Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2008, published 98th ILC session (2009)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Malawi (Ratification: 1965)

Article 2 of the Convention. Application of the principle in the public service. Referring to its previous direct request, the Committee again asks the Government to supply information on the measures taken or envisaged to rectify any female and male job denominations in the civil service grading structure.

Article 3. Objective job evaluation. The Committee recalls its previous comments underscoring the critical role of objective job evaluation methods in the elimination of pay differentials between men and women. The Committee notes the Government’s willingness to follow the indications provided by the Committee and its wish to receive technical assistance from the Office in this regard. The Committee hopes that the Government will be able to avail itself of the technical assistance of the Office in the near future and encourages it, in the meantime, to take steps towards promoting the adoption of objective job-evaluation methods in line with its 2006 general observation.

Parts III and IV of the report form. The Committee notes from the Government’s report that no judicial decisions have been rendered in respect of the application of the Convention, nor is any information available concerning relevant violations detected by the labour inspection services. The Committee asks the Government to take adequate measures to foster public understanding of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value, to provide both judges and labour inspectors with the necessary training on questions related to the application of this principle and to raise awareness among workers of the remedies available in case of its violation. The Committee also reiterates its request for information on any relevant decisions of the Ombudsperson and Human Rights Commission.

Part V. General appreciation of the application of the Convention. With regard to its previous request for statistical information on the gender wage gap and information on the impact of the measures taken under the national gender equality policy on the promotion of equal remuneration as well as on the impact of the various initiatives carried out in respect of rural women workers regarding access to soft loans, the Committee notes the Government’s indication of the difficulties encountered in gathering the information requested. The Committee notes the wish expressed by the Government that the Office provide technical assistance to help it in fulfilling these tasks. The Committee also notes the Government’s willingness to receive a mission from the Office to help the Government address the outstanding issues regarding the application of the Convention in a durable manner. While aware of the difficulties encountered by the Government, the Committee encourages it to take adequate steps to monitor the implementation and the results of the abovementioned initiatives, including the measures taken under the national gender equality policy, as this represents a crucial means of assessing the progress made in the application of the Convention. The Committee also encourages the Government to make every effort to collect statistical data on the earnings levels of women and men, disaggregated by sector and occupation, with a view to gaining an adequate appreciation of the nature, extent and causes of the existing pay differentials between men and women and designing measures to address them accordingly. The Committee hopes that the Government will receive the necessary assistance from the Office.