The Gender Pay Gap in Asia: Examining Awareness and Policy Endorsement Among Postgraduate Students in the Higher Education Sector

Abstract

ABSTRACT The persistent gender pay gap (GPG) remains a critical issue in higher education institutions (HEIs), yet little is known about the mechanisms that drive student support for systemic policy change. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this study examines how Asian postgraduate students awareness of the GPG shapes their views on benefits, barriers, causes and institutional policy solutions. Data for this study were collected from 212 postgraduate students across various disciplines. The findings confirm that higher GPG awareness is positively associated with stronger support for policy interventions. This awareness is also linked to greater recognition of the GPG's structural and institutional causes and a stronger belief in the benefits of its closure. Crucially, students who attribute the GPG to structural causes demonstrate stronger support for government policy interventions. Furthermore, the perceived causes of the GPG significantly mediate the relationship between awareness and policy support.