Meeting of Mercosul Ministers of Labor Highlights Progress on Pay Equality and Strengthening of the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC)
After a decade since the last in-person gathering, Mercosul Ministers of Labor met in Brasília, Brazil, on October 21, 2025, for a high-level meeting focused on advancing social and labor policies in the region. The event featured a strategic presentation by the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), under the presidency of the Brazilian Government, reinforcing the importance of regional cooperation and dialogue to promote pay equity between women and men.
The meeting was attended by senior authorities, including the Minister of Labor and Employment of Brazil, Mr. Luiz Marinho; the Vice-Minister of Labor of Paraguay, Mr. Cesar Augusto Segovia Villasanti; the International Advisor to the Ministry of Labor of Uruguay, Mr. Leonardo Batalla; the Minister of Labor and Social Welfare of Chile, Mr. Giorgio Davide Boccardo Bosoni; the Minister of Labor of Colombia, Mr. Antonio Eresmid Sanguino Páez; the Minister of Labor of Ecuador, Ms. Ivonne Elizabeth Núñez Figueroa; and the Ambassador of Peru, Mr. Rómulo Acurio.
Representing the EPIC Presidency, Ms. Maíra Lacerda formally invited the governments of Mercosul countries to join the Coalition. She emphasized that EPIC, co-led by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and UN Women, operates globally, regionally, and nationally with the goal of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 8.5 on equal pay for work of equal value. Ms. Lacerda highlighted that joining EPIC entails no financial commitment, and countries have four years to meet six of the eleven required criteria, with technical support from the EPIC Secretariat throughout the process.
Ms. Luciana Nakamura, Director of Programs at the Ministry of Labor and Employment of Brazil, presented Brazil’s experience, highlighting the implementation of Law No. 14,611/2023, which mandates companies with 100 or more employees to publish semiannual Pay Transparency Reports. She noted that, despite recent legislative progress, women in Brazil still earn an average of 21.2% less than men (as of September 2025). The law reinforces principles of transparency and accountability, requiring Action Plans where inequalities are identified. Ms. Nakamura also stressed that unequal distribution of unpaid care work remains a key factor, with women dedicating an average of 21 hours per week to caregiving, twice as much as men, and 11 million women remaining outside the labor market for this reason.
Ms. Paula Montagner, Undersecretary for Labor Statistics and Studies at the Ministry of Labor and Employment, presented the findings of the 4th Equal Pay Report, covering the second half of 2024 and the first half of 2025. The report showed that women’s participation in employment increased from 40% to 41.1%, while their share of total wage mass grew from 34.1% to 35.0%. The analysis estimated that if women’s wage mass (35.0%) matched their employment share (41.1%), Brazil’s total wage mass would expand by BRL 92.7 billion - an increase of 9.4%.
The report also highlighted persistent disparities in leadership positions, where women earn on average 60.6% of men’s wages. Nevertheless, it recorded progress, including a 2.7 percentage point improvement in the pay ratio between women and men in management roles, and a 21.1% increase in the number of companies with at least 10% of Black women in their workforce.
As Chair of the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), the Brazilian Government reaffirms its commitment to deepening dialogue with Mercosul countries. Bringing this discussion into the Mercosul framework strengthens the regional pillar of EPIC and continues the efforts of the Government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, which has made the promotion of equal pay for work of equal value between women and men one of its top priorities.
Brazil reiterates its invitation for Mercosul member countries to join this initiative. Pay equality is not only a matter of justice but also a driver of sustainable economic development. By working together, we can make equal pay a tangible reality in our region and beyond.