WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Does legislation explicitly guarantee equal pay on the basis of marital status?

The term “marital status” includes references to ‘civil status’, ‘married’, ‘relationship status’, ‘personal status,” or whether employees have a husband or wife.

Because caregiving discrimination disproportionately affects women and can begin with the assumption that married women will have children, this variable also includes gendered terminology that reference’s women’s marital status alone.

No guarantee means that legislation does not take an explicit approach to prohibiting discrimination in pay on the basis of marital status. 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 marital status.

Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status means that legislation extends a prohibition of discrimination at the workplace on the basis of marital status, 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 marital status-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 marital status, 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 marital status, or b) extends a broad prohibition of workplace discrimination on the basis of marital status alongside a general guarantee to equal pay for work of equal value to all workers.

Countries

Antigua and Barbuda - No guarantee

Bahrain - No guarantee

Bangladesh - No guarantee

Belarus - No guarantee

Benin - No guarantee

Bolivia - No guarantee

Botswana - No guarantee

Brazil - No guarantee

Brunei - No guarantee

Burkina Faso - No guarantee

Cambodia - No guarantee

Cameroon - No guarantee

Chad - No guarantee

Colombia - No guarantee

Republic of the Congo - No guarantee

Cote d'Ivoire - No guarantee

Djibouti - No guarantee

Dominica - No guarantee

Egypt - No guarantee

Estonia - No guarantee

Ethiopia - No guarantee

Finland - No guarantee

France - No guarantee

Gabon - No guarantee

Germany - No guarantee

Greenland - No guarantee

Guinea - No guarantee

Iceland - No guarantee

India - No guarantee

Indonesia - No guarantee

Iran - No guarantee

Israel - No guarantee

Jamaica - No guarantee

Japan - No guarantee

Jordan - No guarantee

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - No guarantee

Kuwait - No guarantee

Laos - No guarantee

Lebanon - No guarantee

Libya - No guarantee

Madagascar - No guarantee

Malaysia - No guarantee

Mali - No guarantee

Mauritania - No guarantee

Micronesia, Federated States of - No guarantee

Monaco - No guarantee

Myanmar - No guarantee

Nauru - No guarantee

Nepal - No guarantee

Niger - No guarantee

Nigeria - No guarantee

Norway - No guarantee

Oman - No guarantee

Pakistan - No guarantee

Palau - No guarantee

Papua New Guinea - No guarantee

Paraguay - No guarantee

Qatar - No guarantee

San Marino - No guarantee

Saudi Arabia - No guarantee

Senegal - No guarantee

Seychelles - No guarantee

Sierra Leone - No guarantee

Singapore - No guarantee

Solomon Islands - No guarantee

Somalia - No guarantee

Sri Lanka - No guarantee

St. Kitts and Nevis - No guarantee

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No guarantee

Sudan - No guarantee

Suriname - No guarantee

Sweden - No guarantee

Thailand - No guarantee

Togo - No guarantee

Tonga - No guarantee

Uganda - No guarantee

United Arab Emirates - No guarantee

Vanuatu - No guarantee

Yemen - No guarantee

Zimbabwe - No guarantee

Afghanistan - General guarantee of equal pay

Andorra - General guarantee of equal pay

Burundi - General guarantee of equal pay

Cabo Verde - General guarantee of equal pay

Central African Republic - General guarantee of equal pay

China - General guarantee of equal pay

Comoros - General guarantee of equal pay

Cuba - General guarantee of equal pay

Dominican Republic - General guarantee of equal pay

Ecuador - General guarantee of equal pay

Equatorial Guinea - General guarantee of equal pay

Eritrea - General guarantee of equal pay

Ghana - General guarantee of equal pay

Hungary - General guarantee of equal pay

Iraq - General guarantee of equal pay

Kazakhstan - General guarantee of equal pay

Kenya - General guarantee of equal pay

Latvia - General guarantee of equal pay

Moldova - General guarantee of equal pay

Panama - General guarantee of equal pay

Poland - General guarantee of equal pay

Russian Federation - General guarantee of equal pay

Rwanda - General guarantee of equal pay

Slovenia - General guarantee of equal pay

Tajikistan - General guarantee of equal pay

Turkmenistan - General guarantee of equal pay

Australia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Barbados - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Belize - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Canada - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Chile - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Cyprus - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

El Salvador - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Grenada - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Guatemala - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Guyana - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Honduras - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Republic of Korea - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Lesotho - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

North Macedonia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Mozambique - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

The Netherlands - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

New Zealand - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

The Philippines - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Samoa - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

St. Lucia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Eswatini - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Trinidad and Tobago - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Türkiye - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Tuvalu - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Ukraine - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

United Kingdom - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Venezuela - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Vietnam - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on marital status

Armenia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Azerbaijan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Belgium - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Bulgaria - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

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

Costa Rica - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Georgia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Guinea-Bissau - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Kyrgyzstan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Liberia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Liechtenstein - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Luxembourg - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Mexico - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Mongolia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Morocco - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Nicaragua - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Slovakia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Spain - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Switzerland - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Tanzania - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

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

Uruguay - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Uzbekistan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on marital status

Albania - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Algeria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Angola - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Argentina - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Austria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Bahamas - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Bhutan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Croatia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

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

Denmark - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Fiji - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

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

Greece - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Haiti - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Ireland - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Italy - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Kiribati - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Lithuania - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Malawi - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Maldives - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Malta - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

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

Mauritius - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Montenegro - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Namibia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Peru - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Portugal - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Romania - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

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

Serbia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

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

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

Syria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

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

Tunisia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status

Zambia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on marital status