El Salvador faces serious challenges in achieving equal rights between women and men, according to studies on the subject.
The gender wage gap persists regardless of the educational level that women achieve, as indicated by Iliana Álvarez, economist and professor at the José Simeón Cañas Central American University.
Data from the 2022 Household and Multiple Purpose Survey cites the persistence of disadvantages for women despite being better prepared than men.
Men have an average salary increase of up to 642.18 dollars, while women only reach 582.98 under equal conditions and with superior training.
A report from the El Mundo newspaper indicates that the wage gap between men and women at a general level has persisted in the labor market for years. In 2021 it reached 14.5 percent, its lowest rate in the last decade, but it persists.
Moreover, more than half of the workers in the country report abnormal working hours and a salary less than the minimum.
According to the Socioeconomic Analysis, women devote themselves to unpaid work (household tasks), and in addition to carrying out salaried work, they suffer labor and social exclusion.
The phenomenon of population aging challenges the need for policies to encourage women’s labor participation and postpone the retirement age, said the International Labor Organization, at a time when women in El Salvador receive less pension due to age and low wages. (PL)
