WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Does legislation explicitly guarantee equal pay on the basis of gender?

The term ‘gender’ refers to country references to ‘gender’ or ‘sex’ or specific protections for ‘female’ or ‘women’ employees.

No guarantee means that legislation does not take an explicit approach to prohibiting discrimination in pay on the basis of the gender. This does not mean that legislation denies this guarantee.

General guarantee of equal pay means that legislation guarantees equal remuneration, equal pay for equal work, or equal pay for work of equal value generally— for example, by prohibiting discrimination based on “any status” or stating no worker may be discriminated against. This general prohibition is not specifically extended on the basis of gender.

Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on gender means that legislation extends a prohibition of discrimination at the workplace on the basis of gender, but does not explicitly address discrimination in pay on this basis. These broad prohibitions use language that could extend prohibition of discrimination across any aspect of work. It also includes cases where gender-based discrimination is prohibited in terms of employment.

Guarantees equal pay means that legislation either a) extends an explicit guarantee to equal remuneration or equal pay for equal work on the basis of gender, or b) extends a broad prohibition of workplace discrimination on this basis alongside a guarantee for equal remuneration or equal pay for equal work to all workers.

Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value indicates a guarantee that types of work that require similar skill levels and are similarly productive are paid the same. In these cases, legislation either: a) extends an explicit guarantee to equal pay for work of equal value on the basis of gender, or b) extends a broad prohibition of workplace discrimination on the basis of gender alongside a general guarantee to equal pay for work of equal value to all workers.

Countries

Botswana - No guarantee

Brunei - No guarantee

Malaysia - No guarantee

Micronesia, Federated States of - No guarantee

Myanmar - No guarantee

Nauru - No guarantee

Nigeria - No guarantee

Palau - No guarantee

Sierra Leone - No guarantee

Singapore - No guarantee

Solomon Islands - No guarantee

Sri Lanka - No guarantee

Sudan - No guarantee

Tonga - No guarantee

Afghanistan - General guarantee of equal pay

Australia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on gender

Barbados - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on gender

Belarus - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on gender

Belize - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on gender

Indonesia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on gender

Oman - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on gender

Pakistan - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on gender

Suriname - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on gender

Trinidad and Tobago - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on gender

Antigua and Barbuda - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Armenia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Bahrain - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Bolivia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Cameroon - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Cabo Verde - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Central African Republic - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Chile - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

China - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Republic of the Congo - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Cuba - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Dominica - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Dominican Republic - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Ecuador - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Egypt - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

El Salvador - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Eritrea - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Ethiopia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Georgia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Ghana - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Guinea-Bissau - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Honduras - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Hungary - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

India - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Iran - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Jamaica - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Japan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Kazakhstan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Kuwait - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Kyrgyzstan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Laos - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Lebanon - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Liechtenstein - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

North Macedonia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Mauritania - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Mexico - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Mongolia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Mozambique - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Nicaragua - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Panama - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Papua New Guinea - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Qatar - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

San Marino - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Senegal - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Seychelles - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

St. Kitts and Nevis - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Eswatini - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Switzerland - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Ukraine - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

United States of America - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Uruguay - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Uzbekistan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Vanuatu - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Venezuela - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Yemen - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on gender

Albania - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Algeria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Andorra - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Angola - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Argentina - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Austria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Azerbaijan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Bahamas - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Bangladesh - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Belgium - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Benin - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Bhutan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Brazil - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Bulgaria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Burkina Faso - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Burundi - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Cambodia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Canada - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Chad - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Colombia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Comoros - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Costa Rica - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Cote d'Ivoire - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Croatia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Cyprus - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Czech Republic - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Denmark - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Djibouti - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Equatorial Guinea - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Estonia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Fiji - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Finland - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

France - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Gabon - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

The Gambia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Germany - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Greece - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Greenland - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Grenada - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Guatemala - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Guinea - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Guyana - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Haiti - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Iceland - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Iraq - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Ireland - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Israel - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Italy - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Jordan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Kenya - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Kiribati - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Republic of Korea - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Latvia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Lesotho - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Liberia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Libya - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Lithuania - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Luxembourg - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Madagascar - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Malawi - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Maldives - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Mali - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Malta - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Marshall Islands - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Mauritius - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Moldova - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Monaco - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Montenegro - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Morocco - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Namibia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Nepal - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

The Netherlands - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

New Zealand - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Niger - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Norway - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Paraguay - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Peru - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

The Philippines - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Poland - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Portugal - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Romania - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Russian Federation - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Rwanda - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Samoa - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Sao Tome and Principe - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Saudi Arabia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Serbia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Slovakia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Slovenia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Somalia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

South Africa - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

South Sudan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Spain - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

St. Lucia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Sweden - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Syria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Tajikistan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Tanzania - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Thailand - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Timor-Leste - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Togo - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Tunisia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Türkiye - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Turkmenistan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Tuvalu - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Uganda - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

United Arab Emirates - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

United Kingdom - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Vietnam - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Zambia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender

Zimbabwe - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on gender