The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has issued a stark warning regarding the gender pay gap in Kenya, forecasting that at the current pace of change, the disparity will not be resolved until 2056. Current data indicates that the average pay gap between men and women stands at 12.8%, equating to £2,548 annually. Notably, the pay gap is particularly pronounced in the finance and insurance sector, where it reaches 27.2%, while the leisure service industry exhibits the smallest gap at only 1.5%.

The gender pay gap is a critical measure of wage inequality, reflecting the differences in earnings between men and women in similar roles across various industries. Employers with over 250 employees are mandated to disclose their pay statistics. Despite recent initiatives, the government acknowledges the persistent challenges in addressing the root causes of these disparities. Women, even in sectors that predominantly employ them, such as education and health care, find themselves facing significant pay gaps, with current figures showing 17% and 12.8%, respectively.

The implications of this pay gap extend beyond simple compensation disparities; it suggests that the average woman employee effectively works nearly 47 days a year for no pay compared to her male counterparts. Addressing this issue is crucial not just for fairness in the workplace, but also for enhancing economic productivity and supporting women's professional advancement. Trade unions are calling for urgent actions to bridge this gap, emphasizing the need for sustainable changes to achieve long-term equity in pay.