Inclusion, Reversal or Displacement? Classifying Regulatory Approaches to Pay Equity

National and regional governments have used a variety of approaches to address the persistent earnings differentials between women and men. Differences are apparent, for example, in the institutional apparatus adopted, the obligations imposed upon employers and the tests used to assess whether the objective of equal remuneration for work of equal value has been met. In categorising gender pay equity regulation in ten ILO member states, we adopt a threefold typology drawn from Squires' analysis of gender regimes. The majority of equal pay regimes are consistent with an ‘inclusion' or ‘reversal' approach. Policies that favour a ‘displacement' logic are more rare, but we suggest it is these that are most capable of success, because they problematise gender pay inequity in a way that is most capable of addressing its causes