What this indicator measures

This indicator assesses the extent to which legislation, policies and systems promote equal pay for equal work and help reduce the gender pay gap in the care sector. It considers implementation, enforcement, accessibility of data and the effectiveness of measures to support pay equality for women.

Key findings

• Equal pay is protected through legislation, but enforcement and monitoring remain limited
• Women remain concentrated in low paid care roles, which reduces the overall gender pay gap in the sector only because wages are uniformly low
• Scotland’s gender pay gap has widened after a period of decline
• Limited data availability restricts understanding of how disabled women, minority ethnic women and other marginalised groups experience pay inequality
• Pay progression is limited and does not reflect increasing skill or responsibility
• Budget reductions within regulatory bodies weaken oversight
• Disputes over equal pay in local authorities highlight ongoing challenges with job evaluation processes
• Lack of mandatory gender pay gap action plans for all public bodies limits accountability

Impact on workers

Low pay and limited progression opportunities mean women working in care often experience long term financial disadvantage. The cumulative effects contribute to poorer lifetime earnings, reduced pension contributions and higher risk of poverty. Women balancing paid work with unpaid care responsibilities face additional barriers to securing equal pay or accessing higher paid roles.

Accessibility considerations

The gender pay gap has a disproportionate impact on women who are minority ethnic, disabled, living in poverty or working part time. Lack of intersectional data makes it difficult to identify and address inequalities across these groups. This restricts the development of targeted solutions and weakens policy impact.

Budget context

Budget constraints affecting regulatory bodies reduce capacity to monitor equal pay compliance. Limited investment in gender pay gap initiatives restricts the ability to implement and enforce commitments. Without sustained funding, initiatives to improve pay transparency and reporting cannot fully achieve their aims.

Overall interpretation

While equal pay legislation provides a necessary framework, the gender pay gap continues to limit financial security and equality for women in the care workforce. Low pay, limited progression, weak enforcement and insufficient data all contribute to slow progress. Achieving meaningful change requires investment, improved transparency and sustained focus on the structural undervaluation of women’s work in care.