crucial in all countries. Further, on
an average, public sector appeared more favourable to women. Marwa Biltagy
(2014) estimated wage differences between male and female workers

1. The gender pay gap refers to the difference between men’s pay and women’s
pay as a percentage of men’s pay. If the gender pay gap is 15% then women, on
average, earn 15% less than men. Gender pay gaps can be either positive or
negative, with a negative gender pay gap indicating that women earn, on average,
more than men. Gender pay gaps are an important element in analysing and
monitoring progress on equal pay both nationally and within organisations.

2. While the overall definition of the gender pay gap is widely shared, its exact
measurement varies. The Office for National Statistics uses the median (middle
data point) hourly earnings excluding overtime to calculate the gap, while the
Equalities and Human Rights Commission, along with, inter alia, the OECD,
prefer to use the mean (central tendency) hourly earnings. There are advantages
and disadvantages to each approach.

3. Gender pay gaps can be used for a range of comparisons. These range from
single economy-wide figures for full-time pay to enable international
comparisons, to calculations based on occupational groups that are job evaluated
as being comparable as part of an organisation’s equal pay audit

13
CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS ON WAGE DISCRIMINATION AND
GENDER:

It contents an introduction to the concept of THE WAGE DISCRIMINATION

AND GENDER PAY GAP WITH SPECIAL REFERENCES WITH VELLORE
DISTRICT, The Area of Research, The Significance of The Topic of the
Research, Aims and Objects of the Research, Hypothesis, Review of Literature,
The Methodology followed for the Research and the Scheme of Presentation of
the Research work. It Women face discrimination in all facets of life.
Discrimination in the workplace is nothing new. Discrimination against women
is unfair. They face inequality even before they are hired,. Women employees
earn 27% less than men in India. According to a report of 2015, on an average,
men earn Rs. 259.80 per hour whereas their female colleagues earn just Rs.
190.50 The report also stated that the pay gap wasn’t uniform across the sectors.
In the IT sector, women earn around 34% less while the difference is only 19%
in the finance sector. Society has a tendency to associate managerial jobs with
men because they consider it to be associated with ‘male’ traits such as
assertiveness and confidence. Stereotypically masculine characteristics are
associated with some particular jobs and women being soft and kind towards
others. However, this stereotype is an impediment to the growth of women. This
greatly affects the women who actually want to achieve big in her life. These
women are named to be “ambitious”. Is wanting more being ambitious? Why are
men who want more not named ambitious? This stereotype explains why women
are so scarcely present in some leadership team. The above stereotype also scarce
some women who hesitate to apply for senior roles which require stereotypically
male characteristics.

Since domestic work is not shared equally between men and women, women are
experiencing more frequent career breaks, mostly in order to raise children and

14
take care of the elderly in the family. This, in turn, has negative consequences for
their careers. The literacy rate, in India, of women, is very low, the reason for
being a good percentage of girls in rural areas drop out to get married. Education
is not considered as a necessity for girls as the man is considered the breadwinner.
Agriculture is two-thirds of the current employment in India, but most of the
labour women contribute to this sector are not considered or officially
documented. Unpaid work is listed as a major reason for the pay gap. According
to the recent Human Development Report, women, in particular, spent 2/3 rd of
their occupational life working as unpaid labour in the false hope of getting paid.

SOCIAL ORDER BASED ON SOCIO-ECONOMIS JUSTICE:

Article 38(1) directs the state to strive “to promote the welfare of the people by
securing and protecting as effectively as it may a social order in which justice,
social, economic and political, shall inform all the institutions of the national
life.”

Article 38(2) directs the state to strive “to minimise the inequalities in income,”
and endeavour “to eliminate inequalities in status, facilities and opportunities, not
only amongst individuals but also groups of people residing in different areas or
engaged in different vocations”.

Article 38 needs to be read along with Article 14. This directive reaffirms what
has been declared in the Preamble to the Constitution, viz., the function of the
Republic is to secure, inter alia, social, economic and political justice. On the
concept of equality envisaged by Article 38, the Supreme Court has observed in
the case Sri Srinivasa Theatre v. Govt. of Tamil Nadu, AIR 1992 SC 999:
“Equality before law is a dynamic concept having many facets. One facet--the
most commonly acknowledged--is that there shall be no privileged person or class
and that none shall be above law. A facet which is of immediate relevance herein

15
is the obligation upon the state to bring about, through the machinery of law, a
more equal society envisaged by the Preamble and Part IV of our

Constitution [viz. Directive Principles]. For, equality before law can be

predicated meaningfully only in an equal society, i.e., in a society contemplated
by Article 38 of the Constitution.”

Reading Articles 21, 38, 42, 43, 46 and 48A together, the Supreme Court has
concluded in Consumer Education & Research Centre v. Union of India (AIR
1995 SC 923), that “right to health, medical aid to protect the health and vigour
of a worker while in service or post retirement is a Fundamental Right...to make
the life of the workman meaningful and purposeful with dignity of person.”
Health of the worker enables him to enjoy the fruit of his labour, keeping him
physically fit and mentally alert for leading a successful life, economically,
socially and culturally. Medical facilities to protect the health of the workers are,
therefore, the fundamental and human rights of the workmen.

Article 38 is always supplemented and must be read with Article 39 which seeks
to lays down the guidelines and principles for achieving such social order.

SOCIAL SECURITY PROVISIONS AGAINST WAGE

DISCRIMINATION

Article 41 requires the state, within the limits of its economic capacity and
development, to make effective provision for securing the right to work, to
education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness
and disablement, and in other cases of undeserved want. Social security is
guaranteed in our Constitution under Articles 39, 41 and 43. The Employees’
State Insurance Act, 1948 is a pioneering piece of legislation in the field of social
insurance. The Employees’ State Insurance Scheme provides for benefits in cash
except the medical benefit, which is in kind. The Employees’ Provident Funds
16
and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 are
also social security measures to help fulfil the objectives of directive principles
of our Constitution. The Provident Fund Scheme aimed at providing substantial
security and timely monetary assistance to industrial employees and their
families.

The Maternity Benefit Scheme is primarily designed to provide maternity leave

with full wages and security of employment. The object of the Payment of
Gratuity Act, 1972 is to provide a scheme for the payment of gratuity to
employees employed in factories, mines, oil fields, plantations, ports, railways,
shops and establishments. Besides social security benefits, efforts have also been
made to provide ample opportunities for employment and for workers’ education.
The Apprentices Act, 1961 was enacted to supplement the programme of
institutional training by on-the-job training and to regulate the training
arrangements in industry. Employment exchanges play an important role for the
job seekers. The Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of
Vacancies) Act, 1969 has made it obligatory on the employers to notify vacancies
occurring in their establishments to the prescribed employment exchanges before
they are filled. The voluntary workers education scheme was launched in our
country in 1958 to educate the workers in trade union philosophy and methods,
and to promote physical awareness of problems, privileges and obligations as
workers and citizens. As already stated, by reading Articles 21, 39(a) and 41, the
Supreme Court has included the right to livelihood as a part of right to life under
Art. 21. This however does not mean that the state may be compelled by
affirmative action to provide adequate means of livelihood or work to the citizens.
The ground reality is that the number of available jobs is limited, and hence
Courts must take a realistic view of the matter and must exercise self-restraint.
But, it does certainly mean that the state shall not deprive any person of his
livelihood except according to just and fair procedure established by law. It will

17
thus be seen that from the traditional right to life an important economic right has
been derived. Art. 41 directs the state to make effective provision for securing the
right to work but within the limits of its economic capacity and development.

STEPS TAKEN BY GOVERNMENT AGAINST WAGE

DISCRIMINATION

Steps taken by India

India has taken several steps in the legislative sphere to close the gender pay gap,
especially at the low-end of the wage distribution. In this regard, it was one of the
pioneering countries to enact the Minimum Wages Act in 1948 and followed by
the adoption of the Equal Remuneration Act in 1976. In 2019, India carried out
comprehensive reforms in both the legislation and enacted the Code on Wages.

Evidence shows that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment

Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in 2005 benefited rural women workers and helped
reduce the gender pay gap, both directly and indirectly. Directly, by raising the
pay levels of women workers who participated in the programme, and indirectly,
benefits accrued to women involved in agricultural occupations through higher
earnings, as MGNREGA contributed to the rapid rise in overall rural and
agricultural wages in the country.

In 2017, the Government amended the Maternity Benefit Act of 1961, which
increased the ‘maternity leave with pay protection’ from 12 weeks to 26 weeks
for all women working in establishments employing 10 or more workers. This is
expected to reduce the motherhood pay gap among mothers in the median and
high-end wage earners working in the formal economy.

18
Apart from enabling legislations, efforts are being made through the Skill India
Mission to equip women with market-relevant skills to bridge the learning-to-
livelihood gap and the gender pay gap.

While the gender pay gap is slowly narrowing, at the current rate of progress it
will take more than 70 years to close it completely. Accelerated and bold action
is needed to prevent a widening of the gender pay gap and closing the existing
gap.

One of the targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 8 is “achieving 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. In support of this Goal, the Equal Pay International Coalition
(EPIC), was launched in 2017 as a multi-stakeholder initiative led by the ILO,
UN Women and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) that seeks to achieve equal pay for women and men everywhere.

Equal pay for work of equal value is necessary to close the gender pay gap.
Closing the gender pay gap is key to achieving social justice for working women,
as well as economic growth for the nation as a whole.

Dagmar Walter is Director of the International Labour Organization Decent Work

Technical Support Team for South Asia and Country Office for India. Susan
Ferguson is the United Nations (UN) Women Representative in India; part of the
UN in India Team.

19
DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

Data analysis is very critical in the action research cycle. Data analysis is a
process of categorizing, transforming and interpreting data into useful
information for decision – making in a professional pathway or project
implementation. In simple words, it is a systematic and critical examination of
the collected data. In this chapter, i discussed about the findings from the samples
or respondents also includes analysis of the samples and interpretation of the data
to find out that legal knowledge among public on Wage Discrimination and
Gender Pay Gap with Special Reference with Vellore District.

Statistical Tools

Simple percentage analysis

➢ Column Chart
➢ Pie chart
➢ Bar chart

20
 AGE

FIGURE 1

0%
25%

below 18 Y

60% 18 - 24 Y
15%
25-34 Y
35 -44Y

Interpretation

From the above observation it can be incurred that;

➢ 0% of respondents are below 18 years of age.

➢ 60% of respondents are 18- 24 years of age.
➢ 15% of respondents are 25-34 years of age.
➢ 25% of respondents are 35- 44 years of age.

Inference

From this research, we can be concluded that out 20 respondents, 60 % of

respondents who are employee belongs to the age of 18 – 24 years in Vellore
District.

21
 GENDER

10
8

MEN WOMEN THIRD GENDER

GENDER
I

FIGURE 2
Interpretation
From the above observation it can be incurred that
➢ 50% of the respondents are male
➢ 45% of the respondents are female.
➢ 5% of the respondents are third gender.

Inference
From this research, we can concluded that out of 20 respondents, 50% of
respondents has Employment who are belongs to male and 45% of respondents
are belongs female in Vellore City.

22
 EMPLOYMENT STATUS
9
8
7
6
5
4 8
3 6
2
3
1 2
1
0
PUBLIC SELF EMPLOYED UNEMPLOYED STUDENT OTHERS
EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT STATUS

FIGURE 3

Interpretation
➢ 70% of the respondents are Self Employed
➢ 15% of the respondents are Unemployed
➢ 10% of the respondents are others
➢ 5% of the respondent are students.

Inference
From this research we can concluded that out of 20 respondents, 70% of the
respondents who are belongs to self employed in terms of Employment status in
Vellore District.

23
 WAGE DISCRIMINATION BASED ON GENDER
STRONGLY AGREE DISAGREE NEUTRAL

STRONGLY AGREE
10
8
6
4
2
0 DISAGREE

NEUTRAL

FIGURE 4
Interpretation
From the above observation it can be incurred that
➢ 60% of the respondents are Strongly agreed
➢ 30% of the respondents are disagreed
➢ 20% of the respondents are neutral

Inference
From this research we can be concluded that 60% of respondents agreed that the
wage discrimination based on gender exists in their workplace in Vellore
district.

24
 WOMEN ARE LESS LIKELY TO NEGOTIATE
THEIR SALARY COMPARED TO MEN

DISAGREE
25%
AGREE
DISAGREE
AGREE
75%

FIGURE 5
Interpretation
From the above observation it can be incurred that
➢ 75% of the respondents were agreed
➢ 25% of the respondents were disagreed.

Inference
From this research we can be concluded that, 75% of the respondents were
agreed that the women are less likely to negotiate their salaries compared to
men in the Vellore city.

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 MAIN CAUSES FOR GENDER PAY GAP

Discrimination and Bias 5

Work life balance and family responsibilities 8

Work Experience 1

Educational Attainment 1

Occupational Seggregation 5

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

MAIN CAUSES FOR GENDER PAY GAP

FIGURE 7
Interpretation
From the above observation it can be incurred that
➢ 70% of respondents entered the Work life balance and family
responsibilities.
➢ 10% of respondents entered the Occupational segregation.
➢ 10% of respondents entered the discrimination and bias.

Inference
From this research we can concluded that 70% of respondents mentioned the
work life balance and family responsibilities as the main cause for gender pay
gap in Vellore City.

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 MEASURES TO REDUCE GENDER PAY GAP
MEASURES TO REDUCE GENDER PAY GAP

12

Pay transparency Strenthening equal Promoting flexible mentorship and

pay working conditions sponsorship
programs for women

FIGURE 9
Interpretation
From the above observation it can be incurred that
➢ 80% of the respondents had chosen strengthening equal pay.
➢ 15% of the respondents had chosen pay transparency.
➢ 5% of the respondents had chosen promoting flexible working conditions.

Inference
From this research we can concluded that 80% of the respondents had chosen
strengthening equal pay as the measures to reduce the gender pay gap in Vellore
District.

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 GENDER PAY EQUALITY
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
LACK OF AWARENESS CULTURAL ATTITUDES FINANCIAL INSUFFICIENT POLICIES
CONSTRAINTS AND REGULATIONS

GENDER PAY EQUALITY

FIGURE 10

Interpretation
From the above observation it can be incurred that

➢ 80% of the respondents had chosen the cultural attitudes.

➢ 15% of the respondents had chosen lack of awareness.
➢ 5% of the respondents had chosen financial constraints.

Inference
From this research we can concluded that 80% of the respondents had chosen
cultural attitude is the major barrier that prevent companies from achieving
gender pay gap equality in Vellore City.

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 PUBLICLY REPORT WAGE DATA BY GENDER

20%

Yes
No

80%

FIGURE 11

Interpretation
From the above observation it can be incurred that
➢ 80% of the respondents has mentioned yes.
➢ 20% of the respondents has mentioned No.

Inference

From this research we can concluded that majority of the respondents has
responded that companies should be required to publicly report wage data by
gender in Vellore city.

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 PERCEPTION OF A GENDER PAY GAP AFFECTS
WORKPLACE MORALE AND PRODUCTIVITY

Strongly agree agree Neutral disagree

FIGURE 13

Interpretation
From the above observation it can be incurred that
➢ 80% of the respondents were strongly agreed.
➢ !0% of the respondent were disagreed

Inference

From this research we can conclude that the 80% of the respondents were
strongly agreed that the perception of a gender pay gap affects workplace
morale and productivity in Vellore City.

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CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

Gender Pay Gap in India refers to the difference in average wages or earnings
between men and women in the country. Despite constitutional provisions and
various efforts to promote gender equality, the gender pay gap remains a
significant issue in India. According to the Report “Women and Men in India
2022” released by the National Statistical, wage disparity between men and
women has widened over the past decade, with the gap opening up further at
higher wage levels.

Men in India capture 82% of labour income, while women earn just 18%,
according to the first-ever estimates of the gender inequality in global earnings
presented in the World Inequality Report 2022 released. To address the gender
pay gap, there is a need for greater awareness and advocacy around the issue, as
well as policy measures that promote gender equality and economic
empowerment of women.

WAY AHEAD

➢ While the gender pay gap is slowly narrowing, acceleration and bold
actions to prevent the widening of gender pay gap is the need of the hour.
➢ Equal pay for work of equal value is necessary to close the gender pay
gap.
➢ Closing the gender pay gap is key to achieving social justice for working
women, as well as economic growth for the nation as a whole
➢ Without social justice women empowerment is a futile exercise.

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REFERENCES

1. http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-01-20/news/58268083_1_education-sector-
women-employees-rs-150

2. https://blog.ipleaders.in/legal-provisions- gender-equality-analysis/

3. https://www.livemint.com/money/personal- finance/what-is-genderpay-gap-
and-why-is-it- so-wide-in-India-11575356633900.html.

4. https://www.epi.org/wik/gender_pay_gap_in_ India

5. https://www.business-standard.com/article/ current-affairs/India-ranks-108-
in-wef-gender-gap-index-in-2018/iceland/holds/top-spot.118121800641_1.html.

6.https:/www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publiced_emp_edemp_ent_multidocumen
ts/publication/wcms-756721/pdf.

7.https://www.shrm.org/shrm-india/pages/gender-pay-gap-in-india-legal-
considerations.aspx

8.https://www.academia.edu/68505455/Gender_Based_Wage_Discrimination_n
_Indian_Urban_ Labour_Market_An_Assessment

BOOKS

1. Aggrawal, S.L. Labour Relations Law in India, Atma Ram and Co. Delhi, 1970

2. Kumar, Anil, Labour welfare and social security,Deep and Deep Publication,
New Delhi, 2003.

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