Brazil’s Progress in Promoting Equal Pay: Legal Advances and Persistent Gaps
Brazil has been consolidating important progress in promoting equal pay between women and men, especially following the implementation of Lei nº 14.611/2023, a regulatory framework that establishes the mandatory equality of remuneration and pay criteria between women and men for work of equal value in companies with 100 or more employees.
This law represents a significant advancement by combining mechanisms of transparency, enforcement, and equity promotion. Among its main innovations is the requirement for the periodic publication of Pay Transparency Reports, in which companies must disclose aggregated information on remuneration, pay criteria, and diversity policies. The regulation also provides for administrative sanctions in cases of non-compliance, while encouraging the adoption of measures aimed at promoting equity in the workplace, such as diversity programs and support for parenthood.
Within its implementation, the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MTE) has adopted strategic actions to ensure the effectiveness of the law. Data from the 4th Pay Transparency Report (second half of 2025), compared to the 2nd Report (second half of 2024), indicate progress in women’s participation in the formal labor market. Women increased from 40% (7.2 million) to 41.1% (approximately 8 million) of formal employment relationships in establishments with 100 or more employees.
Despite this progress, significant inequalities persist. Currently, women account for 35% of the total wage bill. If their share were proportional to their participation in formal employment (41.1%), it is estimated that there would be an increase of approximately BRL 92.7 billion in the wage bill, representing a 9.4% growth in total earnings.
Regarding Brazil, the most recent data show that in companies with 100 or more employees, women currently earn, on average, 21.2% less than men. When we consider race, women face even greater disparities, earning 46% less than a white man.
This gap stems from structural barriers. Although women statistically have higher levels of education, they earn on average 26.7% less than men in executive and managerial positions. Another challenge is unequal access to career advancement. Women are promoted less frequently than men and remain underrepresented in leadership roles. According to the latest data from Brazil’s national statistical office, women hold only 39% of managerial positions in the country.
One of the major and persistent problems is domestic violence against women and girls. Brazil recorded an alarming figure in 2024, with 1,450 women victims of femicide, representing an average of four deaths per day. In this case, once again, the data reveal marked racial vulnerability. In cases of violence against adult women (ages 20 to 59), 60.4% of the victims were Black and mixed-race women, while 37.5% were white women.
In response, the enactment of the Anti-Femicide Package (Law No. 14,994/2024) profoundly amended the Penal Code. Femicide ceased to be an aggravated form of homicide and became an autonomous crime, with penalties now ranging from 20 to 40 years of imprisonment. The maximum sentence for an individual crime in Brazil may now reach 40 years, which is the highest sentence available under Brazilian criminal law.
Sexual harassment against women in the workplace must also not be overlooked. The number of complaints increased by 16.8% from 2023 to 2024. It may take verbal, non-verbal, or physical forms, creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment for the victim. In response to these challenges, Brazil is advancing the ratification of Convenção nº 190 da OIT on Violence and Harassment in the World of Work, currently under consideration by the National Congress, reinforcing the country’s commitment to preventing and addressing violence and harassment, including in the workplace.
Brazil took an important step with the establishment of the National Care Policy (Law No. 15,069/2024). Historically, the overload of unpaid domestic work has been identified as one of the main obstacles preventing women from achieving pay equity. The new law recognizes care as a right and establishes that responsibility must be shared among the State, families, and the private sector.
By ensuring access to daycare centers and eldercare support facilities, the policy seeks to reduce the burden of invisible and unpaid work, enabling women to enter, remain in, and advance in the labor market. Caring for those who provide care is, therefore, an economic strategy to increase national productivity and to ensure that equal pay becomes a reality.
To address these disparities, Brazil has intensified the use of digital tools and enforcement actions. The improvement of the Domicílio Eletrônico Trabalhista (DET) stands out, enabling greater effectiveness in notifying companies about the need to update information on pay criteria, diversity actions, and family support measures. In terms of active transparency, more than 30,100 establishments have already reported the electronic address where their reports are published. Furthermore, more than 800 companies have been inspected, with sanctions applied in cases of non-compliance.
In the field of international cooperation, Brazil has promoted the exchange of experiences and the strengthening of institutional capacities. Between February and April 2026, lectures are being held with experts from the Ministerio de Trabajo y Economía Social da Espanha, addressing topics such as the causes of wage inequality, pay transparency, the concept of work of equal value, and enforcement mechanisms adopted in Spain.
Additionally, the country participated, as an observer in the Government Group, in a meeting of experts organized by the Organização Internacional do Trabalho on the application of fundamental principles and rights at work and the prevention of violence and harassment in professional sports. The meeting, which will support the development of international ILO guidelines for professional athletes, included tripartite discussions on pay equity between women and men.
At the regional level, Brazil also shared its experiences within Mercosur during the Meeting of Ministers of Labour held in October 2025, with the participation of the Minister of Women, fostering the exchange of good practices and discussions on legal frameworks.
Public debate and knowledge dissemination have also been strengthened. Through the network of observatories, online events were held reaching around 350 participants, presenting international comparative data, including analyses produced by ONU Mulheres, such as the report marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action. In 2026, a specific discussion on women’s mental health was also promoted.
Regarding public employment and income policies, the National Employment System (Sine) is one of the main instruments for promoting productive inclusion in Brazil. Sine integrates actions such as job intermediation, professional qualification, unemployment insurance, and income generation, being mainly financed by the Workers’ Support Fund (FAT) and nationally coordinated by the MTE in cooperation with states and municipalities.
The system’s adhesion and operation are regulated by the Resolução Codefat nº 994/2024, which establishes criteria for the participation of federative entities and for the automatic transfer of resources. Sine’s actions are organized into blocks that include management of the service network, professional qualification, employment promotion, and statistical support.
Among modernization initiatives, the Casa do Trabalhador project stands out, expanding the provision of in-person and guided self-service, including access to training courses, technical support, and career guidance.
Local experiences demonstrate the incorporation of a gender perspective into employment policies. In Pernambuco, the Casa da Trabalhadora has already assisted around 6,700 women. Similar initiatives include mobile services in Barcarena (Pará) and specialized units in Salvador (Bahia), focused on welcoming and integrating women into the labor market, particularly those in vulnerable situations.
It is important to highlight that, although the National Employment System has a universal character, it provides priority services to specific groups, including women, as established by the Resolução Codefat nº 808/2018 and reinforced by the Lei nº 14.542/2023.
In this context, Brazil reaffirms its commitment to advancing equal pay and addressing the structural barriers that continue to affect women in the labour market. By combining regulatory innovation, strengthened enforcement, transparency mechanisms, and international cooperation, the country seeks to promote more inclusive and equitable labour market outcomes. Continued efforts will be essential to ensure that legal progress translates into concrete changes in women’s lives, contributing to sustainable development and social justice.