CSW61: Time to end the gender pay gap

Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance joins global calls for equal pay   

New York, 15 March. The Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance has joined calls by participants at the Commission on the Status of Women 61 (CSW61) calling for swift action to end the gender pay gap.

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which is an annual event is being held under the theme, ‘Economic empowerment of women in the changing world of work’. The 2017 CSW edition which kicked off this Monday will run until March 24.

Addressing delegates at the official opening ceremony United Nations (UN) Secretary emphasised the need for more women leaders and men standing up for gender equality.

“It is true, I am a man, but we need all men to stand up for women’s empowerment. Our world needs more women leaders. And our world needs more men standing up for gender equality,”

According to UN Women globally women only make 77 cents for every dollar men earn. As a result, there’s a lifetime of income inequality between men and women and more women are retiring into poverty. The global gender pay gap is 23 per cent while is some countries it is even higher.

The Alliance will be using CSW61 to highlight how the revised SADC Gender Protocol has been strengthened to take forward the economic empowerment of women agenda, which was not fully advanced by the 2015 deadline of the 2008 Protocol.

(For more information on this press release and CSW61 contact the Alliance Advocacy and Network Building Coordinator, Lucia Makamure on allianceofficer@genderlinks.org.za   or call +27 (0)64 319 8732)