Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2015, published 105th ILC session (2016)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Ecuador (Ratification: 1957)

Gender pay gap. The Committee notes the Government’s report on the application of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1 May 2014, in which the Government indicates that although there are now more female students in higher education, women are concentrated in typically “female” careers. The Committee also notes the information sent by the Government on the pay gap but observes that the data indicating average income are undated, which makes it impossible to determine whether there have been any new developments regarding the pay gap. Nevertheless, the Committee notes the Government’s indications that the gender pay gap is 16 per cent at national level, 19.7 per cent in urban areas and 25.2 per cent in rural areas. The Committee also observes that the pay gap decreases as the level of education rises. Accordingly, it can be seen that at national level, for individuals who have not completed primary schooling, the gender pay gap is 42.7 per cent, and for those who have completed higher education, the pay gap is 21.3 per cent. The Government also indicates that there is a 14 per cent gender pay gap in the informal economy. The Government further indicates that in 2014 the Ecuadorian Training Service provided 9,774 vocational training courses for 155,895 participants in the social, productive and public sectors. With regard to these course participants, women accounted for 57 per cent in the social sector and 54 per cent in the productive sector. However, the Committee observes that the data supplied concerning the respective training courses indicate the academic area but are not disaggregated by sex, which makes it impossible to determine whether there is gender segregation in the course participation. Recalling that information is needed to be able to identify trends in the gender pay gap and the impact of the measures taken by the Government to reduce it, the Committee requests the Government to continue supplying information on remuneration levels for men and women in the various sectors of activity, disaggregated by sex, by occupational category and, as far as possible, by colour and race, so that the Committee can evaluate the progress achieved. The Committee also requests the Government to supply information on the measures taken to promote the employment of women in a broader range of sectors and occupations. It further requests the Government to indicate the measures taken to reduce the gender pay gap, especially for women who have not completed primary education.

Article 2 of the Convention. Promotion of the principle of the Convention. The Committee notes that the Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UN Women with a view to gender mainstreaming in all its employment actions and policies aimed at the prevention of discrimination and promoting access for women to the world of work. The Committee requests the Government to continue supplying information on the measures, policies and programmes adopted to promote application of the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value in the public and private sectors.

Article 3. Objective job evaluation. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that in 2010 the Ministry of Labour implemented a competitive wage scheme with wage equity in different sectors. The Government indicates that, as a result, “general workers”, domestic workers, craft industry workers and workers in micro-enterprises are paid the same wages. The Committee requests the Government to indicate how this equity was attained and what evaluation criteria were used as the basis for fixing these wages without any gender-related discrimination. The Committee also requests the Government to supply information on the manner in which the use of objective job evaluation methodologies is promoted with a view to determining wages in the private sector, in accordance with the Convention.

Article 4. Cooperation with the social partners. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in collaboration with workers’ and employers’ organizations to give effect to the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value.

Labour inspection. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any violations of the principle of the Convention identified by the labour inspection services.