Design of employee pension benefits model and China's pension gender gap

Abstract

The pension gender gap is a universal concern, and policymakers worldwide strive to address the factors leading to gender inequality. This study examines the pension gender gap problem and its causes and effects in China, conducting micro-empirical simulations on China's employee pension benefits model. We propose solutions to this gender inequality and suggest an intra-family pension benefits transfer for women in a family framework. For family units headed by a single woman, we recommend enhanced tax-deductible contributions by prior employers to strengthen the equality of pensions between genders throughout retirement. This additional support and enhancement of female pensions can effectively narrow the pension gap between male and female beneficiaries while maintaining the system's long-term sustainability. More importantly, these proposed enhancements minimize acute poverty while improving the living standards of female pensioners.