Labour Day is a celebration of workers’ contributions across the world. But for millions of women—especially in developing countries like Nepal—it serves as a bittersweet reminder: despite working just as hard, women continue to earn significantly less than their male colleagues. According to the Nepal Labour Force Survey (2022), women earn about 23 percent less than men on average, even when performing similar roles.

In Nepal, women not only face lower wages but also encounter insecure job conditions such as lack of benefits, and limited promotion opportunities. Even when legal protections exist, the realities on the ground tell a different story.

Every morning Sunmaya Lama (33) from Kavrepalanchok, goes to build homes for others. “I came here three years ago,” she says, her hands calloused from hauling bricks and mixing cement. “There weren’t many opportunities back home. At least here, I can earn something for myself and my parents back home.”

Lama works as a daily wage laborer, but her labor comes at a cost. Despite doing the same heavy lifting and physical work as her male coworkers, she earns slightly less. “They say the men are stronger, so they get more,” she explains. “But we carry the same weight, work the same hours.”
Her words reflect a broader problem faced by many women in the construction sector: lack of formal contracts, unequal pay, and limited access to healthcare or workers’ rights. Her dream is simple. “I don’t want to do this forever,” she says. “Maybe one day I can open a small tea shop.”
For the past year, Bikram Yonjan has been working on construction sites across Kathmandu—stacking bricks, mixing cement, and carrying loads. But alongside the sweat and struggle, Yonjan carries something else: respect for his female co-workers.
“When I first started, I didn’t think much about it,” says the 45-year-old from Dolakha. “But then I saw how hard the women here work—just as hard as us. And still, they get paid less.”
Yonjan, who fought hard to even secure his own daily wage when he started, says the pay gap didn’t sit right with him. “I had to argue with the contractor at first just to get fair wages. I know how that feels.”
While he now earns a bit more than the female laborers he admits it doesn’t feel entirely fair. “We do the same work. Sometimes they carry more. The only difference is what we’re paid.”
Over time, he has become known on the site not just for his strength, but for his attitude. He often tells the women to take a break when they look exhausted. “I know many of them deal with body pain, some even during their monthly cycle. But they keep working without complaint.” He smiles, “I admire them, truly. They deserve better—more pay, more rest, more care.” “We’re all building the same house,” he says. “We should be treated equally while doing it.”

Why does this wage gap persist?

Sudip Singh Nakarmi, a member of the Gender Studies Department at Tribhuvan University (TU), says that occupational segregation begins in childhood, shaping how society expects men and women to work. Women are often burdened with juggling office work, household chores, and caregiving, yet their labor is undervalued.
Ramhari Nepal, chairperson of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), notes that wage disparity is common in sectors like agriculture, service industries, and house construction. He points out that although both men and women contribute equally to house construction, the work is divided by physical demands, leading to differences in pay.
“Wage differences can often be determined by the nature of the work performed by men and women. For example, during house construction, men typically undertake heavier tasks such as climbing three to four stories and cementing structures, while women are more often responsible for assisting by transporting materials. Although both contribute equally to the construction process, the type of service they provide differs, leading to wage disparities,” he says.
Humnath Parajuli, under secretary and information officer at the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security, says that wage disparity is often recognized in the formal sector but persists—and even appears “idealized”—in informal sectors like the movie industry. Efforts to create gender-sensitive workplaces focus more on behavior and environment, often ignoring wage inequalities.
Many companies do not openly share salary information, making it harder to spot and correct discrimination. A 2023 report by the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) found that only 40 percent of surveyed workplaces in Kathmandu complied with equal pay requirements.
Although Nepal’s Constitution, Labour Act, and various policies guarantee equal pay for equal work, enforcement remains limited. Employers sometimes bypass regulations through informal wage practices.
Beyond formal employment, women’s unpaid work—cooking, cleaning, caregiving—remains largely unrecognized in economic calculations.

The Central Bureau of Statistics, Nepal’s national data agency, reports that the widest pay gap between men and women exists in the ‘professional’ sector. For instance, while a male professional earns around Rs 25,800 per month, a female in the same category earns only Rs 14,000.
Nepal ranks second among South Asian countries and 101st globally in the Global Gender Gap Report 2020. Although the country performs relatively well in political empowerment, it lags behind in educational attainment and health outcomes for women.
A 2023 report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) highlighted that no country has yet achieved pay equality between men and women. Alarmingly, at the current pace of progress, it could take more than two centuries to fully close the global gender pay gap. However, this daunting reality should strengthen, not weaken, efforts to eliminate wage discrimination.
Globally, women now hold 34 percent of senior management roles in the mid-market sector—a 0.5 percentage point increase from 2024. This steady rise marks five consecutive years of progress toward gender parity in leadership positions, exceeding the previous trend.

Legal framework in Nepal

Nepal has made significant steps in ensuring gender equality through a legal framework. The Constitution, along with key laws like the Labour Act and the National Gender Equality Policy, guarantees equal protection, pay, and opportunities for women. Additionally, Nepal is committed to international agreements too. Some legal frameworks are listed below:

• Constitution of Nepal: Article 18 guarantees equal protection under the law and prohibits discrimination based on sex.
  Article 38 ensures women’s participation in all state structures and mandates equal pay for equal work.
• Labour Act, 2017: Section 7 prohibits discrimination in employment based on gender.
  Section 15 requires employers to determine wages without discrimination and promote transparency.
• National Gender Equality Policy (2016): Aims to provide equal economic opportunities for women and ensure fair access to decent work.
• International commitments: Nepal is a signatory to ILO Convention No. 100 (Equal Remuneration) and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), both of which call for elimination of gender-based discrimination in the workplace.

Despite these strong legal frameworks, societal attitudes, weak monitoring, and lack of awareness among employers and workers alike contribute to persistent inequalities.

The way forward

Addressing the wage gap requires a multi-pronged approach. Implementing salary transparency through clear and public sharing of wage structures is crucial to ensuring accountability. Stronger enforcement mechanisms, including regular monitoring and strict penalties for violations, must be established to uphold equal pay laws. At the same time, cultural shifts are needed to genuinely value women’s labor, both paid and unpaid, across all sectors. Education and awareness play a vital role, as emphasized by Nakarmi, in empowering women and marginalized communities to advocate for their rights. Additionally, inclusive policies must be prioritized to ensure that lower-class communities and LGBTQIA+ individuals—who often face multiple layers of discrimination—are not left behind in the fight for wage equality.