Closing the Gender Pay Gap: Eliminating Legal and Structural Barriers to Achieve Social and Economic Justice - a CSW70 Side Event by EPIC

19 Mar 2026

At the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) convened a side event on ensuring equal pay for work of equal value as a central component of achieving social and economic justice for women and for all.  The side event explored how strengthening access to justice and promoting inclusive, equitable and accountable legal systems are essential to closing the gender pay gap by 2030, in line with Target 8.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals. The discussion brought together government representatives, employers, workers’ organizations, civil society, international organizations, academia and others to highlight persistent challenges, progress, and concrete pathways toward achieving economic and social justice through the elimination of the gender pay gap. 

Seemin Qayum, Chief ad interim of UN Women’s Economic Empowerment Section and Maira Lacerda, EPIC Chair and Head of the Special Advisory Office for International Affairs at the Ministry of Labor and Employment of Brazil, opened the event, underscoring the continued reality: Women globally earn on average 20 per cent less than men, with even wider gaps for mothers, informal workers, migrants, and those facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. Although 98 countries have passed legislation on equal pay for work of equal value, only 35 have adopted enforcement mechanisms. Both speakers emphasized that equal pay for work of equal value is a fundamental right enshrined in international labor standards including ILO Conventions 100 and 111.

Delivering the keynote address, Hyeshin Park, Head of the Gender and Development Unit at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), provided insights from the OECD Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) on how discriminatory social institutions affect women’s access to justice and economic empowerment. Three sets of entrenched factors sustain inequality:

  1. Legal Barriers – Only 24% of countries require binding pay transparency. Without transparency, discrimination remains hidden and unchallenged.
  2. Structural Barriers – Occupational segregation, informal work, and restrictions on women’s employment channel women into undervalued jobs with limited protections.
  3. Restrictive Social Norms – Deeply ingrained beliefs about “appropriate” roles continue to shape women’s economic opportunities. 

A multi-stakeholder panel moderated by Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, Special Representative and Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for the UN, explored concrete efforts towards achieving equal pay for work of equal value:

  • Irena Moozova, Deputy Director General of the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST) at the European Commission, outlined the EU Pay Transparency Directive which will be fully implemented by June 2026, calling it a transformative tool for accountability. The EU is supporting Member States with workshops, toolkits, and guidance via the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) to ensure effective national implementation.
  • Orxan Nadirov, Chief Advisor at the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan, shared recent reforms including lifting bans on 674 previously prohibited professions for women and introducing digital employment contracts to increase transparency. These shifts enhance women’s access to higher paid sectors and leadership roles.
  • Shea Gopaul, Permanent Representative of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) to the UN, emphasized that closing the gender pay gap is an economic imperative: underutilizing women’s talent undermines competitiveness. She highlighted social dialogue, mutual trust, clear legal frameworks, and evidence based policymaking as essential tools for preventing disputes and driving compliance.
  • Siobhán Vipond, Vice Chair of the International Trade Union Confederation’s (ITUC) Women’s Committee and Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) underlined the critical role of collective bargaining and litigation in delivering largescale victories. An example from New Zealand demonstrated how a union-supported case secured substantial pay increases for care workers of up to 50% – benefiting thousands of women workers.

During the Q&A session, participants raised issues concerning migrant workers, terminology around norms and constructs, and the dire situation of women currently barred from both education and employment in Afghanistan. Panelists stressed that efforts regarding equal pay for work of equal value must extend to broader struggles for safety, democracy, and fundamental rights.

In her closing remarks, Lori Straznicky, Federal Pay Equity Commissioner of Canada, reinforced that laws matter, but so do institutions with the skills, resources, and mandates to enforce them. Cross-country learning is strengthening global momentum. Closing the gender pay gap requires coordinated legal reform, robust enforcement, empowered social partners, and a decisive shift in the values and norms that shape labour markets. Achieving equal pay for work of equal value is essential to social and economic justice – and within reach through multistakeholder, strategic and concerted action.

[1] ILO. 2024. Global Wage Report 2024–25: Is wage inequality decreasing globally? Geneva: International Labour Organization.

[1] World Bank Group. 2024. Women, Business and the Law 2024.