September 18 is International Equal Pay Day is a crucial reminder that achieving gender pay equality is crucial for a fair and inclusive society. Hiring biased practices is harmful. They limit people from achieving their full potential by discouraging employment, decreasing productivity, and other ways. According to Worldwide gender pay gap statistics:
• On average, women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men.
• At the current rate, it is estimated that it will take 257 years to close the global gender pay gap.
Uzbekistan is conscious that women labor disproportionately in industries with lower wages. They frequently land lesser-paying jobs or work in professions with lower incomes. Overall, the salary of women is 35% below the men’s salary. According to gender stereotypes, a woman is seen by an employer as a less valued asset since she prioritizes her family over her career and personal interests.
According to Uzbekistan's traditional society, a woman's primary responsibility is to care for her family and children. This strategy downplays the significance of girls' education, while a job is either seen as an add-on to primary female obligations or not considered. Before and after getting married, a girl is cared for by her parents and her spouse.
Yuly Yusupov, independent expert, director of the Centre for Economic Development:
“We should eliminate gender stereotypes as well as violations of rights and freedoms of women through school curricula, propaganda, personal examples, and special projects protecting gender equality and suppressing any forms of gender discrimination. However, in reality, getting rid of such cultural stereotypes is a time-consuming process. We should be patient and work hard to break the existing stereotypes that women have.”
The good news is that these issues are reformable. Through legislation changes that sanction discriminatory actions and create mentorship, scholarship, and training programs to reduce gender inequalities, several nations have achieved quick progress. The government of Uzbekistan has taken a very proactive approach in this area. Several initiatives to eliminate gender disparities were outlined in the new National Development Strategy 2022, and discrimination in hiring practices is outlawed in the new labor code that is anticipated to take effect shortly in Uzbekistan.
International Equal Pay Day serves as a significant milestone in the global journey towards gender equality, closely connected to the SDG goal of achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls. By addressing the gender wage gap, empowering women economically, and promoting social justice and inclusion, this observance contributes to the advancement of SDG 5. As we commemorate International Equal Pay Day, let us recognize its role in fostering a more equitable world and renew our commitment to achieving gender equality for the betterment of society as a whole.
According to the UN, Uzbekistan ranked 57 out of 188 countries in the ranking of countries by gender equality in 2019.
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