Advancing Equal Pay in Egypt as a Driver of Sustainable and Inclusive Development
In Egypt’s ongoing pursuit of sustainable and inclusive development, ensuring equal pay for equal work has emerged as both a strategic and moral imperative. Beyond fulfilling Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 on gender equality, this principle is instrumental in advancing a broad spectrum of the United Nations’ SDGs related to poverty reduction, education, health, empowerment, inclusion, and decent work.
Increasing women’s participation in the labour market has shown direct positive impacts on household welfare. It improves children’s health (SDG 3), raises educational attainment (SDG 4), and enhances family income levels (SDG 1), all of which collectively contribute to human development and quality of life.
This approach is deeply aligned with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the National Narrative for Economic Development, where social inclusion and women’s economic empowerment are identified as central pillars. Promoting equal pay is thus not only an equality measure (SDG 5;10) but also, a strategic lever for driving Egypt’s wider socio-economic agenda.
Realizing these ambitious goals requires sustained and coordinated efforts. The Egyptian Gov. has already begun implementing policies aimed at promoting gender equality, with equal pay at the forefront. This commitment has been operationalized through a governance framework that incorporates key regulatory and legislative components, as outlined below.
This article aims to shed light on the key efforts undertaken by the Egyptian government, to achieve the goal of equal pay, while presenting the most relevant data and indicators associated with this issue.
1. Current status
Egypt has made notable progress toward promoting equal pay principles through legislative reforms and international partnerships, yet significant challenges remain.
2. Egyptian Gov. efforts in advancing equal pay principles
Egypt's equal pay landscape has been dominated by the new Labour Law's rollout, which introduces transparency in salary structures, anti-harassment measures, and equal compensation for equivalent roles across genders.
- Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Egypt ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1981, reaffirming its pledge to uphold full gender equality across all sectors. To operationalize this commitment, Egypt established the National Council for Women (NCW) in 2000 and launched the National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030, ensuring women’s equal access to employment, pay, and participation in public life.
- The National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030
The National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030, aligned with Egypt Vision 2030, reaffirms the state’s dedication to gender equality and women’s empowerment. It rests on four pillars: political empowerment, economic empowerment, social empowerment and legal and institutional protection. The principle of “equal pay for equal work” is explicitly emphasized under the economic empowerment pillar, in alignment with ILO Convention No. 100.
- Egypt Labour Law No. 14 of 2025
Full law replaces Labour Law No. 12 of 2003, the enactment and implementation of Labor Law No. 14 of 2025, effective September 1, 2025, stands as a landmark achievement, explicitly, emphasizing "equal remuneration for equal work" and prohibiting gender-based wage discrimination. This builds on constitutional guarantees and aligns with ILO Convention No. 100 on Equal Remuneration, as per Article 187 of the Constitution. The Law mandates employers to provide an accessible and non-discriminatory work environment.
"Full Relevant Provisions on Equal Pay and Wages as found in Article 5 (Prohibition of Discrimination); 11 (Annual Salary Increment) ;12 (Exemptions and Adjustments). The prominent Article is 5 stated as " "Any act, behavior, or procedure that would cause discrimination or differentiation between people in training, advertising or filling jobs, or the terms and conditions of work or the rights and duties arising from the employment contract, on the basis of religion, belief, gender, origin, race, color, language, disability, social level, political, union, or geographic affiliation, or any other reason that would result in a violation of the principle of equality and equal opportunities, is prohibited. Any advantage, preference, benefit or protection granted under the provisions of this law and its implementing decisions and regulations for women, children, persons with disabilities and dwarves shall not be considered prohibited discrimination, provided that it is granted to the extent necessary to achieve the objective for which it was granted."
Article (11): “The State shall guarantee equality between women and men in all civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. The State shall take the necessary measures to ensure the appropriate representation of women in the parliamentary councils as prescribed by law. It shall also guarantee women the right to hold public and senior management positions in the State and to be appointed in judicial bodies and authorities without discrimination. The State shall protect women against all forms of violence and shall ensure their ability to reconcile family duties and work requirements. Furthermore, the State shall provide care and protection for motherhood, childhood, women who are breadwinners, elderly women, and women most in need.”
3. Other Key developments include:
- Jasmine Pickers Wages (July 2025) to ensure fairness, transparency, and wage stability
A milestone for Egypt’s jasmine sector was achieved in July 2025 when wages for jasmine pickers “primarily women” were raised through a social dialogue led by the International Labour Organization (ILO). Conducted under the ACCEL Egypt – Harvesting the Future project, this initiative ensuring fair and stable wages for female workers.
- Minimum Wage Increase
Egypt’s recent minimum wage decrees mark a significant step toward wage fairness and social protection.
- In the private sector, the minimum wage rose to EGP 7,000 per month from 1st of March 2025, applying equally to all workers without gender distinction.
- In the public sector, wages were raised to the same level from 1st of July 2025, benefitting over 3.5 million employees and reinforcing women’s economic stability and post-maternity retention.
- Women's Labour Participation Boost: Women make up nearly half of Egypt’s population, yet their participation in the labour market remains significantly low. it is estimated that achieving full gender parity, will increase GDP by 34 percent. Closing the gender employment gap could further boost the Egyptian economy by around 56 percent.
- Labour Law Compliance Workshops: The Ministry of Labour, in collaboration with the ILO, is conducting compliance workshops and briefings on the new Labour Law, focusing on key provisions like equal pay (Article 5;11), wage audits, and grievance mechanisms. These are part of a nationwide rollout to ensure private sector adherence by December 2025 (law mandates contract updates and audits within 90-120 days of enforcement). Sessions target employers, HR professionals, and unions, with ILO providing technical expertise on international standards (e.g., ILO Convention No. 100 on equal remuneration).
- Egypt's EPIC Involvement: Egypt remains an active member of the EPIC Steering Committee - alongside countries like Canada, Iceland, and Jordan- working to align national strategies with global best practices to reduce the gender pay gap.
- She is Energy Awards: Annual event recognizing women in energy sectors for equal pay advocacy, with new categories for wage equity innovations. The award aim to promote and encourage gender equality as well as highlighting the role of women in the sector.
- Egypt’s Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator: In July 2020, MPEDIC the National Council for Women, and the World Economic Forum launched the “Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator”, making Egypt the first country in the MENA region to adopt this model. The three-year action plan seeks to promote gender equality and women’s economic empowerment by reducing wage disparities, increasing women’s participation in the labour market, supporting equal opportunities in the post-COVID-19 economy, and advancing women into managerial and leadership positions.
It is worth mentioning that the ministry of planning, economic development, and international cooperation plays a pivotal role in advancing equal pay policies in Egypt. As the government entity responsible for formulating national development strategies and the corresponding socio-economic plans, the ministry ensures that wage policies are coherent with the country’s broader development objectives.
The Ministry also chairs the National Wage Council, mandated to determine the minimum wage in the private sector (which employs over 82% of Egypt’s workforce) thus directly influencing labour market equality.
In addition, the Ministry collaborates with international partners, including the ILO, on several initiatives aimed at promoting the principle of “Equal Pay for Equal Work”. These efforts reflect Egypt’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and its active engagement within the EPIC framework.