Ranked 163rd out of 170 countries on the UNDP’s Gender Inequality Index in 2021, Haiti’s gender wage gap is categorized as the largest of any Latin American or African state. Many factors interact to maintain this level of income inequality, with traditional ideas around a woman’s role, gender-based violence and a disproportionate number of female workers in the informal sector reinforcing this harmful cycle. There are several attempts to eradicate these gender inequalities in the labor market, but more work is still necessary.

Haiti’s Gender Wage Gap and Unemployment

On average, female salaries are around 32% lower than their male counterparts in Haiti. About a third of this wage difference “can be explained by factors such as age, number of children, education, and industry of employment,” according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, the rest of Haiti’s gender wage gap has no explanation, pointing towards a culture of gender discrimination. In rural areas, this manifests itself as more women living in poverty; households headed by women are more likely to live below the poverty line (62% compared to 54% of male-led households).

In 2017, women in Haiti were 20 percentage points more likely to be out of work than their male equivalents This was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with women more likely to be unemployed or leave their positions, “reflecting a pattern of low labor market attachment among women that was already present and that expanded during the pandemic.” Although female unemployment has reduced slightly in the post-lockdown era, it still stood at 17.78% in 2023, compared to 11.79% for men.

Women and the Informal Sector

The informal sector contributes around 60% of Haiti’s GDP. Haitian women tend to dominate in this informal economy, partially due to a lack of opportunities or education, but also because Haitian women have “traditionally carried the brunt of family responsibilities” and the society sees them as “poto-mitan” – or backbone- of their families and wider communities. Thus, many women become informal merchants to earn money and juggle domestic responsibilities, contributing to Haiti’s gender wage gap. Women tend to work more in this informal sector which “small production units with low-profit margins” define, including a lack of protections and security for workers (10), which further disadvantages women in terms of pensions and rights, making job progression more difficult.

Traditional Gender Roles and Violence

Around half of Haitian homes, according to the May-June 2020 Haiti Gender Assessment, claimed that chores like cooking, cleaning and child-rearing were a woman’s responsibility in the home. This significant domestic burden inevitably places women at a disadvantage when looking for employment in comparison to men, who tend to have fewer if any domestic tasks.

Also, women have much less access to “productive resources” like land and financial tools, with only 8% of women in rural Haiti owning their own land, compared to 20% of rural men, according to the World Bank. Although only a third of Haitians have a bank account, the gender gap is around 5 percentage points, with much less women having access to these services.

An acute problem with gender-based violence could also be contributing to the persistence of Haiti’s gender wage gaps, given that violence against women “has profound implications for women’s [labor] market participation, driving economic and workplace barriers that erode financial independence and restrict access to meaningful employment opportunities.” In just the first quarter of 2024, there were 1,793 reports of GBV 94% of which came from women and girls, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Combatting chauvinist ideas and domestic violence towards women is key to empowering and integrating them into the workplace.

Education Gap Reversing

Despite a lack of progress regarding women’s involvement in the workforce, there has been progress in improving female education and attendance rates. Gender gaps have “closed or even reversed at the secondary and tertiary levels” with more girls between 15-24 years attending school than boys in rural areas, the World Bank reports.

However, gender gaps persist in lower stages of the education system, and men are still more likely to have graduated from secondary and higher education institutions than their female counterparts. This persisting gender gap in higher education attainment is inevitably worsening this gender pay gap, given that many women in Haiti have not been provided with the same level and quality of education as their male peers.

Solving Haiti’s Gender Wage Gap

The Haitian government has tried to make progress regarding the country’s marked gender wage gap, signing international accords addressing women and gender equality. It also has a Ministry for the Status of Women and Women’s Rights (MCFDF) and a Gender Equality Office for the Parliament, established in 2013, “to foster gender equality on the legislative level and women’s participation in formal politics.”

However, implementation has been slow, considering institutional weakness, political instability and a lack of funding for the MCFDF. Quotas for female representation in government have not had major success within these bodies, with women making up less than the constitutional requirement in both houses of the Haitian Parliament (less than 30%). Compared to its neighbors, Haiti is underperforming regarding the promotion of gender quality and equal opportunities, according to the World Bank.

USAID has also attempted to empower women and girls and combat Haiti’s gender wage gap. They have focused on programs intermingling economic factors and improvements to health and sanitation provision with measures to reduce poverty and gender-based violence. USAID initiatives to reduce poverty and stimulate growth have created 27,000 permanent jobs since 2011, 53% of which employed women, in sectors like construction and manufacturing.

Final Notes

Haiti is a country with a young population and much potential but has suffered at the hands of dictators, natural disasters, and political instability. The country’s gender pay gap has been fed by and worsened female participation in the labor market and the lack of employment opportunities for women. Despite great efforts by the Haitian government and USAID, the 32% gender wage gap persists, and women still find themselves without work, or limited to employment within more informal sectors without workplace protections.

– Ciara Howard

Ciara is based in Brighton, UK and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr