Median pay gap.

The focus of this study is the implications of structural transformation for gender equality, specifically equal pay, in Sub-Saharan Africa. While structural transformation affects key development outcomes, including growth, poverty, and access to decent work, its effect on the gender pay gap is not clear ex-ante. Evidence on the gender pay gap in sub-Saharan Africa is limited, and often excludes rural areas and informal (self-)employment. This paper provides evidence on the extent and drivers of the gender pay gap in non-farm wage- and self-employment activities across three countries at different stages of structural transformation (Malawi, Tanzania and Nigeria). The analysis leverages nationally-representative survey data and decomposition methods, and is conducted separately among individuals residing in rural versus urban areas in each country. The results show that women earn 40 to 46 percent less than men in urban areas, which is substantially less than in high-income countries. The gender pay gap in rural areas ranges from (a statistically insignificant) 12 percent in Tanzania to 77 percent in Nigeria. In all rural areas, a major share of the gender pay gap (81 percent in Malawi, 83 percent in Tanzania and 70 percent in Nigeria) is explained by differences in workers’ characteristics, including education, occupation and sector. This suggests that if rural men and women had similar characteristics, most of the gender pay gap would disappear. Country-differences are larger across urban areas, where differences in characteristics account for only 32 percent of the pay gap in Tanzania, 50 percent in Malawi and 81 percent in Nigeria. Our detailed decomposition results suggest that structural transformation does not consistently help bridge the gender pay gap. Gender-sensitive policies are required to ensure equal pay for men and women.

本研究聚焦结构转型对撒哈拉以南非洲地区性别平等——尤其是同工同酬——的影响。尽管结构转型会影响增长、减贫、体面劳动获取等核心发展成果，但其对性别薪酬差距的事前影响尚不明确。目前关于撒哈拉以南非洲地区性别薪酬差距的研究证据较为有限，且往往未覆盖农村地区与非正规（自雇）就业范畴。本文针对处于不同结构转型阶段的三个国家（马拉维、坦桑尼亚与尼日利亚）的非农薪资与自雇活动中的性别薪酬差距规模及其驱动因素展开实证分析。本研究采用全国代表性调查数据与分解分析法，分别针对各国城乡居住群体开展分析。结果显示，城市地区女性薪资较男性低40%至46%，这一差距远高于高收入国家的水平。农村地区的性别薪酬差距从坦桑尼亚的12%（无统计显著性）至尼日利亚的77%不等。在所有农村地区中，性别薪酬差距的主要部分（马拉维81%、坦桑尼亚83%、尼日利亚70%）可由劳动者个体特征差异解释，包括受教育程度、职业与行业。这表明，若农村男性与女性个体特征相近，绝大多数性别薪酬差距将不复存在。城市地区的国别差异更为显著，其中个体特征差异仅能解释坦桑尼亚32%、马拉维50%以及尼日利亚81%的薪酬差距。本研究的详细分解结果表明，结构转型并未持续助力缩小性别薪酬差距。需制定性别敏感型政策，以保障男女同工同酬。