Chile and Turkey Commit to Equal Pay Coalition in Global Push for Gender Pay Equity

EPIC Membership Expands as Countries Enhance Efforts to Address Persistent Gender Wage Gaps

Chile and Turkey have officially committed to joining the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), a significant move in their ongoing efforts to address gender pay disparities. This commitment, announced at a recent G20 meeting in Fortaleza, Brazil, brings the total number of governments aligned with EPIC’s goal of achieving equal pay for women and men to 27. In addition, Spain and Japan, both members of EPIC, have pledged to intensify their efforts in reducing gender-based wage inequality.

EPIC, a coalition consisting of 63 members, including governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, international entities, academia, and civil society groups, is dedicated to closing the gender pay gap globally. The coalition’s latest commitments were made during an event co-hosted by EPIC and the Brazilian government as part of the G20 Employment Working Group (EWG) agenda. Brazil, as the current G20 president, has placed gender equality and workplace diversity at the forefront of its priorities.

The event, titled Together Let’s Close the Gender Pay Gap NOW, aimed to accelerate progress towards achieving Target 8.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This target focuses on promoting sustained, inclusive economic growth and full, productive employment with decent work for all by 2030. The discussions at the event underscored how equal pay for work of equal value is not just an economic issue but a critical component in reducing global hunger, poverty, and inequality.

Delegates from various countries shared best practices for closing the gender pay gap, highlighting challenges such as gender-based pay discrimination, ethnic and racial inequalities, and the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work on women. They also addressed the increased vulnerability of women to workplace violence and harassment, further complicating efforts to achieve pay equity.

Chidi King, Chief of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Branch, moderated the discussion. In her opening remarks, Brazil’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Luiz Marinho, emphasized Brazil’s commitment to gender equality, while Rosane Silva, Brazil’s National Secretary of Care Economy and Women’s Autonomy of the Ministry of Women, delivered the keynote address.

In her speech, King acknowledged the progress made in gender equality policies but emphasized that equal pay remains an elusive goal worldwide. She pointed out that women, on average, earn less than 80 cents for every dollar earned by men, with even wider disparities for women of color, refugees, migrants, women with disabilities, indigenous women, and those working in the informal economy. King noted that while new legislation has been introduced in many countries, no nation has yet fully closed the gender pay gap.

Rosane Silva highlighted Brazil’s efforts, including the enactment of the Equal Pay Law and the establishment of a Working Group focused on advancing wage and employment equality. She also discussed the creation of the Inter-ministerial Working Group (IWG), responsible for developing the National Care Policy with technical guidance from the ILO.

The event also featured contributions from representatives of Brazil, Canada, the United States, the International Organization of Employers, and the International Trade Union Confederation. These representatives shared their experiences and challenges in addressing gender-based income inequality. Officials from Chile and Turkey confirmed their countries’ commitment to joining EPIC, while Japan and Spain outlined specific measures to reduce their national gender pay gaps.

In the closing remarks, ILO Deputy Director-General Celeste Drake, Interim Representative for Brazil at UN Women Ana Carolina Querino, and OECD Deputy Secretary-General Yoshiki Takeuchi stressed the importance of collective responsibility in closing the gender pay gap. They emphasized the need to make wage disparities visible, measure them accurately, and implement innovative and practical solutions to accelerate progress towards achieving SDG Target 8.5.

With Chile and Turkey joining EPIC and existing members like Spain and Japan ramping up their efforts, the global momentum towards gender pay equity continues to grow. These commitments signal a strong, coordinated push to ensure that equal pay for equal work becomes a reality, benefiting millions of women around the world and contributing to broader goals of social and economic justice.