Is gender pay inequality a problem in Hong Kong?
Men and women in the city clearly earn different levels of income, but whether that is something to be fixed is where opinions vary
There was quite a commotion in Hollywood when it was revealed that Michelle Williams was paid less than 1 per cent of what her male co-star received for reshooting scenes of crime thriller All the Money in the World.
On the other side of the Atlantic, public service broadcaster BBC came under fire after its China editor Carrie Gracie resigned over pay inequality disputes.
Hong Kong suffers from the problem of gender pay gap just like anywhere else. Despite being an international finance centre that prides itself on a fair and open business environment, the city still sees its working women earn at least thousands of dollars less than their male counterparts on average, according to government figures.
Hong Kong’s ‘#MeToo’ movement is only just warming up, and we have ways to go
Activists say the problem of pay inequality locally has persisted for years because there are more men at executive and management levels while women are still widely perceived as homemakers. Such societal attitudes have prevented many women from being treated equally at work.
Lawyers say although they have noticed some people working in the same roles being paid less, possibly because of their gender, current legislation on anti-sex discrimination has done little to close the gap. The legislation encourages reconciliation when employees are in a weaker position to confront their bosses.
Such observations come after Iceland recently became the first country in the world to legalise equal pay, making it illegal to pay men and women differently for doing the same work.
The law, which came into effect on January 1, requires companies and government agencies employing at least 25 people to obtain government certification showing they pay everyone in the same roles equally, regardless of gender. Those who fail to get the certification will face fines.