BENGALURU: The latest findings by TeamLease bring to light a stark 16.4% gender pay gap in Global Capability Centres (GCCs). This once again highlights the age-old yet infuriating gender disparities in the private sector. Despite the Equal Remuneration Act, which mandates equal pay for equal work and prohibits discrimination based on gender, women still find it difficult.
The founder and director of Global Concerns India Brinda Adige said, “This is about the collective disempowerment of women, undermining our economic agency and perpetuating a cycle of discrimination and inequality.” Echoing the same sentiment, K S Vimala, a women’s rights activist with the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), said, “In private sector, profit and deadlines are prioritised over social justice. In a society where women are expected to shoulder most family responsibilities, they are often not allowed to take on higher roles, which is a major barrier,” she says.
“It is also happening at the level of executives. These industries have to be brought under regulation,” said Maitreyi K, state secretary, All India Central Council of Trade Unions.
She argued that legal frameworks alone won’t suffice, and the government needs to step in to make a change. “It’s the implementation that remains weak,” she stressed.“Government should identify them and ensure they comply with equal pay laws. Strict action must be taken if it is not followed,” she added.
Tara Krishnaswamy, policy consultant, stresses the need for transparency and monitoring. “Companies must be held accountable. Just like there are mandates for women on boards, we need mandates for overall representation. More importantly, since gender parity laws exist, companies should be required to publish their pay scales and undergo regular audits,” she said.
Cynthia Stephen, an independent gender and social policy researcher, opined, “Even though the state has a progressive stance on women’s economic, educational and political empowerment, the reason lies in entrenched misogyny.”