Pay Me Equal

The global gender pay gap is estimated at 23%. It means that women earn on average 77% of what men earn. At the current rate of progress, it will take until at least 2086 to achieve pay equity around the world, according to the International Labor Organisation (ILO).

Journalism is no exception to that injustice, despite the fact that more and more women graduate as journalists and enter the profession.

The gender pay gap is not linked to women being less qualified but rather to their access to highly paid positions being limited, the fact that shared parenting responsiblity is not the norm yet, that few media companies provide for full transparency regarding pay and bonuses, and that too few collective agreements have been adopted with solid provisions on reducing pay inequalities between women and men and balancing work and family life.

In addition, the ILO Global Wage Report 2020/21 shows that women have been disproportionately affected by the current Covid crisis which is exacerbating gender inequalities that existed before. Many attemps to achieve equal pay, either through legislation or in negotiations have been frozen.

IFJ Global Survey: Help us document the gender pay gap

For many journalists unions the absence of gender disaggregated data and pay transparency in media are major barriers to bargaining to reduce gender pay inequalities. This is why the IFJ is launching a global survey together with Wageindicator to document the gender pay gap at a national level and support its affiliates in their call for equal pay.

Complete the survey

Samira Ahmed - BBC

"I notice 700 BBC women have had pay rises since my case"

Michelle Stanistreet (NUJ)

"In this crisis women have been disproportionately impacted", says Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ's General Secretary.

Bettina Boxall - LA Times

"It wasn’t until the union was formed and had a legal right to members’ salary data that we were able to document the extent of the inequity"

Recruitment campaigns

Launch recruitment campaigns around equal pay: the best way to ensure equal salaries and family-friendly workplaces for all is joining a union!

Demand transparency!

Organise meetings to address the gender pay gap with your members and ask media employers to provide transparent, gender disaggregated data on wages.

Negotiate together

Set up bargaining teams which are composed equally of women and men and make sure you include a clause on equal pay in negotiations

Push for a change in legislation

Lobby for legislative change to improve pay transparency, for example, through company level pay audits, pay surveys, equality plans and income reports.