How serious is Kenya about tackling the gender pay gap? It is 2023, in the age of female empowerment.
In many career fields, women work the same or more hours than men, yet the income inequality is glaring.
The 2022 Demographic and Health Survey published by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that Kenyan women earn 30 percent less on average than the wages paid to men doing similar jobs.
The survey also shows labour market remains tilted in favour of men, with a lower number of women accessing job opportunities.
Women in the age group of 45-49 are the most affected, where on average a man outearns a woman by Sh11,920 per month.
This is a substantial amount of money and these women have many responsibilities, and at this age, they have finally mastered the skills required to do specific jobs.
Companies will not turn around their businesses with a section of employees that are paid poorly yet they put in the shift.
To address gender pay, organisations should be required to stop pay discrimination against women and adopt sustainability principles encouraging diversity and inclusion in corporate governance.
The gender gap is mainly blamed on motherhood and women underselling themselves. There is the folly of women being told to lean in.
Well, if they lean in, then they ought to be paid proportionate to the skills they bring to the table. It should not be that compensation decisions are made in boys' clubs or golf courses and women have to beg to be paid more.