HT Correspondent
TEZPUR, March 9: The Department of Law at Tezpur University organised a panel discussion on “Gender Pay Gap in India: Challenges, Realities and the Way Forward” to mark International Women’s Day at the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre on the university campus.
The panel featured Debasmita Ghosh, coordinator of the Human Rights Law Network, Guwahati chapter and advocate at the Gauhati High Court; Saheb Chowdhury, assistant professor of law at the National Law University and Judicial Academy Assam; Abhrajyoti Sarmah, labour inspector in the Department of Labour Welfare, Assam; and Hemjyoti Medhi, associate professor in the Department of English and head of the Department of Foreign Languages at Tezpur University.
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The session was moderated by Gitanjali Ghosh, associate professor and head of the Department of Law at Tezpur University.
During the discussion, speakers examined various dimensions of the gender pay gap in India, highlighting both structural challenges and workplace realities.
While some international comparisons suggest that the gender wage gap in countries such as Canada appears higher, the panellists noted that India’s comparatively lower figures may partly result from statistical methods such as median wage calculations that do not fully capture ground realities.
The speakers also observed that although the private sector is often viewed as offering better employment opportunities, salary structures and commission-based systems frequently lack transparency, which can result in unequal pay for similar work.
Panellists further emphasised the historical role of women’s movements in addressing workplace discrimination and stressed that the struggle for wage equality remains ongoing.
Particular concern was expressed over wage disparities in the unorganised sector, where regulatory oversight and monitoring remain limited. Examples from professions such as nursing and hospital support services were cited to illustrate how certain types of work continue to be undervalued.
Prof Ashim Jyoti Thakur, Dean of Academic Affairs at Tezpur University, attended the programme as the chief guest, while Prof Chandan Kr Sarma, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Prof Manabendra Mandal, Dean of Students’ Welfare, were present as guests of honour.
