See latest news about EPIC and equal pay
During the first quarter of 2024, the global parliamentary community renewed commitment and built its capacity to advance gender equality through women’s economic empowerment. The 2024 IPU-UN Women Annual Parliamentary meeting on the occasion of the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women took place on 12 March 2024. Bringing together 113 parliamentarians from 38 countries, the meeting served as a platform to debate on the indispensable role of parliamentarians in addressing poverty from a gender perspective.
On February 2, 2024, the Government of Canada launched Equi’Vision, a new website that provides easily comparable data on representation rates and pay gaps of the four designated groups under Canada’s Employment Equity Act:womenIndigenous peoplespersons with disabilitiesmembers of visible minoritiesThe Act requires employers to:
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our free pay equity online course in partnership with Téluq University: Achieving pay equity in federally regulated organizations: why and how?
Australia has released the latest results of its 2022-23 Employer Census, demonstrating a 1.1 percentage point drop in the total remuneration average gender pay gap over the last year. The Gender Equality Scorecard, published on 28 November, is an annual report published by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) providing an update on the state of workplace gender equality in Australia.
These commitments are expected to provide momentum in addressing the significant pay disparities between men and women, with initiatives ranging from funding apprenticeship programs to expanding pay transparency efforts.NEW YORK (ILO News) – The United States, Iceland, UN agencies, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and other organizations pledged to reduce the gender pay gap at an event on 18 September at the UN General Assembly in New York, organized by the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC).
UN Women East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) launched the report ‘Why Women Earn Less: Gender Pay Gap and Other Labour Market Inequalities in East and Southern Africa’. This is a landmark study that sheds light on the persistent challenges women face in the labour market across the region.
Equality at work was a key area of focus of a parliamentary roundtable that brought together 35 members of parliament from 23 countries on 22 June 2023. During the roundtable, organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), MPs joined forces in a pledge to revitalize action to uphold women’s rights.The roundtable was organized as part of the year-long Human Rights 75 Initiative to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
In June of this year, Lori Straznicky was appointed as Pay Equity Commissioner for a term of five years. She is enthusiastic about continuing to work with federally regulated employers who are leading the way in making pay equity a reality for women in Canada.The gender wage gap remains a persistent issue in Canada, and it is imperative that we confront it head-on. In 2022, women over 15 years of age were still earning, on average, 0.87 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts.
In the past quarter, PayAnalytics has made strides in helping employers across the world chart a course toward achieving and maintaining pay equity. Our pay equity solution has touched the lives of over 1 million employees, and our reach has continued to expand into Canada where recent partnership with consultancies have propelled pay transparency forward, signifying the increasing momentum of pay equity.
Creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces is a priority for many organizations worldwide. Yet the legislative contexts governing the starting points or the limits of DE&I efforts differ from country to country.In our recent EquiNations overview, we present a snapshot of the DE&I legislative contexts across the 20 countries with the highest number of currently EDGE Certified organizations.
L’Australie a célébré la Journée de l’égalité salariale le 23 août 2023. Cette journée internationalement reconnue symbolisait les 56 jours annuels supplémentaires durant lesquels les femmes auraient dû travailler l’an dernier pour gagner en moyenne le même salaire que les hommes en raison de l’écart de rémunération entre femmes et hommes constaté en Australie.
From 1 July 2023, the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Protecting Worker Entitlements) Act 2023 provides stronger access to unpaid parental leave so that employees can use their leave in the way that best suits their families, and encourages better sharing of work and caring responsibilities.The changes increased flexibility by:
On 11 September 2023, the OECD Emerging Markets Network (EMnet) and the Equal Pay International Coalition (
This year, PayAnalytics has made strides in helping employers across the world chart a course toward achieving and maintaining pay equity. Now, our pay equity software solution has touched the lives of over 1 million employees in 75 countries, a milestone for our organization and a testament to the transformative power of our pay equity technology.
On June 27, 2023, Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan Jr. announced the appointment of Lori Straznicky as Canada’s new federal pay equity commissioner. She will be appointed to the role at the Canadian Human Rights Commission effective November 1, 2023, for a term of five years. Ms. Straznicky stepped in as interim commissioner in November 2022, providing oversight in the Government’s work to strengthen pay equity in Canada. As Minister O’Regan highlighted:
Exploring topics related to economics, equity, women, work and wage equity, in this season of Level the Paying Field, the Pay Equity Office of Ontario (PEO) convenes leading experts and renowned researchers to uncover the hidden biases that contribute to unexplained pay gaps.“Gender bias is pervasive in our society” says Kadie Ward, Commissioner and CAO of the Pay Equity Office. “From who does what work, to parenting, to unpaid care work, we can see gender coded expectations everywhere and these create inequalities generally and in the labour market.”
Australia has enacted extensive workplace relations reforms with a strong focus on gender equality. The Secure Jobs Better Pay Act 2022 introduces a range of important changes to Australia’s workplace relations system.Secure work and gender equality
Australia is taking significant steps towards closing the gender pay gap, with new legislation addressing both the direct and indirect discrimination women face in the workplace. Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Closing the Gender Pay Gap) Bill 2023 On 30 March 2023, the Australian Parliament passed the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Closing the Gender Pay Gap) Bill 2023.
There is action on fair pay: The United Nations declared equality to be the most important cross-cutting issue of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. New equal pay laws have been passed or already implemented in many countries around the world. In Brussels, a new EU directive was adopted that will soon ensure more sanctions and the long overdue reversal of the burden of proof in European companies.
2023’s Equal Pay Day Campaign motto is: The Art of Equal Pay. The German gender pay gap in arts and culture is at a staggering 30 percent. It shows the structural causes of the gender pay gap across society (18%) as if through a magnifying glass.Particularly in the arts, whether performing arts, visual arts, dance, or music, we may think it is all about ability and maybe negotiating skills. These are individual challenges, right? If that were true, women would have solved the problem long ago.
A new analysis published by Ontario’s Pay Equity Office (PEO) finds women in Canada, on average, received 18% less retirement income than men in 2020. This gap is three percent higher than the 15% gap observed in 1976, the earliest year for which data is available (Statistics Canada). While this Gender Pension Gap (GPG) has fluctuated over the decades, it has not narrowed.
As you may know, Karen Jensen has recently left the Pay Equity Unit as she has been appointed Judge to Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice. We would like to acknowledge the outstanding work Commissioner Jensen has done over the last three years and congratulate her on her new role.
As Canada is approaching its one-year anniversary of being Chair of the EPIC Steering Committee, I would like to highlight some of the considerable achievements accomplished by the Coalition over the last 12 months.
Gender equality in the world of work, including equal pay for work of equal value, is a crucial boost to the sustainable development of a country and the empowerment of individuals.
In this regional conference organised by the Equal Pay International Coalition on October 26, 2022, governments, employers, workers, and their organisations from the Asia/Pacific region shared their experiences, policies, and practices to make equal pay between women and men for work of equal value a reality, with a particular focus on pay transparency. The agenda of the conference is available at the end of this page. Context: gender labour market gaps across Asia and the Pacific are persistent
With the corporate program “Promoting Equal Pay – Advising, Supporting, Strengthening Businesses”, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth supports companies in developing strategies to strengthen their “fair pay goals”.
by PayAnalyticsThe 2022 German HR Management Prizes (Personalwirtschaftspreis) were awarded in Cologne at the beginning of September. Allianz, a global insurance company based in Germany, won the first prize in the HR Tech and Digital category for its global approach to closing the equal pay gap globally. This project ensures equal pay for over 100,000 employees in more than 70 countries, meaning that at Allianz insurance companies women and men are paid equally for equal or comparable work.
The importance of closing gender pay gaps is widely recognized by governments, workers’ organizations, and employers as good practice in supporting stronger economic and social outcomes. Making a commitment to pay equity isn’t just about doing the right thing. It can help employers grow a better, more innovative, and more profitable business. But it can be hard to know where to start.
The Pay Equity Act celebrated the one-year anniversary of its coming-into-force on August 31, 2022. This means that employers who are subject to the Act have two years left to develop and post their final pay equity plans.To support federally regulated businesses with this task, the Pay Equity Unit at the Canadian Human Rights Commission has been busy producing resources and tools, answering questions, establishing processes and raising awareness about pay equity.
The Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) used the occasion of International Equal Pay Day 2022 to highlight some of the pay transparency measures being implemented in different parts of the world, including various tools and responses to key questions.
For more than 40 years, the Gold Quill Awards of the International Association of Business Communicators have recognized communications work from around the world that soars above the average, taking public communication to new heights.
Dr. Zara Nanu, CEO and Co-Founder of Gapsquare, part of XpertHR, was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours list in recognition of her services on tackling global workplace inequalities and promoting fairness and inclusion.
A press release by Ministry of Labour and Workforce Development of PanamaAs a post-pandemic strategy for the economic reactivation of the country, representatives of Government, labour and employer sector, presented this Monday, April 25, 2022, the National Plan for Equal Pay 2022-2025 of the Republic of Panama, being the outcome of shared work between government entities with the technical support of UN Women and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
On the occasion of the 66th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, an online panel discussion on Equal Work, Equal Pay: Reducing the Gender Pay Gap was organized as a side event by the UN’s Civil Society Youth Team.
The Government of Canada organized a virtual side event on March 22, 2022, in collaboration with the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), and co-sponsored by the United Kingdom, during the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66).
“Danone launched, in 2017, One Planet One Health, a frame of action that reflects its strong belief that people’s and the planet’s health are interconnected. This frame of action drives our approach to doing business, with a strong focus on local relevance and anchoring with our purpose of bringing health through food to as many people as possible. Inclusion, Equity and Diversity is part of our 2030 Company Goals. It resonates with our Brands, creating an impact inside and outside Danone together with our partners.
Under new Chairmanship – the Government of Canada – EPIC’s Steering Committee met virtually for three hours on Thursday 17th February 2022, to deliberate a range of far-reaching issues. The meeting started with a discussion on the progress made and challenges experienced, in implementing the 2021 Plan of Work. Notably EPIC welcomed six new members in 2021, but regrettably, as a result of the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic, two of its smaller members were forced to cease operations.
Join Rakesh Patry, Director General, of International and Intergovernmental Labour Affairs, for the Government of Canada’s Department of Employment and Social Development, and Chair of the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) to learn more about equal pay for work of equal value, and his vision for the world’s only global coalition which stands united against the gender wage gap.
On 13 December, the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) held the fourth and final virtual session of its members-only annual technical meeting. During the meeting’s two panel discussions, EPIC members from across sectors highlighted pay equity tools and policies, and various challenges these actors face in achieving equal pay for work of equal value in the private sector, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The session concluded with highlights from EPIC’s work for equal pay in 2021 and a send-off by the Coalition’s previous Chair, Dr.
2021 has been an eventful year for Gapsquare in the best possible way! There have been many successes, some big, some small but all equally important. Let’s walk through some of them… we grew our team, positioned for global scale, and got very serious about innovating Equal Pay.
In 2021, the Canadian Human Rights Commission continued to develop tools and guidance to help federally regulated employers take a proactive approach to correct gender wage gaps within their organization.Women need support now more than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic continued to amplify pre-existing gender inequities, especially for racialized women, Indigenous women, migrant women, women with low-income, single mothers, LGBTQ2SI+ women and women with disabilities or mental health issues.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently released a new report, Pay Transparency Tools to Close the Gender Wage Gap, which looks at the ways OECD countries are requiring companies to reveal the existence and size of pay inequity among employees. This is the first OECD-wide stocktaking of pay transparency measures, and the report finds a high level of commitment and policy momentum across countries trying to close the gender wage gap.
On 18 November, the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) held the third of four virtual sessions of its members-only annual technical meeting. The meeting focused on countries’ recovery plans for more gender equality at work, as well as on the impact of COVID-19 on the private sector.During the first part of the discussions, representatives from governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and international organizations, highlighted the gendered impacts of the pandemic on the labour market and provided relevant policy examples supporting a gender inclusive recovery:
In 2016, Swiss Federal Councillor Minister Alain Berset launched the Charter for Equal Pay in the Public Sector. Strengthening the political commitment of the cantons, communes and state-associated organizations is a necessary step towards the achievement of the principle of equal pay for work of equal value.
Switzerland, represented by Dr. Sylvie Durrer, Director of the Federal Office for Gender Equality, has chaired the Steering Committee of EPIC since the launch of the coalition in 2017. Sylvie Durrer is now passing on the torch to Rakesh Patry, Director General of International Affairs Canada.As outgoing Chair, Sylvie Durrer states
On 20 and 22 October, the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) held the first two of four virtual sessions of its members-only annual technical meeting. The two remaining sessions will be held on 18 November and 13 December.
By: Karen A. Jensen (Canada’s Federal Pay Equity Commissioner)
The COVID-19 crisis had a near-immediate effect on women’s employment, with mass lay-offs and furloughs falling disproportionately on industries that employ women. Women make up 39% of global employment but account for 54% of overall job losses. The ILO estimates that there will be 13 million fewer women in employment in 2021 compared to before the pandemic, while the number of men in work will likely recover at pre-pandemic levels.[1]
By: Thea Lee, Wendy Chun-Hoon
On 6 September 2021, the world’s top women legislators gathered in Vienna for the 13th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, hosted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Parliament of Austria and the United Nations. The Summit was held on the occasion of the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament.
We are pleased to inform you that the EPIC legal database is now complete. It provides information on equal remuneration for work of equal value set out in national law and practice using the provisions of the ILO’s Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) as a benchmark. The database collects information on whether the domestic legal framework mandates equal remuneration for work of equal value, has wage transparency and minimum wage laws.
An intergenerational dialogue on closing the gender pay gap for Generation Equality – Tuesday, 29 June 2021
Laws on pay transparency in Switzerland, France, and the UK, the long-awaited EU draft directive for more transparency, and a strengthening of the right to “Equal Pay for work of equal value” at the European Court of Justice – in the shadow of the pandemic, there has been some encouraging momentum for fair pay. But what is the current state of play? How does this all affect countries and companies? And what needs to be done now?
An intergenerational dialogue on closing the gender pay gap for Generation Equality, Tuesday 29 June 2021
Canada has been a proud member of the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) since its launch at the UN General Assembly in September 2017. Moreover, Canada will be honoured to take on the role of Chair of the EPIC Steering Committee beginning in January 2022.
On 1 March 2021, the Confederation of Employers of Ukraine presented the Guidance on Gender Equality and Non-discrimination for Employers.According to Oleksii Miroshnychenko, Confederation’s Executive Vice President, “the Guidance, developed with support from the International Labour Organization in Ukraine, is aimed at assisting employers in practical implementation of the rather complicated and diverse Ukrainian legislation on gender issues and non-discrimination”.
Taina Bofferding, the Minister for Equality between women and men, explains why Luxembourg has decided to join the coalition and why gender equality matters to the country.Why has equal pay for work of equal value become one of the priorities of the Luxembourg public policy agenda?Equal pay for women and men is an essential factor in Luxembourg’s public policies to ensure that the work of all is recognised. When we commit ourselves to equality between women and men, there are several aspects for me as a socialist minister:
As part of the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Fair Pay Innovation Lab teamed up with PES Women, Foundation for European Progressive Studies and Foundation Jean-Jaurès to organize a virtual Fair Pay Political Roundtable on March 16, 2021.
Over the past year, the EPIC Secretariat has been very encouraged to see its membership growing in spite of the pandemic. This demonstrates the importance and commitment that is being placed on taking concrete action towards valuing women’s work, whether at home or on the COVID-19 frontlines. Raising awareness, sharing and disseminating knowledge information on latest initiatives and programmes is central to EPIC’s work in supporting its members.
On the 17th of March 2021, the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) launched its Equal Pay Around the World Database. The database is a repository of national legal and policy resources. It provides information on countries’ obligations to international treaties, their equal pay legislation, whether they have transparency and minimum wage policies in place, information on their collective bargaining frameworks and other relevant information on national plans and legal reforms.
The Government of Switzerland in collaboration with the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), organized a virtual side event on March 17, 2021 on the margins of the 65th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65).
Join national and academic experts to discuss how new pay transparency and auditing measures are helping to promote equal pay – and what steps are still needed to close the gender wage gap on Tuesday March 23 from 3pm to 4:30PM CEST. Featuring:• Unner Orradóttir Ramette, Ambassador of Iceland• Patric Aeberhard, Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA of Switzerland
Side Event on Achieving equal pay for women and men at the 65th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65)
Side Event organized by the Government of Switzerland in collaboration with the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) at the 65th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65)The sixty-fifth session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place from 15 to 26 March 2021. In light of the evolving COVID-19 situation, and taking into account the latest guidance from the United Nations Secretary-General and the World Health Organization (WHO), CSW65 will take place in a hybrid format with mostly virtual meetings.
At the annual EPIC Steering Committee meeting, Canada agreed to take the role of Chair of the EPIC Steering Committee from January 2022. Representing the out-going Chair Switzerland, Sylvie Durrer thanked the members of the Steering Committee for the trust placed in her over the past three years and looks forward to supporting Canada as it transitions into its new role.
At the end of 2019 Confederation of Employers of Ukraine (hereafter – CEU) joined Equal Pay International Coalition and became the first organization from Ukraine and the first EO in the world, affiliated to EPIC.
In spite of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, EPIC’s membership continues to grow. In 2020, the following 12 new members joined the Coalition, demonstrating a genuine and proven commitment to achieving equal pay for work of equal value and lowering the gender pay gap. GovernmentsGeorgia, Italy, Tunisia, Ukraine Employers’ organisations and private sector
According to the new Global Wage Report for 2020/2021 launched by the International Labour Office on December 2020, not all workers have been equally affected by the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Understanding wage differences between migrants and nationals analysing how migrant wages have evolved in 49 countries before the COVID-19 Pandemic Labour migration can be an important vehicle for development, when it is fair, well-governed and allows migrant workers to access decent work. The world counts an estimated 164 million migrant workers, almost half of them women. They comprise 4.7 per cent of the global workforce and contribute enormously to societies’ growth and development.
Waiting 217 Years or Acting Now? Saving the Date or Accelerating the Move?When: Monday 11 March 2019 | 18:30–19:45Where: Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters in New York
The first ever International Equal Pay Day on 18 September 2020 came at a time when the world of work is changing profoundly. COVID-19 and its economic fallout is posing new and unprecedented challenges to women’s participation in the workforce: • Globally, 40 per cent of all employed women work in the hardest-hit sectors; • With large scale childcare and school closures, lockdowns, and heightened elderly care needs, women have shouldered the brunt of the unpaid care burden; and
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and more specifically SDG 5 and 8.5 aim at achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls by 2030. Ensuring equal pay for work of equal value is a key component of these and thus part of every country’s international commitment.
Equal pay is one of the targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which recognizes its key to inclusive growth and poverty reduction. Sustainable Development Goal 8 calls for the promotion of sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth; full and productive employment; and decent work for all. Equal pay is also addressed in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) as one of the indicators for women’s empowerment. Georgia has committed to fulfilling the obligations indicated by these international instruments.
On the occasion of the first International Equal Pay Day, and in the midst of the fallout from the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) is hosting a virtual global Call to Action encouraging all labour market actors to take the necessary steps to ensure that equal pay is at the heart of recovery efforts worldwide. Speakers Moderated by Nozipho Tshabalala. Panellists:
Gender equality is a fundamental human right as well as a cornerstone of a prosperous, modern economy that generates sustainable inclusive growth. Gender equality is essential for ensuring that men and women can contribute fully at home, at work and in public life, for the advancement of societies and economies at large.
By Hazel Lush (Gapsquare)
By Megan O’Donnell (Center for Global Development), Ania Calderon (Open Data Charter) and Callie Strickland (The B Team) With an estimated 250+ years until the world reaches economic gender parity, gender pay gaps have proven tough to close. As these gaps are symptoms of broader structural inequalities, they cannot be addressed in isolation or with quick fixes.
In February 2020 , in collaboration with the Government of Germany, EPIC organised a meeting for its members including representatives from governments, workers and employers organizations, civil society organizations. Approximately 65 participants came together to understand the impact and challenges of implementing measures aimed at reducing the gender pay gap. Over the two-day event, participants discussed how wage transparency policies aimed at addressing longstanding gender wage gaps have been gaining momentum over the past few years.
“The government of Switzerland is proud that LOGIB has been labeled as an EPIC good practice” says Sylvie Durrer, Director of the Federal Office for Gender Equality (FOGE).
It’s the biggest blatant robbery that happens everywhere for which no-one takes responsibility!” The words of Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (UN Women Executive Director) at the Commission on the Status of Women #CSW63 in 2019 serve as a reminder that a lot remains to be done in promoting equal pay for equal value of work.
On November 15 2019, the third Committee at the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly adopted resolution (A/C37/74/L.49) proclaiming 18 September as International Equal Pay Day. Introducing the resolution to the committee were Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) members’ Iceland with the support of, Australia, Canada, Germany, Panama, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland. The resolution was co-sponsored by a total of 105 member states.
At the 41st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) steering committee member Iceland and other core members, Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Panama, South Africa and Switzerland, initiated a resolution on equal pay. Recommending that the General Assembly declare an international equal payday to celebrate the efforts to achieve equal pay for work of equal value and to urge further action for the goal of equal pay for work of equal value for all.
When: 22 March 2019 | 13:15–14:30Where: International Conference Centre Geneva
An EPIC Technical MeetingWhen: 2–3 April 2019Where: Harpa concert hall and conference centre, Reykjavik, IcelandThe Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) invites to a technical meeting on promoting better indicators, statistics, data and policies to reduce the gender pay gap.The objectives of the meeting are threefold:
Side Event during the 63rd Session of the Commission on the Status of WomenDate: Wednesday, March 13, 2019 from 11:00am to 12:30pmWhere: SAP Office, 10 Hudson Yards, Designers Space – 48th floor in the Leonardo Center, New York
The International Labour Office has launched its Global Wage Report for 2018/2019. The report focuses on two main challenges: how to find the most useful means for measurement, and how to break down the gender pay gap in ways that best inform policy-makers and social partners of the factors that underlie it. The report also includes a review of key policy issues regarding wages and the reduction of gender pay gaps in different national circumstances. Some members of the EPIC Steering Committee provided valuable inputs and comments to the report.
More than 400 Government, Employers’ and Workers’ delegates from 35 countries of the Americas gathered in Panama City on Thursday 4th October 2018 for an Information Session entitled Progress and Challenges in Closing the Gender Pay Gap and other Gender-based Gaps within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Framework. The session was organized by the International Labour Office, on the occasion of its 19th American Regional Meeting which took place from 2-5 October 2018.The objectives of the session were to:
What is the gender pay gap, what measures and policies can be made to tackle it and what is EPIC?Learn more about EPIC in this video (English):French:
On the 26 of September 2018, global leaders from governments, private sector companies, trade unions and civil society pledged to take concrete action towards closing the gender pay gap by 2030. The global commitments – to ensure women in every sector of the workforce are paid equally to men for doing work of equal value – were made at the Equal Pay International Coalition Pledging event held during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Introduction One year after the launch of EPIC, global leaders, including Heads of State, CEOs of multinational companies, Heads of employers’ and workers’ organizations, and representatives of renowned universities and civil society organizations will come together in to publicly demonstrate their commitment to work together under the EPIC umbrella.
A Steering Committee has been established to ensure that EPIC operates credibly, effectively and strategically and to facilitate strategic coherence at the global, regional and national levels. Specifically it will guide EPIC’s activities, and provide direction and leadership on action to reduce the gender pay gap and achieve equal pay for work of equal value.The first official meeting of the Steering Committee was convened, on 23 May 2018 at the ILO’s headquarters in Geneva.
A high level event was organized at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Monday 18th September 2017, during the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly. The purpose of the event was to launch the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), a global coalition which will collaborate at the global, regional and national levels to support governments, employers, workers and other stakeholders to make equal pay between women and men for work of equal value a reality, and reduce the gender pay gap.
The meeting hosted by the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, and supported by the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, was organized to provide key stakeholders with the opportunity to shape EPIC’s operational and strategic directions.