Closing The Gender Pay Gap in India: An Analysis

Abstract

The gender pay gap is the difference between what men and women get paid for doing the same work. India's gender wage disparity exists despite significant progress in literacy, economic growth and participation in the labour force by women, and women's rights-based movements. Overall, women in India earn 19–24% less than men, across all sectors. This gap is due to various factors including stereotype ideas about gender, occupational separation, and structural inequalities. The gender pay gap is a widely used measure of gender disparity in the workplace and is used to track progress towards gender equality.  In the unorganised economy, women experience more pay disparity.  Since they are paid less than males, this wage disparity is particularly common in the industry, IT, and agriculture sectors, highlighting their disparate skill sets.  The stigma associated with women is that they are perceived as having less power than males. Gender justice cannot be accomplished, and the wage gap may not narrow, unless the societal stigma against women in the workplace and society is removed. Globally, gender inequality is a serious problem. It acts as a barrier to greater economic equality and improved working conditions.