Despite women having the same experience, skills and education as men in certain areas, they still become victims of gender pay disparity. According to a 2022 report published by UN Women, it was found that there is a massive disproportion between the payment received by men and that received by women even though they have the same work value. This gender-based discriminatory practice is prevalent in many sectors, be it corporate, entertainment or labour.
Anusha Dandekar, who has established herself as a popular VJ and television show host, opened up about facing gender pay disparity and how one of her male co-hosts stormed off the sets of a show after she asked for equal run-time.
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She claimed that they were doing the same job and working the same hours. Yet, the showrunners paid her half the amount they paid the male co-host and even shortened her screen time despite there being equal footage.
“My co-host doing the same job, the same hours, the same amount of styling changes, everything, was getting paid double than me. It was like we’re doing the same job and then when you’d see the footage, you keep more of his role in it than mine,” Indian Express quoted her saying.
Anusha Dandekar went on to add:
“When I put my foot down and said ‘Hey, listen if I am the co-host, then keep us equal in the camera,’ he stormed off. And I was like, ‘I just got fair air time, I didn’t storm off in the first three seasons.”
It is appalling to see how such practices are prevalent even today despite there being intense advocacy against them.