CSW Side Event: Inspiring private sector companies to tackle the gender pay gap

18 Mar 2021

Side Event on Achieving equal pay for women and men at the 65th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65)

Equal pay for women and men is a crucial step toward achieving gender equality. Sustainable Development Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth calls on the global community to do its part to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all. The UN Global Compact and the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) organized a side event on 16 March 2021, on the sidelines of the Commission on the Status of Women, and under the umbrella of Target Gender Equality Live. The event entitled Achieving equal pay for women and men aimed to inspire and engage business and other stakeholders to take concrete action to advance gender equality. It also sought to help to build private sector support and momentum in advance of the Gender Equality Fora taking place later this year.

View the 30-minute event here, to learn from these global business leaders how EPIC is inspiring members of the private sector to tackle the gender pay gap:

• Griet Cattaert, UN Global Compact’s head of labour rights;

• Peter List, Ingka’s (IKEA) Global Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion;

• Maria Paz Anzorreguy, Director for ILO coordination at the International Organisation of Employers (IOE);

• Marcus Priest, Novartis’ Global Head of Rewards; and

• Lisa Wong, ILO’s Senior Specialist on Non-discrimination, representing the EPIC Secretariat and moderator of the event.

These EPIC members shared the challenges they faced in their journey towards equal pay, explained how engagement with EPIC has helped to overcome these challenges, and provided insights into what employers’ organizations were doing to promote EPIC among its members.