Archive for category: Gender Wage Inequality

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8 Facts About the Gender Wage Gap in Vanuatu

Gender Wage Gap in VanuatuWomen are the primary drivers of Vanuatu’s agriculture, tourism and local commerce, yet they still face a massive gap in earnings compared to their male counterparts. This gender wage in Vanuatu hinders financial independence and increases the risk of poverty for families across the islands. Because women also shoulder the majority of unpaid labor, particularly in rural villages where resources are scarce, a lack of education and infrastructure often blocks their path to economic equality. Today, a mix of government agencies and global organizations are working to break these cycles and close the gender wage gap in Vanuatu.

1. Gap in Labor Force Participation

According to the 2020 National Population and Housing Census, the labor force participation rate for women sits at 42.1%, while men participate at a rate of 51.5%. This nearly 10% difference highlights how few women are entering the formal workforce. Beyond the numbers, women are also struggling with a “data gap.” The UN Women Data Hub notes that essential labor indicators, including specific pay gap statistics, are still missing for Vanuatu, making it difficult for policymakers to address the root of the problem. Limited access to formal employment also increases women’s vulnerability to poverty, especially in households that rely on a single income source.

2. Many Women Work in Informal Jobs

Most women in Vanuatu earn their living through informal channels like market vending, subsistence farming and handicraft sales. These jobs rarely offer legal protections or steady paychecks. While women make up between 75% and 90% of all market vendors in the Pacific, they are rarely given a seat at the table when it comes to managing those workplaces. Furthermore, approximately two-thirds of these women remain “unbanked,” meaning they lack the credit and financial tools needed to grow their operations. As a result, many women struggle to escape cycles of poverty because they cannot safely save money or expand their businesses.

3. Rural Communities Face Greater Economic Challenges

 Geography plays a major role in the gender wage gap in Vanuatu, as 77.7% of Vanuatu’s female population lives in rural areas. These women must constantly balance agricultural production with domestic duties. The 2022 National Agricultural Census found that women make up 51% of agricultural household members, yet they face the biggest hurdles in turning that labor into a stable income. Without reliable transportation or local banking, rural women are often locked out of the wider economy. These barriers make it harder for women in rural communities to earn stable wages and support their families financially.

4. Lowest Globally for Political Empowerment

Economic power and political power go hand in hand. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report recently ranked Vanuatu among the lowest in the world for political empowerment, with a score of only 0.6% parity. As of early 2024, women held a mere 2% of parliamentary seats. This lack of representation means that women’s perspectives are often missing when laws regarding labor rights, pay equity and economic development are written.

5. Poverty and Economic Inequality Continue To Affect Women

The gender wage gap in Vanuatu continues to drive poverty, especially among women living in rural areas and working in informal sectors. According to the Asian Development Bank, approximately 39% of Vanuatu’s population lives below the national basic needs poverty line. Employers often pay women lower and less stable wages through jobs such as market vending, subsistence farming and informal trade. In addition to earning income, many women also manage unpaid domestic labor and childcare responsibilities, which limits their ability to pursue higher-paying opportunities. The gender wage gap in Vanuatu therefore contributes to cycles of poverty that affect both women and their families, particularly during economic or climate-related crises.

6. UN Women’s Markets for Change

The Markets for Change initiative, launched in 2014, has become a vital lifeline for female vendors. The program has reached more than 50,500 people across 26 markets in the Pacific, including Vanuatu. By focusing on financial literacy and better market infrastructure, the project helps women transition from simply surviving to actually managing their own finances. A second phase of this project, backed by the Australian Government, is currently set to run through 2026. The program has also helped improve sanitation, safety and leadership opportunities within marketplaces, allowing women vendors to work in more stable environments. The initiative reduces poverty among market vendors and their families by improving women’s financial stability and workplace conditions across more than 50,000 participants in the Pacific.

7. The Government and International Partners

Vanuatu’s government is starting to take the income gap more seriously through its National Gender Equality Policy. This plan aims to boost productivity by supporting women-owned businesses and improving local marketplaces. These efforts reflect a growing consensus: closing the gender wage gap in Vanuatu is not just a matter of fairness, it is essential for the country’s economic future. These policies could reduce poverty by increasing women’s access to stable incomes in a country where around 39% of people already live below the basic needs poverty line.

8. SAVER PLUS

The SAVER PLUS initiative supports women working in Vanuatu’s informal economy by helping them open bank accounts, improve financial literacy and develop long term saving habits. Since 2019, the UNDP-ANZ partnership behind the initiative has delivered financial literacy training to more than 2,800 vendors and farmers across the pacific islands. More than 400 women in Vanuatu alone have received training in the past two years. In a 2025 cohort, 28 women market vendors completed a 10-month savings and financial literacy program that offered matched savings of up to VT26,000. These efforts are especially important because only 32% of female adults in Vanuatu previously reported owning a bank account, compared to the 41% of men. By increasing women’s financial independence and access to banking services, SAVER PLUS helps address poverty and supports efforts to reduce the gender wage gap in Vanuatu.

Looking Ahead

The gender wage gap in Vanuatu continues to limit economic opportunities for women across the country, particularly in rural and informal communities. However, government policies and international initiatives are helping women gain financial independence, improve workplace conditions and access banking services. As Vanuatu continues addressing gender inequality, closing the wage gap could play a major role in reducing poverty and strengthening the country’s long term economic stability.

– Nay Mohamad

Nay is based in Milan, Italy and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

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Missing Figures: The Gender Wage Gap in Turkmenistan

Gender Wage Gap in TurkmenistanTurkmenistan remains one of the most cut off countries to the rest of the world and because of this, there is a lot of unexplored and undisclosed information towards the gender wage gap in Turkmenistan. However, one can use the data that is available to gauge a better understanding of what the current situation may be and what the next steps are.

About the Gender Wage Gap in Turkmenistan

According to the Government of Turkmenistan’s 2022 Census, both men and women share similar employment and economic status within the country. This census did not measure the gender wage gap in Turkmenistan. Considering that, many Turkmen questioned the validity of this official data, believing that the government altered figures to meet the outward image of the country they were portraying.

However, one can use some of the other known laws Turkmenistan has in place to paint an image of the view that Turkmenistan society holds of women. Human Rights Watch reports that the country holds tight control over its civilians’ rights including restrictions on women and girls. The country’s schooling promotes abstinence with a lack of sexual education, domestic violence is not illegal and there are reports of authorities enforcing informal dress codes for women in the capital, Ashgabat. Additionally, reports alleged that authorities would threaten women’s dismissals if they did not follow the dress codes.

The Women of Cotton Picking

Agriculture is an important aspect of Turkmenistan’s GDP, with cotton farms being a large part of that. The International Labor Organization (ILO) conducted an observation of this industry and found that more than 90% of the cotton pickers were women. The ILO’s observation also found that these workers were often underpaid and the majority of which did not have written contracts.

Additionally, the ILO also found an element of forced mobilization within the industry. Around 12% of public employees participated in cotton picking during harvest season despite their original positions being that of cleaners, teachers or nurses. Workers reported that they could face consequences for refusing to help with cotton picking hence why the ILO was concerned that this work was forced. This presents evidence of a female dominated industry facing unfair compensation and working conditions.

The Turkmenistan Government did formally agree to improve this after the publication of ILO’s report. It increased the number of labor inspections occurring which resulted in the discovery of 2,269 violations and repercussions for those businesses. While this increase was not sufficient in covering the country’s full labor force, it does show the country taking action after the intervention of external organizations.

Obstacles for Turkmen Gender Equality

Currently, two aspects are guarding the steps towards uncovering the gender wage gap in Turkmenistan. The first is whether or not people can trust the statistics that the government is presenting and the second is the fears Turkmens may experience towards speaking out.

It is considered an act of treason in Turkmenistan to oppose the current government, and many activists and independent journalists have faced imprisonment or disappearances for doing so. There are Trade Unions, but the state appoints the leaders and so members may not be comfortable speaking freely about right violations.

Solutions

Pressures from external sources have the potential to make a bigger difference. After the ILO report, the Turkmenistan government did make changes to its labor regulations and there are other organizations that have been in contact with Turkmens to find out their reality.

The Turkmen Helsinki Foundation works with Turkmens living in and outside of the country, conducting interviews of people’s real lives. It has claimed that the gender wage gap in Turkmenistan is closer to 23% based on testimonies of civilians.

The United Nations (UN) reported that Turkmenistan still has a lot of work to do in terms of its legal frameworks in ensuring the achievement of gender equality and the country did sign onto the UN Development Programmes’ Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025 which allowed the UN to work directly with the Turkmenistan government to make gender equality a priority so that both men and women had the same opportunities. The Programme in Turkmenistan received a BRONZE level Gender Equality Seal for reaching important milestone to progress gender equality in the Turkmen workplace.

Looking Ahead

There are still lots of missing figures and the gender wage gap in Turkmenistan is yet to be released in official government statistics. However, due to external pressure from Turkmen based organizations, the UN and the ILO, Turkmenistan is making slow progress to not only uphold the equal rights of women in the country but also to make its violations and progress more visible to the outside world.

– Alice Dunn

Alice is based in Falkirk, UK and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Addressing the Gender Wage Gap in Chad

Gender Wage Gap in ChadChad is a landlocked country in north-central Africa, bordered by Libya to the north and Sudan to the east. As well as being the fifth-largest country in Africa, Chad ranks fourth in gender inequality across the world, according to the U.N. Peacebuilding Fund. Understanding the gender wage gap in Chad is challenging because only 34.4% of indicators needed to monitor the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are available. This leaves considerable gaps in data regarding care work, physical and sexual harassment and women’s access to assets.

Social History Behind the Gender Wage Gap in Chad

Deep-rooted patriarchal traditions have shaped Chadian society alongside cultural practices reinforcing gender hierarchies. In south-eastern regions of Chad such as Salamat, Sila and Guera, the traditional practice of female genital mutilation continues. This practice aims to control female sexuality and enforce celibacy until marriage, driven by fear of community rejection. 

Child marriage in Chad is widespread. According to UN Women, 35% of girls are married before the age of 15 and 60% are married before the age of 18. This traps generations of women in cycles of limited freedom and economic dependence.

These factors contribute to what UNICEF’s researchers call the Pygmalion effect, when a society holds low expectations for women, those expectations continue to shape behavior and reinforce stereotypes. As a result, external expectations limit female economic growth and widen the gender wage gap in Chad.

Gender Wage Gap in Chad Today 

The gender wage gap in Chad is stark. While precise data on the imbalance between hourly wage data remains limited, the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap report ranked Chad 146th out of 149 countries, with an overall gender parity score of 51.7%.

Further, the UN Women reported that 36.9% of the female population of Chad are employed below the international poverty line, compared to 35.8% of the male population.

While the majority of the female population in Chad hold agricultural roles, 98.99% of women in non-agricultural roles are in informal employment, which can range from family-based enterprises to street vendors or domestic workers. Such work is often unregulated, untaxed and lacking social security, leaving women without financial safety nets.

Women in formal non-agricultural roles face additional barriers to financial equality. Only 14.85% of women aged 15 years and older hold an account at a financial institution, compared to almost 30% of men owning a bank account, according to UN Women. Additionally, 63.6% of the female population do not own a home. Once can trace the gender wage gap to the Chadian school system, which reportedly witnesses a 48% out of school rate for girls in comparison to 29.6% for boys. This study suggests that community and economic pressures divert young girls out of school into domestic work, further increasing the gender wage gap.

Efforts To Close the Gender Wage Gap in Chad 

Several initiatives are striving to combat this pay inequality. Launched in early 2022, UNICEF’s Women in Learning Leadership program works to empower women in school leadership roles, which in turn helps young girls. Evidence across 11,754 schools shows that female-led community schools have a 5.3% lower student dropout rate than male-led schools. Additionally, research shows that there is a strong positive correlation between the decreasing dropout rates for girls as the proportion of female teachers rises. The Women in Learning Leadership program is currently running in 15 provinces across Chad.

Alongside UNICEF’s WiLL program, the World Food Program (WFP) partnered with local Chadian authorities to provide daily nutritious meals in schools, supporting more girls to remain in education. WFP noted how 57% of the 2.3 million school-aged children in Chad go without quality and inclusive education, with many low income households unable to provide children with resources needed to go to school. As a result, the World Food Program distributed school meals to 125,000 children in refugee-hosting areas in 2025. As well as this, the World Food Program revealed that the average pass–rate for girls in WFP assisted schools is 2.5% higher than Chad’s national average.

Literacy and Vocational Training

Beyond school, UNESCO’s Capacity Development for Education program supports women and youth through literacy and vocational training. This initiative trained 9,400 teachers and with its huge success, UNESCO advocated for the program to be expanded. This led the Chadian government to include a focus on literacy and non-formal education in a new $10 million project titled Emergency Project to Reinforce Education and Literacy in Chad.

Further, the Chadian government and UNFPA established the Observatory for the Promotion of Gender Equality and Equity in 2022 to advance women’s rights. In 2023, the Observatory delivered trained 400 members across Ministries and the National Human Rights Commission on integrating gender mainstreaming into plans and budgets.

Conclusion

These efforts have not gone unnoticed. As of February 2024, women held 26.4% of parliamentary seats in Chad, a meaningful marker of political representation and a step closer toward closing the gender wage gap. Another indicator of progression is the percentage of literate women compared with men’s literacy. While both figures are concerningly low, women’s literacy sits at 22.3% in comparison to men’s literacy rate at 14%, representing a result of the drive for girls in education. At a national level, the Ministry of Women continues to advocate for women’s rights, signaling a structural shift in how some are addressing the gender wage gap in Chad.

– Helen Turnbull

Helen is based in Cardiff, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How the Gender Wage Gap in Serbia is Closing

Gender Wage Gap in SerbiaThe International Labour Organization (ILO) reports that women worldwide earn almost 20% less than their male colleagues. Despite making progress towards gender equality, analysts identify the gender wage gap in Serbia as an ongoing social and economic problem.

The wage gap that women in Serbia face reveals other challenges like occupational segregation and labor market barriers. Even so, the government is making efforts to tackle this disparity by implementing programs geared at ensuring equal economic opportunities for all citizens regardless of gender. 

Women in Serbia Earn Less Than Men 

Despite the progress made in gender equality in Serbia, women are still earning less than men. The World Bank statistics estimate that Serbia’s gender wage gap is around 8-11%, implying that women earn roughly 89-92 cents for each euro earned by men. The Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia reports that women are overrepresented in occupations with low salaries and those involving part-time employment. The gender wage gap in Serbia remains smaller than in many countries but continues to affect long-term economic equality.

Some of the causes of these disparities in pay between men and women include the fact that women tend to engage in lower-paying job industries such as education, healthcare and social work, whereas men engage in occupations associated with greater pay in areas including engineering and construction. Researchers have pointed out that wage discrimination includes disparity both in earnings and employment opportunities.

Employment Segregation Drives Income Inequality 

One major cause of Serbia’s wage gap is employment segregation. Women are disproportionately represented in fields like education, healthcare and social services, which have historically offered lower salaries than other jobs. Men, on the other hand, represent the majority in highly compensated fields like construction and engineering. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) asserts that occupational segregation, which places women in lower paid occupations than men, contributes to economic disparity. Occupation segregation restricts women’s opportunities for career development and further widens the wage gaps.

Women-dominated industries usually have lower pay and fewer prospects for advancement. Meanwhile, industries with the majority of males gain from more investment, improved pay plans and increased productivity recognition.

Both vertical – restricted promotion into leadership posts – and horizontal – working in various industries – segregation reinforce income disparity. Analysts report that addressing occupational segregation remains an important step in reducing the gender wage gap in Serbia.

Parenthood Significantly Impacts Women’s Earnings 

Parenthood influences women’s salaries in Serbia. According to UN Women-supported research, mothers commonly experience breaks in their careers after giving birth such as slower wage growth and fewer promotions.

Mothers are also more likely to work flexible or part–time jobs to balance caregiving responsibilities. In contrast, men’s earnings typically remain stable or even increase after becoming fathers, creating what researchers describe as a “motherhood penalty.”

Despite Serbia’s maternity leave laws, women often have long-term financial repercussions when they return to the workforce. Slower salary growth versus males can be caused by fewer working hours, missed promotions and workplace prejudice against mothers.

Government Policies Addressing the Wage Gap

Serbian authorities have employed different policies for eliminating gender disparities within the workforce. The Serbian Gender Equality Law (2021) ensures equal remuneration, eliminates workplace discrimination and encourages monitoring the gender distribution ratio among organizations.

Furthermore, the Government of Serbia collaborates with the European Union through its accession initiatives to enhance labor standards, increase women’s employment rates and prevent discrimination.

The Gender Equality Law in Serbia provides guidelines for corporations to ensure equal opportunity policies, along with strengthening protection against workplace discrimination. With the goal of increasing women’s participation in well-paid sectors, there is government funding for women’s digital entrepreneurship and employment incentives.

Government policy reports and analyses from the European Union link gender equality policies to improved economic productivity and long-term development outcomes.

Organizations Working to Close the Gender Wage Gap in Serbia

Several organizations in Serbia are actively engaged in minimizing gender inequality and encouraging women’s participation in the economy. The Gender Equality Coordination Body of the Government of Serbia prepares national strategies for equality and monitors the implementation of laws on gender equality. International partners also contribute to this effort through their economic programs and policy development.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development funds initiatives aimed at enhancing women’s access to financial resources, training programs and economic opportunities. For example, UN Women collaborates with Serbian agencies to promote women’s empowerment in business financing, training programs and economic opportunities are supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The United Nations Development Programme also assists national partners in formulating gender-sensitive policies and promoting labor market inclusion. These partnerships aim to increase job opportunities, raise awareness of economic disparities and remove structural barriers limiting women from workforce participation.  

Looking Ahead

International organizations and Serbian government agencies continue to bridge the gender wage gap. Having more women participate in the labor force increases productivity and helps the country grow economically, according to analysts at the World Bank. Closing the gender wage gap in Serbia remains essential for achieving long-term economic equality and sustainable development. 

– Avery Hoadley

Avery is based in Burlington, Ontario, Canada and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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5 Things to Know About the Gender Wage Gap in Suriname

Gender Wage Gap in SurinameSuriname is a small, vibrant country in northern South America, bordered by Brazil to the south, Guyana to the west, French-Guiana to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the north. Suriname is known for its lush tropical rainforests and diverse cultural heritage. However, the gender wage gap in Suriname remains a key issue that Surinamese women face. Here are five things to know about the gender wage gap in Suriname.

5 Facts About Gender Wage Gap in Suriname

  1. UN Women highlights difficulties in assessing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) regarding gender equality in Suriname. There are significant gaps in the data needed to holistically assess the gender wage gap in Suriname. Specifically, data pertaining to gender disparities in unpaid care, poverty rates, domestic work, wage gaps and technological skills is often methodologically inaccurate, sparse or even nonexistent. This lack of research into economic gender disparities hinders the pursuit of full economic equality. Thus, more research on the gender wage gap in Suriname must be conducted before it will be possible to enact policies and practices which will adequately address the issue of economic gender disparities.
  2. Organizations such as the World Bank have recorded enough data to make preliminary assessments of economic gender disparities in Suriname. The World Bank indicates that the legal framework score of Suriname is 71.2%. This legal framework score measures to what extent currently instituted laws support women’s entrepreneurship and professional development opportunities. This figure surpasses the global average of 66.97%, indicating that Surinamese law is progressing toward equality between the genders. For example, recent amendments to Suriname’s Trade Register Act heighten women’s economic opportunities by allowing women to register their businesses without prior spousal consent.
  3. Though the current legal frameworks surpass global averages, supportive frameworks promoting the practical implementation of women’s economic rights score only 25.83% in Suriname, falling behind both regional and global averages. Further, Suriname’s enforcement perception score, which quantifies the extent to which women’s economic rights are enforced, comes out to about 45.77%. This is lower than regional and international averages as well. Thus, though the current laws instated in Suriname largely support women’s economic equality, vast disparities persist between such legal frameworks pertaining to gender equality and their enforcement in practice.
  4. Women in Suriname currently spend much more time on household labor and childcare than men, which exacerbates gender-based professional and economic disparities. Child marriage and youth motherhood hinder the pursuit of women’s economic equality. According to the UNFPA, adolescent mothers in Suriname are 28% more likely to withdraw from the labor market than women who begin having children in adulthood. Child marriage hinders women’s ability to attain education and maintain a career. The IMF estimates that eliminating child marriage in Suriname would help to close the gender wage gap and “could potentially increase per capita growth by 1.44 percentage points.” Although the rate of adolescent fertility in Suriname is slowly declining, it is still currently almost twice the average for countries in similar economic conditions. Enacting policies to combat childhood marriage and maternity, expanding access to high-quality, affordable childcare and improving paternal leave policies so that women don’t have to singlehandedly care for children can alleviate these disparities.
  5. One and a half times more young women than young men are currently unemployed, not receiving an education or not in professional training. Surinamese women are more likely than their male counterparts to have vulnerable jobs, which often pay low wages, provide minimal benefits and lack decent working conditions and protections. Though women are more likely to work in less profitable, vulnerable sectors, the World Bank suggests ways to alleviate this disparity. Specifically, enacting policies which provide certifications in non-traditional, women dominated sectors, guaranteeing equal pay and parental leave for men and women and encouraging workplaces to recruit women through quotas or gender-inclusive job postings would help women access stable jobs. Moreover, increasing women’s access to business training and grants will increase women’s ability to engage in entrepreneurship. Though it is systematically less common for women to own and control productive assets, enacting policies which promote joint titling and enable women to register for property rights can combat this issue.

Solutions

Despite these challenges, Suriname joined the World Bank Group’s International Development Association in late 2024 to achieve long-term social and economic goals and build “a more sustainable and prosperous future for all Surinamese.” Further, Suriname’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, Entrepreneurship and Innovation and several NGOs work to promote full economic equality between men and women in Suriname.

In early 2026, Suriname’s Director of Entrepreneurship, Ms. K. Mathoera, met with WINI UMU ABW movement leaders to discuss ways to promote their shared goals of supporting and expanding women’s entrepreneurship in the country. WINI UMA ABW focuses on promoting women’s economic empowerment through training, networking and strategic mentorships.

Further, the Nationale Vrouwen Beweging (NVB) is an active NGO that promotes women’s entrepreneurship and socio-economic equality in Suriname. The NVB successfully established Ilse Henar Hewitt Juridische Bijstand voor Vrouwen, a foundation which protects women’s rights, provides legal aid to Surinamese women who are victims of discrimination or violence and advocates in favor of non-discrimination policies. The NVB and the Ilse Henar Foundation have successfully advocated in favor or legislation to protect women from sexual harassment and intimidation in the workplace, thus lessening one factor inhibiting women’s participation in the workforce. The organization also works with the EU and the UNDP to support women farmers to develop innovative new ways to cultivate the land and raise livestock in the face of changing weather patterns. 

Looking Ahead

As more women receive access to education, legal assistance and other aid from NGOs and governmental organizations promoting gender equality, Suriname is making promising progress toward political, social and economic equality for women.

– Melody Hubbard

Melody is based in Knoxville, TN, USA and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Gender Wage Gap in Tanzania: Beyond the Hourly Rate

Gender Wage Gap in TanzaniaTanzania has made some notable progress toward gender equality, including the inauguration of its first female president in 2021 and women holding 37.4% of parliamentary seats. Yet the gender wage gap in Tanzania tells a more complicated story when researchers examine labor market data from a recent Integrated Labour Force Survey.

Small Pay Gap, Large Employment Gap

At first glance, Tanzania appears close to achieving pay equality. The unadjusted gender wage gap stands at just 2.9% at the hourly level, which economists consider too small to hold meaningful economic significance. On a monthly basis, women actually earn 4% less than men. However, these figures hide major differences in employment patterns between men and women.

Across every age group, women work fewer paid hours than men. Among employed workers, 33.4% of women work part-time compared to 17.3% of men. In other words, while women who secure paid employment tend to earn roughly the same hourly wages as men, they are less likely to work the same number of hours.

The broader employment picture shows an even more significant gap. Women’s employment rate is 75.5%, compared to 84.6% for men. Meanwhile, unemployment among women reaches 12.7% under Tanzania’s national definition; more than double the 5.8% rate for men.

Unpaid Care Work and Poverty

One of the biggest barriers affecting the gender wage gap in Tanzania is unpaid domestic and care work. Women spend an average of 4.6 hours each day on unpaid care and household responsibilities, compared to men who spend only 1.2 hours. This means women shoulder nearly four times the unpaid care burden.

That imbalance has direct economic consequences, contributing to the higher poverty rates among women. In urban Tanzania, female-headed households face a 20% poverty rate compared to 14% for male-headed households. Women who cannot commit to full-time paid work often move in and out of informal employment as well, where workers typically lack social protection, paid leave and job security. In non-agricultural sectors, 93.8% of employed women work informally, compared to 86.6% of men.

Occupational Segregation and Informality

Women and men also remain concentrated in different sectors of the economy. The Duncan Segregation Index estimates that roughly 30% of workers would need to change sectors to create equal employment distribution between men and women.

Women are more likely to work in care-related fields such as education, health and household services, while men dominate sectors including manufacturing, construction and transport. Women also face barriers to advancement within these occupations, as they hold only 27.9% of senior and middle management positions. Another area of vulnerability is contributing to family work. Nearly 40% of employed women work as contributing family members—unpaid workers assisting on family farms or businesses—compared to 18% of men. In rural areas, the figure rises to nearly 51% of employed women.

Progress and Solutions Underway

When researchers consider factors such as age, marital status, education, occupation and sector, the adjusted gender pay gap becomes statistically insignificant. This suggests that differences in working hours and occupational segregation, rather than direct wage discrimination, account for most of the observed gap. These are areas where policy interventions can make a measurable difference in reducing the gender wage gap in Tanzania.

Tanzania has already introduced laws addressing sexual harassment and gender discrimination, while also providing maternity and paternity benefits. The country has also ratified the ILO Equal Remuneration Convention, which mandates equal pay for men and women for work of equal value. Together, these legal protections create a framework for equal treatment in the workplace. Financial inclusion remains another key area of focus. Expanding women’s access to banking and financial tools will help more women start businesses, manage financial risks and build long-term economic independence.

In December 2024, the World Bank signed a $104 million agreement supporting the Pamoja Project. This is an initiative that aims to directly benefit nearly 320,000 women by expanding economic opportunities and strengthening services that prevent and respond to gender-based violence.

The World Bank also continues to work with Tanzania on implementation frameworks designed to turn legal protections into measurable outcomes. As the UN Women brief notes, collecting better data at more frequent intervals would improve understanding of the gender wage gap and would help policymakers shape more effective policies.

Looking Ahead

Reducing the unpaid care burden, expanding women’s access to formal employment and enforcing equal pay protections remain key to closing the gender wage gap in Tanzania. With recent legal reforms, financial inclusion initiatives and targeted projects like the Pamoja Project, these goals are becoming more realistic with each passing year.

– Camila Correch

Camila is based in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Gender Wage Gap in Kyrgyzstan

Gender Wage Gap in KyrgyzstanLocated in the east of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is a small country with a notable governance history. After several years of rule under the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), Kyrgyzstan regained its independence and began governing as its own nation. However, conflicts remain. The country faces various instances of corruption, political instability and high poverty rates. Alongside these systemic issues lies a more personal struggle: the gender wage gap.

Statistics

According to the United Nations (U.N.) Women, the average female employee’s salary equates to roughly 75% of the average male worker’s earnings. Even when working similar jobs, men tend to receive higher pay. Some reasons for this gap include the fact that women often occupy lower-paying sectors such as education and health care. On top of working paid jobs, women on average take on approximately 4.5 times more domestic tasks than men, including household chores, food preparation and child care. These tasks go unpaid and limit career opportunities. Traditional gender norms in Kyrgyzstan have also caused the women’s employment rate to drop from 49.3% to 43.8% over the past 15 years.

Community Impact

The gender wage gap has caused hardship within communities. Some argue that the gap is deliberately unfair and discriminatory toward female employees, limiting their opportunities for career growth. In some cases, it has caused households to go without food. The Borgen Project recently spoke to a resident who has lived in Kyrgyzstan his entire life and agreed to share his story. The interviewee requested to remain anonymous and will be referred to as T.

T was born and raised in a close-knit community and grew up with a mother and a sister. Household finances were limited, which motivated his mother to work as a barista for several years to keep the family income afloat. T recalled that the family was sometimes unable to afford basic necessities, meaning he and his sister would spend some nights going hungry and having to fend for themselves when their mother was not home.

Discrimination against women in the workplace is not a series of isolated incidents. It can affect entire communities at once. T said the divide in pay between male and female workers was significant enough that local families relied on the generosity of others to make ends meet. He described communities of hard-working families in similar situations, where trust and mutual support became essential for survival. Despite his mother’s extra work hours, the family barely cleared the threshold for many nights.

T said his mother worked long days and nights and received very little in return. He noted that he knew many other hardworking women who faced harassment or mistreatment simply because of their gender.

Outside of traditional gender roles limiting work opportunities, Kyrgyzstan also faces an increased number of domestic violence cases targeting women and girls. According to the Kyrgyz Interior Ministry, police reported 10,164 cases of domestic violence and assault in early to mid 2025, with numbers continuing to rise. Many instances go unreported due to coercion, isolation or financial reliance on the perpetrator.

Solutions

Several solutions are being implemented to address the gender wage gap in Kyrgyzstan. These include the Kyrgyzstan Gender Equality Strategy of 2030, which aims to strengthen protections for women, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which oversees and monitors workplace harassment and discrimination. The National Federation of Female Communities of Kyrgyzstan (NFFCK) is a nongovernmental organization working to eliminate harmful practices such as domestic abuse and bride kidnapping. Activist Urkuya Salieva, who fought for social justice and women’s rights, continues to serve as a symbol of advocacy in Kyrgyzstan.

Looking Ahead

Traditional gender norms in Kyrgyzstan have contributed to the gender wage gap, causing a loss of jobs and career opportunities for women and making it more difficult for them to provide for themselves and their families. As shown by T’s account and the rising number of domestic violence cases, the gender wage gap has had direct effects on local communities and households. These incidents are not isolated but are systematically affecting many residents of Kyrgyzstan, meaning cooperation between government, civil society and international organizations remains essential to closing the gap.

– Will Mancuso

Will is based in Lake Mary, FL, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Gender Wage Gap in Panama

Gender Wage Gap in PanamaGender equality remains a vital issue in global development. However, many countries like Panama have made significant progress towards improving opportunities for women. Over the past decades, Panama has implemented various policies and initiatives in order to decrease gender equality in the political, social and economic landscapes. Despite these efforts, wage gaps, unequal political representation and disparities continue to pose problems for women.

Key Aspects of Gender Equality

An important aspect of gender equality is the legal framework that upholds women’s rights. Panama has initiated many laws and regulations surrounding gender equality and protecting women from violence and discrimination. According to a report from the UN Women organization, there are about 88.9% of legal frameworks surrounding gender equality and the protection of women from violence in the country. These frameworks in particular signify the country’s commitment to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Another critical aspect of gender equality is economic participation. In Panama, there is an increase of women working in labor forces, leadership roles and business and institutions. The World Bank reports that the participation of women in the labor force has steadily increased over the previous years with 54.9% in 2025. In addition, small and medium women owned enterprises significantly contribute to the national economy.

A press release by the Ministry of Labour and Workforce Development of Panama states that as per a UN Women study, the gender wage gap in Panama is about 11.5%.

One of the biggest contributors to poverty is the gender wage gap in Panama. Due to the fact that women earn lower than men, their ability to lift themselves and their loved ones decreases. Higher gender wage gaps usually indicate that women-led households tend to have higher risk of poverty. 

According to the Panama Country Gender Scorecard by the World Bank Group, in 2010, a woman in the 25th percentile would earn 75 cents per every dollar a man earned. In 2019, this gap worsened with 59 cents for every dollar.

The World Economic Forum released a 2025 report on Gender Based Gap in which Panama ranks 107th in the world based on wage equality for similar work. In 2025, the estimated earned income difference between a male and a female was $12.04.

Political Representation and Social Challenges

Although women continue to be more involved in the country’s economy, they continue to remain unrepresented in the government. According to UN Women Data, women held 22.5% of parliamentary seats in Panama. Prioritizing women in politics will ensure that more of the population has representation.

Social expectations of women are often that women are expected to commit to domestic responsibilities more than men. As per UN Women Data, women spend almost 18% of their time on household chores and unpaid care whereas men only spend 7.6% of their time. The imbalance prevents women from being encouraged and pursuing education and employment.

Solutions Over the Years

In order to resolve these disparities. Panama has developed connections with international initiatives that work on reducing gender equality. For example, the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) is a global partnership designed to close the gender wage gap. Through EPIC, Panama works with other international organizations and governments to advocate and promote economic opportunities and fair wages for women.

Post-Pandemic women had been facing significant disadvantages and lacked economic opportunities. In order to improve the economy, government representatives, specifically from the labor and employer sector created the National Plan for Equal Pay. This originated through collaboration between different government organizations as well as the support of UN Women and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

To address the gender wage gap in Panama, different ministries such as Labour and Workforce Development, Social Development and Foreign Affairs of the Republic contributed to the UNDP Gender Equality Seal for Private Sector which assists companies with addressing gender pay issues, sexual harassment and leadership opportunities for women.

Looking Ahead

Panama’s solutions to its problems regarding gender wage gaps sound promising, particularly when partnering with other reputable and impactful organizations. The country still has a long path ahead of itself to increase fairness amongst its people, but the desire for change is there and that is what is needed. 

– Hasini Muddapu

Hasini is based in Princeton, NJ, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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The Gender Wage Gap in Paraguay and Efforts To Close It

Gender Pay Gap in ParaguayParaguay’s economy has grown steadily in recent decades, bringing new opportunities and improving living conditions as a result for many people across the country. Yet one challenge continues to affect women in the workforce: the gender wage gap in Paraguay.

Even as more women enter the labor market and pursue careers across a wide range of industries, many still earn less than men performing similar – often the same – work. From offices in Asunción to farms and factories across the countryside, the pattern repeats itself: women contributing equally to Paraguay’s growth whilst taking home less at the end of the month.

Understanding the Gender Wage Gap in Paraguay

Households across Paraguay experience the gender wage gap directly. As the number of women taking on careers once dominated by men grows, the paychecks rarely reflect this. Despite completing the same work as their male colleagues, women receive paychecks that are often 20-30% smaller depending on the sector and region.

Looking closer, the gender wage gap in Paraguay reflects more than just differences in wages. Women also encounter fewer opportunities during their careers, and many cannot move up the career ladder, influence workplace policies, or take on higher-paying roles. In fact, women occupy only around 20 % of managerial positions even though women make up nearly half of Paraguay’s labor force.

The gender wage gap in Paraguay is not only a matter of paychecks – it reveals a workplace environment where women are not equally valued or recognized.

Factors Behind the Wage Gap

Several factors contribute to Paraguay’s persistent gender wage gap. One of the issues is occupational segregation. Women are more likely to be employed in lower-paying sectors such as domestic service, retail or caregiving roles in Paraguay, resulting in a lack of access to roles that come with a higher salary.

Care responsibilities also play a major role, especially in rural Paraguay. As women often carry the majority of childcare and household duties, many are unable to work full time. Furthermore, women in rural areas face fewer work opportunities with limited access to external childcare. As a result, many women are unable to pursue higher-paying positions or grow their careers.

The lack of education and training opportunities available also influences the wage gap. Although Paraguay has made progress in expanding access to education, barriers still prevent many women from entering technical and specialized professions that require advanced training. Many high-paying industries like engineering, technology and construction are still male-dominated and offer women fewer opportunities to access some of the best-paid jobs.

Government and International Efforts

The Paraguayan government has started to address the gender wage gap, along with other inequalities that women face, in the workplace. Equal opportunity and workers’ rights policies are now part of national development strategies. Furthermore, government institutions have strengthened labor regulations, with the aim to improve workplace conditions for women. The Paraguayan Parliament approved Law No. 5777 on Comprehensive Protection for Women Against Violence in 2016 to improve legal protections against gender-based discrimination.

The government also established the IV National Plan for Equality between Women and Men, which spanned from 2018 to 2024. Increasing women’s economic participation, improving access to employment opportunities and promoting women’s leadership were all key aims of this initiative.

Additionally, a number of international bodies have been supporting initiatives aimed at bridging the gender pay gap. One of these bodies is UN Women, which work in conjunction with different bodies in Paraguay aimed at enhancing gender equality in different workplaces. In Paraguay, UN Women has supported programs that promote women’s economic empowerment, entrepreneurship and leadership training. These initiatives include partnerships with government agencies and civil society groups to provide skills training, mentoring and policy support designed to increase women’s participation in employment and decision-making positions.

Global institutions such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank have helped in the formulation of such programs. The focus of these institutions in Paraguay is to improve access to education, improve the quality of job training and improve women’s participation in the workforce.

Community and NGO Initiatives

In addition to government programs, nonprofit organizations are working to empower women economically. Many of these initiatives focus on entrepreneurship and financial inclusion.

Several organizations actively promote gender equality in Paraguay’s workplaces. Some of these programs offer women business training and mentoring, enabling them to start their own businesses. Other programs focus on enhancing women’s access to financial services, such as micro-loans.

Nonprofit education programs also contribute to the promotion of gender equality. Fundación Paraguaya provides entrepreneurship programs, financial programs and assistance to women across the country who want to start their own businesses. Similarly, Pro Mujer runs programs in Latin American countries, including Paraguay, to offer women access to business programs, mentoring and financial programs to enable them to establish sustainable businesses.

Signs of Progress

Despite ongoing challenges that women in Paraguay are facing, there are signs of improvement. The number of women in Paraguay’s labor force has grown. More women are becoming entrepreneurs and business owners, contributing to economic growth at both local and national levels as a result.

As the public’s awareness of wage inequality grows, efforts to establish fair pay and equal opportunities for women are gaining traction across Paraguay. The gender wage gap shapes more than salaries; it shapes lives.

– Celine Heath

Celine is based in Portsmouth, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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5 Key Statistics on the Gender Wage Gap in Mali

Gender Wage Gap in MaliLandlocked in West Africa, Mali has a population of about 25 million people. It is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with 45.5% of the population living below the National poverty line, earning less than $3 a day. Outlined by the United Nations, SDG 8.5.1 measures the average hourly earnings of both men and women, tracking a country’s progress in attaining fair wages and equal pay. Here are five key facts of the gender wage gap in Mali.

The Gap

The gender wage gap in Mali stood at 41.9% in 2023, according to the International Labour Organization. In other words, a woman in Mali earns, on average, 58 cents for every dollar a man earns in the same working context.

In 2025, the World Bank estimated that 52.8% of Mali’s female population over 15 years of age participate in the labour force, compared to 81% of males over fifteen. This percentage dropped significantly from 60.5% of women in 1990, and is expected to keep decreasing.

A 2022 study on unpaid labour by the National Observatory of the Demographic Dividend found that Malian women spend four times as much as men carrying out domestic tasks and unpaid care. This limits the time they could be spending to pursue an education or hold a paid position. The study also estimated that if this unpaid labour was accounted for in 2019, it would have represented 17.6% of Mali’s GDP

Education and Literacy

Roughly one in six girls enroll in secondary school in Mali. Some significant obstacles, apart from gender discrimination, that prevent girls from continuing their education include child marriage, child labour and domestic work.

Adult literacy rates for both women and men in Mali are significantly lower than the average rate of the Sub-Saharan Africa aggregate. The female literacy rate stood at 25.7% in Mali, in contrast to 62.7% in Sub-Sahara Africa, according to the World Bank. In comparison, the male literacy rate stood at 46.2% in Mali and 74.9% in sub-Saharan Africa. There is not only an overall lower literacy rate in Mali, but also a much larger gap between women and men.

Inequality and Social Norms

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) measured Mali’s Gender Inequality Index (GII) value at 0.612 in 2023. The world’s average score of the same year stood at 0.455. In this metric scale from 0 to 0.900, the closer the measurement is to 0, the less inequality exists between genders.

Despite numerous initiatives and actions taken by humanitarian aid groups and NGOs, such as U.N. Women and Women for Women International, to raise awareness on the gender wage gap in Mali, as well as overall gender inequalities, deeply rooted patriarchal norms significantly obstruct the path towards progress.

At the end of the day, closing the gender wage gap in Mali could require dismantling social norms that impede women from getting an education and entering the workforce. It could require paying close attention to each statistic outlined above and navigating how to ameliorate them.

Breaking the cycle of girls and women disproportionately handling domestic tasks, for example, could allow them to get an education, enter the work force and occupy positions that will eventually bridge the gender wage gap.

The Future

There are a few organizations working in Mali to break these cycles of inequality. The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) works in Mali, among many other African countries, to help girls gain access to quality education by eliminating the barriers preventing them from doing so. It offers bursaries, advocate and collaborate with the government, spread community awareness and train educators for their cause.

Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) is another organization operating in Mali to empower women by giving them an outlet to use their voice. They train journalists, mostly women, to report on ethics and women’s rights with a goal to “boost public accountability on human rights issues.”

– Brittany Buscio

Brittany is based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr