Gender Pay Gap
Channel: UNECE Stat
Date: 2012-08-29

Gender pay gap refers to the difference in earnings of men and women: what women on average take out of employment in monetary terms relative to men. It is calculated as the difference between average earnings of men and women as a percentage of average earnings of men.
Being an average, the gender pay gap can only provide an overall picture of gender inequality in total pay for employment. It does not say if women and men with the same (or similar) jobs receive different compensations. It does not explain in itself why wage differences between men and women exist.
To understand the gender pay gap and to better inform policy-makers, it is necessary to disaggregate the gender pay gap according to various associated factors and possible causes, as shown in this presentation. The way the gender pay gap is defined and calculated is also important.