According to the recently released Monster Salary Index, there exists a huge gender pay gap in India.
Highlights of the report:

• There is gender pay gap of 27% in India, where men earned a median gross hourly salary of Rs 288.68, whereas women earned only a median gross salary of Rs 207.85 per hour.
• According to the report, the highest gender pay gap was recorded in the manufacturing sector at 34.9%.
• The lowest gender pay gap was recorded in the BFSI and transport, logistics, communication, equally standing at 17.7%.
• Sweden and Norway are found to have the best overall balance between men and women in work: Greece and Italy the worst.
• Working mothers suffered the most in the UK. While the gender pay gap for women in the UK with no children is slightly more than 7%, for those with at least one child it leaps to 21%.
• As far as the US is concerned, comparing it with the global report on gender gap, women earn 24.1% less than what men earn, or USD 0.76 on the dollar.
• The report covers sectors including IT services , health care, caring services, social work; education, research; financial services, banking, insurance; transport, logistics, communication; construction and technical consultancy; manufacturing and legal and market consultancy, and business activities.

Analysis:
Reasons behind huge gender pay gap

• Some of the reasons behind gender pay gap could be the preference for male employees over female employees, preference for promotion of male employees to supervisory positions and career breaks of women due to parenthood duties and other socio-cultural factors.
• There are some factors like career breaks due to parenthood duties and age-old practice of paying the male workers higher wages in India also responsible for this condition.
• The preconceived notion of employers about the job capabilities of women and the acceptance of male workers in terms of taking orders from women in the interest of the company’s productivity and profit are serious concerns.
• As India looks ahead to encourage an inclusive growth, it is quite alarming to sense the growing dissatisfaction among the women employees in the country. However, factors that determine the wage of a worker should be specifically dependent on the education, work experience, skills and consider race, sex, colour and geography the least.

Consitutional provision for pay gap:
Various Articles of the Constitution of India attempt to ensure that there is no prevalence of gender pay gap. Specific legislations also address gender pay gap. These articles of the Constitution are as follows:

• Article 14: Men & women to have equal rights & opportunities in the political, economic & social spheres.
• Article 15(1): Prohibits discrimination against any citizen on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex etc.
• Article 15(3): Special provision enabling the State to make affirmative discriminations in favour of women.
• Article 16: Equality of opportunities in matter of public appointments for all citizens.
• Article 39(a): The State shall direct its policy towards securing all citizens men and women, equally, the right to means of livelihood.
• Article 39(d): Equal pay for equal work for both men and women
• Article 42: The State to make provision for ensuring just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief.
• Article 51 (A) (e): To renounce the practices derogatory to the dignity of women.

Statutory provision:

The Indian Government has passed various Acts to ensure equal pay and equal treatment at workplace. These Acts are as follows:

• Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923: Aimed at providing financial protection to the workmen & his / her dependants in case of accidental injury by means of payment of compensation by a certain class of employers. Due to the difference in bargaining power there are chances that the woman may be subject to exploitation. This act helps to avoid that risk.
• Minimum Wages Act, 1948: To provide for a statutory fixation of minimum wages, since workers are poorly organized & have a less bargaining power in India. There is no different wages paid for women workers.
• Factories Act, 1948: Introduced to regulate the condition of labourers employed in the factories.
• Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970: Provides for the separate provision for utilities and fixed working hours for women.
• Equal Remuneration Act of 1976 Provides for equal pay to men & women for equal work.Act was enacted keeping in mind the unequal physical & sociological burden a woman faces at the time of child bearing & rearing.