In Benin, pay equality also hinges on invisible work

The gap is also evident in the employment structure. In 2025, salaried jobs accounted for 15.8% of female employment in Benin, compared to 24.4% of male employment, according to modeled estimates from the ILO published by the World Bank. This indicator does not measure the wage gap for equal positions but rather shows that women are less represented in salaried employment itself.

UN Women emphasizes that unpaid caregiving work limits participation in the labor market, particularly for mothers. The time consumed by children, household chores, or assisting relatives can reduce the hours available for paid work, training, or career advancement. The United Nations also links this imbalance to the “motherhood penalty,” which can impact wages and career trajectories.

Globally, women in paid employment earn, on average, about 78 cents for every dollar earned by men, and the gender pay gap is estimated to remain around 20%, the UN reminds us. Women also spend more than two and a half times as much time as men on unpaid caregiving work.

The concept of pay equality extends beyond “equal pay for equal work.” ILO Convention No. 100 aims for equal remuneration for work of equal value, even when the jobs compared are not identical. This approach also leads to examining the value assigned to professions and sectors where women are predominant.

Among the measures highlighted by the United Nations are social dialogue, collective bargaining, and pay transparency. On September 28, 2026, the International Coalition for Equal Pay, led by the ILO, UN Women, and the OECD, will host a webinar focused on this transparency, presented as a means to identify gaps when they arise within companies.