THESIS MUN 2024

UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION

ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN

BACKGROUND GUIDE
 Table of Contents

S. no. Contents Page

1. Letter from the Executive Board 1
2. Beginner’s Guide to MUN 2
3. Research aid 7
4. About the committee 9
5. About the Agenda 12
6. Historical View 14
8. Case studies 16
9. Issues 17
10. Recent challenges faced by women through a case study 18
11. Past Actions taken internationally 20
12. Legal reforms by nations 22
13. Strategies to improve 27

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 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Dear Delegates,
It gives me incredible delight to invite you all to the academic simulation of
the United Nations at THESIS MUN 2024.
We trust this experience improves your public speaking abilities and that
you find out about a squeezing world issue that convolutes the existence of
numerous individuals in our nation just as abroad. Please consider that the
following guide, as the name suggests, is merely to provide you with the
background of the agenda and cannot serve as a credible source of
information. Your real research lies beyond this guide, and we hope to see
some strong content and debate come our way. The agenda at hand is vast
and complex and a successful discussion on it would entail the collective
participation of all of you. It shall be your prerogative to decide the
direction in which you want to take this committee. The background guide
is designed to help everyone to understand the basic things about the
agenda, and we strongly recommend that you research various things on
your own. We also suggest understanding how various rights get affected
(legally). Do not feel taken aback on the research, foreign policy and other
details of the allotted country.Prior to coming for the meeting, it is vital to
break the agenda into more modest subtopics and pose inquiries to yourself
about the plan. Making chits and directed gathering points previously
would give you an edge in modestly bigger committees like the UNCSW. It
is also crucial to enhance your leadership skills and lobbying capacity since
we would give equal importance to overall participation in the committee.
We would be using the UNA-USA rules of procedure to facilitate this
simulation. ( https://unausa.org/model-un/ ) Take the initiative to
research properly. PLEASE DO READ THE GUIDE. While it is a clear
agenda, it is still open to interpretation and there shall be no direction of
debate that shall be provided by the Executive Board. Delegates are
required to direct the council at all stages, unless stagnation occurs. The
agenda of an MUN is a beautiful experience and is not as difficult as it may
seem. We hope to see a great level of effort and enthusiasm from you all, so
that we all can take back a great experience.
Regards
Mr. Pranav Vinayak Jain
Mr. Panav Tripathi

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Beginner’s Guide to Model UN
Question 1: What is the United Nations?
The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 to maintain
international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and
promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights by 51 countries. The
United Nations has 6 principle organs.
The UN has 4 main purposes

● To keep peace throughout the world;

● To develop friendly relations among nations;
● To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to conquer
hunger, disease and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other’s rights and
freedoms;
● To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals

PRINCIPLE ORGANS OF UNITED NATIONS

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Question 2: What is the Model United Nations?
Model United Nations is a simulation of the actual United nation which is done to
enhance knowledge about pressing International issues. It is called Model United nation
not mock United nation because it does not work as an exact replica of the United
Nations, it is just an attempt to understand the working of the United Nations by
practicing some of its working mechanisms. Every person who participates is given a
country to represent and are called Delegates of their respective committees. There are
some rules that we follow in MUNs to facilitate the debate called rules of procedure. The
procedure that is closest to what is followed in the actual UN is UN4MUN.

Question 3: What is considered to be valid evidence in the Model United Nations?

Evidence or proof that is acceptable from sources

1. News Sources:
a. REUTERS – Any Reuters article which clearly makes mention of the factor is in
contradiction of the fact being stated by a delegate in council. http://www.reuters.com/
b. State-operated News Agencies – These reports can be used in the support of or against
the State that owns the News Agency. These reports, if credible or substantial enough,
can be used in support of or against any Country as such but in that situation, they can be
denied by any other country in the council. Some examples are,
i. RIA Novosti (Russia) http://en.rian.ru/
ii. IRNA (Iran) http://www.irna.ir/ENIndex.htm
iii. BBC (United Kingdom) http://www.bbc.co.uk/
iv. Xinhua News Agency and CCTV (P.R. China) http://cctvnews.cntv.cn/
2. Government Reports: These reports can be used in a similar way as the State Operated
News Agencies reports and can, in all circumstances, be denied by another country.
a. Government Websites like the State Department of the United States of America (
http://www.state.gov/index.htm ) or the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (
http://www.eng.mil.ru/en/index.htm )
b. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of various nations like India (http://www.mea.gov.in/),
People’s Republic of China (http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/ ),
France (http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/ ),
Russian Federation (http://www.mid.ru/brp_4.nsf/main_eng )

c. Permanent Representatives to the United Nations Reports

http://www.un.org/en/members/ (Click on any country to get the website of the Office of
its Permanent Representative)
d. Multilateral Organizations like the NATO
(http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/index.htm ), ASEAN (http://www.aseansec.org/ ),
OPEC (http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/ ), etc.

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3. UN Reports: All UN Reports are considered credible information or evidence for the
Executive Board of the Security Council.
a. UN Bodies: Like the SC (http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/ ), GA (http://www.un.org/en/ga/
), HRC (http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/HRCIndex.aspx ) etc.
b. UN Affiliated bodies like the International Atomic Energy Agency
5 (http://www.iaea.org/), World Bank (http://www.worldbank.org/ ), International
Monetary Fund (http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm , International Committee of the
Red Cross (http://www.icrc.org/eng/index.jsp ), etc.
c. Treaty Based Bodies like the Antarctic Treaty System (http://www.ats.aq/e/ats.htm ),
the International Criminal Court
(http://www.icccpi.int/Menus/ICC )

*Some of the links might get replaced so type the keywords for research.

IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS BACKGROUND GUIDE ISN’T A VALID SOURCE

FOR PROOFS. IT IS JUST FOR REFERENCE, DON’T RESTRICT YOUR
RESEARCH TO SAME.

Question 4: How to prepare for the Model United Nations overview?

General Research and Preparation guidelines

There are three consistently significant parts of representative planning. They are: useful;
meaningful; and positional planning. Practical readiness outfits the representatives with
essential apparatuses, including a comprehension of the guidelines important to act in
board of trustees. The meaningful component gives preparation of explicit data on the
subject regions. At long last, positional planning requires the understudies to embrace
viewpoints that are not their own. In light of this, the EB gives three instruments to help
you: this Guide to Delegate Preparation, Background Guides, and position papers.
Together, these will guarantee you will be prepared for the gathering. Past perusing and
understanding the material we have given, the more pragmatic experience you can gain
through banter, goal composing, making introductions, and so forth, the more ready you
will be.

Meaningful Preparation
The Background Guides are a consequence of broad exploration and exertion with
respect to the Executive Board and are the establishment of considerable groundwork for
every advisory group. We recommend that you read them, talk about them, and read them
once more. On the off chance that an agent has not perused and ingested the data in the
Background Guide, the person won't contribute adequately to the board. An ambitious

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beginning on the Background Guides will empower you to completely comprehend the
subjects and start to tissue out your own thoughts. Advise yourself that you should go
about as policymakers, dissecting and shaping the data you have gotten into arrangements
and goals. Conversations with different representatives will likewise assist you with
fostering your thoughts. While the Background Guide will give a large portion o omf
your meaningful readiness, autonomous exploration is valuable, fulfilling and important
for a fruitful gathering.

Positional Preparation
We expect representatives to receive the situation of a particular country all through the
UN reproduction. This is a vital component of the "global" experience of a model UN as
it powers representatives to analyze the points of view, issues, and arrangements of one
more country at an exceptionally major level. It is additionally quite possibly the most
troublesome parts of MUN on the grounds that understudies should go up against natural
inclinations of their own public viewpoints and authentic data. The position papers are
the focal point of positional planning before the meeting. Albeit generally short, we
request that you invest energy and exertion on investigating and keeping in touch with
them.

Materials arranged by the EB are not intended to fill in for your individual exploration.
All things being equal, they ought to give a beginning stage, motivating you to ask
yourself inquiries about the current issues. The best-arranged agents are those that accept
the gave materials as the start of their exploration and dig further into the theme regions.
Past these materials are a large group of data administrations, starting with United
Nations sources. UN's assets regularly have ordered measurements, outlines, and charts
which you may discover supportive in understanding the issues. Most UN report
communities convey records of UN gatherings; maybe the most ideal approach to
comprehend your nation's position is to see it iterated by its diplomat.

Explicit assets to research include:

•Yearbook of the United Nations: The Yearbook is a decent beginning stage for your
examination. The Yearbook will furnish you with general data on what has been done on
your theme during a specific year. It likewise gives exceptionally accommodating
references to past articles and goals.

•United Nations Chronicle: This magazine gives you general data on the procedures of
the UN. Watch out for exceptional reports on your theme region, which will advise you
about the point and countries' situations on it.

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•UN Document Index: This record for all UN reports comes in three distinct renditions:
UNDI (1950-1973), UNDEX (1970-1978), and UNODC (1979-present). Contingent
upon which of the three you are utilizing, you will track down a subject record, a nation
file, and an alphanumeric rundown of all reports distributed (this is helpful in light of the
fact that each panel has its own novel alphanumeric prefix and accordingly you can track
down every one of the records put out by a board of trustees during a specific year paying
little heed to the particular theme.

●UN Resolutions: This arrangement is both significant and extremely simple to utilize.
The record is aggregate from 1946, which implies that you need just check the most
current list to track down every one of the goals on your point that the UN has at any
point passed.

•Other UN Sources: Depending on the subject, there may be extra pertinent UN sources.
Check for books and exceptional reports put out by the WHO. Past United Nations
sources, notwithstanding, are general wellsprings of data. Explore your school and nearby
libraries. Look at diaries, periodicals, and papers for more current sources. Remember to
ask the curators for help.

•Books: Up-to-date books are probably going to give you a profundity and exactness that
is hopeless from UN sources or periodicals. Try to check library postings for bound
materials. Book research, in any case, can take a decent arrangement of time, so use
prudence when choosing books.

•Periodicals: Periodicals are valuable for straightforward, current data on points (the
Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature and InfoTrack fill in as a record for these
materials). Try not to anticipate that they should supply you with the profundity of data
you will require for the Conference.

•People: A regularly ignored source; individuals can help you extraordinarily in your
exploration. A few groups to remember are: bookkeepers, individual agents, personnel
counselors, and your board of trustees' Director, Moderator, and Assistant Directors. Not
exclusively can these individuals help you discover what you are searching for, yet they
may likewise suggest new sources that you had not thought of. Try not to spare a moment
to call or email your advisory group Director.
•Embassies and Consular Offices: Contact the government office or consular office of
the country that you are addressing. These spots are happy to help you in your
exploration via mailing factual information and other unclassified data.

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 RESEARCH AID
(This is just a suggested pattern, you can research your way, individual differences makes
us all special but these suggestions may aid you in understanding where to start)

1. Start from knowing

a. United Nations
b. Your committee
c. Mandate of the committee (functions and power)
d. Bodies it works with
e. Final result of your committee
f. Funding channels

2. Know your Agenda

a. Historical background
b. Current trends
c. Future aims
d. International legal instruments

3. Within the agenda cover the following areas

a. Political
b. Economic
c. Social
d. Technology and its role
e. Arms and army strength
f. Legalities
g. Impacts and implications of (a-f) on historical background, current trends,
future aims and international legal instruments.
Note: International legal instruments are applicable on Nations for them to reach
individuals they should be incorporated in domestic law as individuals are subjects of it
i.e. domestic law is applicable on citizens. So it is crucial to understand the relationship
between the two and bridge and the gap for effective implementation.

4. Know your country

a. Historical background, Current trends, Future aims of the agenda from your
country’s perspective.
b. Political, Economic, Social, Technology and its role, Arms and army
strength and Legal aspect related situation in your nation. (emphasis on

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 High value resources, crisis, support services, governance, political system
and administrative conditions)
c. Membership and participation in regional organizations
d. International organizations other than UN
e. Allies and non allies (friends and enemies) of your nations

NOTE: Research alone is not enough, as it would be simply reading out from the internet
what is needed is to “Analyze” i.e. to present your understanding of the research. For eg:
you read it on the internet about stress
RESEARCH “ Depression is leading cause of disability”
ANALYSIS It can cover why depression is on a hike, mental health status, stigma around
it and need for change, merits or demerits.
At sneak peak analysis includes your interpretation and understanding of the agenda.

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 ABOUT THE COMMITTEE

Name: United Nations commission on the status of women

Formation: 21 June 1946
Parent body: United Nations Economic and social Council
Introduction:
The United Nations Commission on the status of women is an advisory
body that was established in 1946 by the economic and social council. It
plays a key role in the principle of Global policy-making on gender equality
and women’s empowerment. It meets to:
1. Evaluate the progress on gender equality
2. Identify changes in trends.
3. Set up Global standards
4. Formulate concrete policies.
It prepares recommendations to the United Nations Economic and social
council on political social economic cultural-educational rights of women.
Every year commission on the status of women
• Focuses on one primary issue
• Reviews another issue
• Discuss emerging themes.
It is one of the four major human rights frameworks for women’s rights
other than the CEDAW (1979), Declaration on termination of violence
against women (1993) and Beijing declaration platform for action (1996.)
History:

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• Out of 160 signatories of the Charter of the United Nations, only four of
them were women who still manage to scribe women’s rights in the
preamble.
• Later on, in the UNGA inaugural meeting in February 1946 the delegate of
the USA read an open letter to women of the world, a post which is a
sub-commission dedicated to the status of women was created under
commission on human rights.
• Later on, the women demanded a full commission (a separate body)
dedicated to them. Considering this the first chairperson who was from
Denmark requested the Economic and social council.
• Later on, on 21st June 1946 this came up formally as the commission on
the status of women which was dedicated to women’s equality and
promotion of their rights.
• The Commission on the Status of Women prepares recommendations and
reports to the Economic and Social Council on the political, economic, civil,
social, and educational spheres. Also, provides recommendations on an
urgent basis.
• Commission on the status of women has always been open with respect to
working with civil society organizations and has also allowed
non-governmental organisations to contribute.
• Commission on the status of women was able to decide on the lines of a
guiding principle in its very first session which is “to raise the status of
women, irrespective of nationality, race, language or religion, to equality
with men in all fields of human enterprise, and to eliminate all
discrimination against women in the provisions of statutory law, in legal
maxims or rules, or interpretation of customary law”
• Commission on the status of women has always taken upper leading role
when it comes to making this world a better place for women, starting from
UDHR where it managed to insert gender-sensitive language which can be
called a ground-breaking achievement, other than it created some
first-of-its-kind international law instruments for women’s rights in various
spheres of life

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 ABOUT THE AGENDA

INTRODUCTION

1.Gender equality (Equality between women and men)

This refers to the equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men and
girls and boys. Equality does not mean that women and men will become the same but
that women's and men's rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on
whether they are born male or female. Gender equality implies that the interests, needs
and priorities of both women and men are taken into consideration, recognizing the
diversity of different groups of women and men. Gender equality is not a women's issue
but should concern and fully engage men as well as women. Equality between women
and men is seen both as a human rights issue and as a precondition for, and indicator of,
sustainable people-centred development.

2. Gender pay gap

The gender pay gap refers to the disparity in earnings between men and women, often
attributed to factors such as discrimination, occupational segregation, and unequal
access to career advancement. In the context of international relations, the gender pay
gap is a key issue in discussions on economic inequality and social justice, as it
highlights the broader systemic barriers that women face globally. Countries and
international organizations like the United Nations and the World Economic Forum
address the gender pay gap through policy initiatives, advocating for equal pay for equal
work and promoting gender equality in the workforce as part of broader development
goals

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3. Gender pay gap and related bias and influencing factors
The gender pay gap is not only a financial issue but also a reflection of deep-seated
gender bias in the workplace and broader society. Gender bias refers to the unequal
treatment of individuals based on their gender, often resulting in women receiving lower
wages than men for the same work. This bias is fueled by stereotypes that associate men
with leadership and higher-paying roles, while women are often relegated to
lower-paying, caregiving, or administrative positions. The gender pay gap thus
reinforces discriminatory practices and attitudes, contributing to a cycle of inequality.
Related terms like "glass ceiling" highlight the invisible barriers that prevent women
from advancing to senior positions, while "occupational segregation" describes the
tendency for men and women to be concentrated in different sectors, often with women
in lower-paid industries.

HISTORY

Early History: Foundations of Inequality

For much of history, women’s roles were largely confined to the home, with limited
access to the paid workforce. In pre-industrial societies, women’s labor was often
invisible and unpaid, focused on domestic chores, child-rearing, and agricultural work
alongside men. However, during the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th
centuries, as factory jobs emerged, women entered the formal workforce in greater
numbers. Yet, they were consistently paid less than men for the same or similar work.
This was partly due to deep-rooted gender roles that saw men as the primary
breadwinners, while women were often seen as needing less income, as their primary
role was still perceived to be as caregivers. Women were also excluded from
higher-paying skilled trades and leadership positions, leading to a long-lasting disparity
in pay.

20th Century: Key Legislative Changes

The early 20th century brought slow but significant changes. As women gained more
access to education and began to organize for better working conditions, the gender pay
gap started to attract attention. One of the first major legislative actions aimed at
addressing the issue was the Equal Pay Act of 1963 in the United States. This law
prohibited wage discrimination based on sex, making it illegal for employers to pay
women less than men for performing the same job. However, the law had limitations,
including allowing pay differences if they were based on seniority, merit, or productivity,
which were often subjective and could still be influenced by gender bias.

In the United Kingdom, the Equal Pay Act of 1970 followed a similar trajectory,
requiring equal pay for equal work. Yet, despite these groundbreaking laws, women
continued to face systemic obstacles, such as discrimination in promotions and limited

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access to high-paying sectors like finance and law. Additionally, societal norms
remained entrenched, making it difficult for women to break through barriers into
top-level positions.

1970s-80s: Advocacy and Legal Reform

As the second wave of feminism gained momentum in the 1970s, issues surrounding
equal pay became central to the broader fight for women's rights. The passage of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the U.S. helped expand anti-discrimination measures,
adding sex as a protected category in employment. However, as studies continued to
show that women were still earning less than men, advocacy groups pressed for more
robust enforcement of existing laws and new legislation to close the pay gap.

In the 1970s, grassroots movements began advocating for not just equal pay for equal
work but also the need for policies that would address the systemic barriers keeping
women in lower-paying roles. Legal challenges to unequal pay were still common, but
the economic and social shifts during this period laid the groundwork for later reforms.

1990s-2000s: Progress, Yet Persistent Gaps

The 1990s and early 2000s saw an increase in the number of women entering higher
education and the workforce, which should have translated into narrowing the gender
pay gap. Women achieved greater representation in professions like law, medicine, and
business, but they still faced a persistent pay disparity. In many countries, women were
still concentrated in lower-paying sectors, like healthcare and education, while men
dominated higher-paying fields like finance, engineering, and technology.

In the United States, the Pay Equity Act of 1996 was passed to ensure that women
were compensated fairly for the work they performed, but its impact was limited by lack
of effective enforcement mechanisms. Internationally, Canada implemented the Pay
Equity Act in 1996, requiring employers to ensure that women and men received equal
pay for work of equal value. Yet, despite legislative efforts in multiple countries, the
gender pay gap persisted as a stubborn, global issue.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), adopted by the United
Nations, emphasized the need to address gender inequality in all aspects of life,
including economic participation. This was part of a broader push for gender equality,
with international organizations setting goals for reducing poverty, improving
education, and ensuring women’s equal participation in the economy. However, even
with these frameworks, women’s earnings were still lagging behind men’s in many
countries, and issues like the glass ceiling—the invisible barriers preventing women
from reaching top leadership positions—remained pervasive.

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2010s: Global Awareness and Action

The 2010s marked a significant shift in how the gender pay gap was viewed. Thanks to
the rise of social media and movements like #MeToo, gender inequality, including the
pay gap, began to take center stage in public discourse. High-profile campaigns, such as
Equal Pay Day, were launched to draw attention to how far into the year women had
to work to earn what men made the previous year. Celebrities like Emma Watson and
Meryl Streep used their platforms to advocate for gender equality, including equal
pay, in industries like film and entertainment, where the disparity had long been
apparent.

In 2014, Iceland became the first country to pass a law requiring companies to prove
they were paying men and women equally, with penalties for non-compliance. This
landmark legislation, which affected businesses with 25 or more employees, made
Iceland a global leader in efforts to close the gender pay gap. The U.K. followed suit in
2017 with the Gender Pay Gap Reporting Regulations, requiring companies with
over 250 employees to publish data on their gender pay gaps annually. This move was
aimed at increasing transparency and pushing companies to address disparities within
their own organizations.

In the U.S., efforts to address the gender pay gap remained contentious, with political
debates about the effectiveness of laws like the Equal Pay Act and proposals for
further action, such as the Paycheck Fairness Act. However, progress was slow, and
the pay gap remained significant, especially for women of color and those in lower-wage
sectors.

Key Actions and Challenges

Despite the growing body of legislation aimed at reducing the gender pay gap, key
challenges persisted. For one, women of color, LGBTQ+ women, and those with
disabilities continued to face even wider pay gaps than their white, cisgender male
counterparts. Women’s pay also varied widely depending on the industry, with tech,
finance, and law still dominated by men, where the pay gap remained the widest.
Women’s leadership roles, particularly in high-paying sectors, remained scarce, and the
glass ceiling was still a reality for many.

Countries like Norway and Finland led the way with policies such as gender quotas
for corporate boards, parental leave for both mothers and fathers, and strong public
support for women in leadership roles. These policies aimed not just at equal pay but at
fostering an environment in which women had equal opportunities to succeed at all
levels of the workforce.

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 CASE STUDIES

1. Iceland
Iceland stands out as a global leader in gender equality, particularly in the areas of equal pay and
workplace participation. The country has made notable strides through a combination of
progressive policies, strong legal frameworks, and societal attitudes that prioritize gender
equality. Iceland is the only country to have passed a law requiring companies to prove they are
paying men and women equally for the same work.

Key Legislative and Policy Actions:

● Equal Pay Certification (2018): Iceland introduced a groundbreaking law in 2018 that
requires all companies with 25 or more employees to obtain certification proving they
pay equal wages for equal work, regardless of gender. This certification is carried out by
an external body, and employers who fail to meet the standards can face fines. By 2020,
over 70% of the country's workforce was covered by this certification process,
significantly increasing transparency in wages across sectors.
● Parental Leave and Gender Quotas: Iceland also provides generous parental leave
benefits for both mothers and fathers, with the aim of reducing the career penalties
women face for taking time off to care for children. Parental leave is shared, meaning that
both parents must take leave for it to be fully utilized, which helps promote a more
equitable division of caregiving responsibilities.
● Gender Quotas for Leadership: Iceland passed a law in 2010 that mandates at least
40% of the board members in publicly listed companies be women. This was the first
such law in the world and is credited with increasing female representation in leadership
roles and helping to address gender imbalances in corporate decision-making.

Results:

● Gender Pay Gap: Iceland has made significant progress in narrowing its gender pay gap.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, Iceland has
ranked number one globally for gender equality for several years, largely due to its
comprehensive approach to closing the pay gap. The country’s pay gap in 2020 was
estimated at 14.4%, significantly lower than the global average of 16%.
● Workforce Participation: Iceland has near-equal participation rates for men and women
in the labor force. Women’s labor force participation rate is about 80%, one of the highest
in the world, and they make up a significant portion of the higher education workforce.
However, women still face barriers to equal representation in certain sectors, particularly
in science, technology, and engineering.

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2. United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has taken significant steps to increase transparency and accountability
regarding the gender pay gap, with a focus on creating a system that encourages companies to
address inequalities within their workforce. The UK has made progress with pay gap reporting,
but the gap itself remains persistent, especially in certain sectors.

Key Legislative and Policy Actions:

● Gender Pay Gap Reporting (2017): In 2017, the UK implemented a groundbreaking

law requiring companies with more than 250 employees to publish their gender pay gap
data annually. Companies must disclose the difference in average hourly pay between
men and women, the gender distribution across different pay bands, and the proportion of
men and women receiving bonuses. This policy was aimed at making gender pay gaps
more visible and encouraging businesses to take corrective action.
● Equal Pay Act (1970): The UK’s Equal Pay Act, passed in 1970, prohibited pay
discrimination between men and women for equal work. Over the years, this law has
been strengthened, including through the Equality Act of 2010, which consolidated and
extended anti-discrimination protections. However, enforcement has been an ongoing
challenge.
● Flexible Working and Parental Leave: The UK has introduced policies to support
work-life balance, such as shared parental leave, which allows parents to share up to 50
weeks of leave, and flexible working arrangements, which encourage a better balance
between career and caregiving responsibilities. While these policies have improved
gender equality in the workplace, many women still experience disadvantages in terms of
career progression and pay after taking leave.

Results:

● Increased Awareness and Action: The introduction of mandatory gender pay gap
reporting has led to increased awareness and some corrective actions by companies.
According to the government’s Gender Equality Office, many companies began
implementing strategies such as improving pay transparency, offering mentorship
opportunities for women, revising recruitment practices to reduce bias, and addressing
unconscious bias in promotions.
● Persistent Pay Gap: Despite these efforts, the gender pay gap in the UK remains
substantial. As of 2020, women in full-time work were still paid about 8.9% less than
men, with the gap widening further for women of color. Sectors like finance, law, and
technology still have some of the largest disparities, and women are underrepresented in
senior roles within these industries.

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3. Germany

Germany has made several attempts to address the gender pay gap, but the country still faces
challenges related to traditional gender roles, workplace culture, and the lack of a strong
work-life balance framework. In recent years, Germany has focused on increasing transparency
around pay and has taken steps to encourage gender equality in the workplace, but significant
gaps remain.

Key Legislative and Policy Actions:

● Wage Transparency Act (2017): Germany introduced the Wage Transparency Act in
2017, which allows employees in companies with more than 200 employees to request
information about the salaries of colleagues in similar positions. This transparency is
aimed at helping employees determine whether they are being paid equally for the same
work and provides them with the legal framework to challenge any discriminatory pay
practices. However, the act’s impact has been limited because employees may still fear
retaliation for requesting such information.
● Parental Leave and Family Benefits: Germany provides generous parental leave,
which can be shared between both parents, and offers childcare subsidies to help parents
return to the workforce. However, gender roles in caregiving are deeply ingrained in
German society, and women still tend to take on the majority of caregiving duties, which
often results in career interruptions and lower wages.
● Quota for Women in Leadership: In 2015, Germany passed a law requiring publicly
listed companies to reserve at least 30% of supervisory board seats for women. While this
was a step forward in increasing female representation in leadership, women still face
barriers in climbing the corporate ladder, especially in the private sector.

Results:

● Slow Progress in Narrowing the Pay Gap: Germany’s gender pay gap remains one of
the widest in Europe. According to Eurostat, in 2020, German women earned
approximately 19% less than men on average, with much of the gap attributed to
differences in working hours, with women more likely to work part-time jobs. The
part-time wage penalty is significant, as many women in Germany choose or are
pressured to work fewer hours due to family responsibilities.
● Workforce Participation: While women’s participation in the labor force has steadily
increased, the gender gap remains more pronounced in high-paying and high-status
occupations. Women are underrepresented in sectors like engineering, technology, and
finance, and they often encounter the “glass ceiling” when attempting to reach top
management positions.

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