As New Zealand's gender pay gap stubbornly sits at 14%, the YWCA Equal Pay Awards are stimulating entries into this year's third annual campaign, by making it easier for businesses to prove how fair they are.

YWCA Equal Pay Best Practice Compact has been introduced to provide an entry-level platform for businesses who have started their equal pay journey, but may not feel ready to enter the full Awards, which are open for entry until 5pm Friday, 7th October.

Businesses who qualify for the Compact can use it to promote themselves as an employer of choice and across marketing channels.

YWCA Auckland, CEO, Monica Briggs, believes the Compact will make entering (businesses invited to take our full quiz here) the Awards more accessible to a wider range of businesses.

"Our Awards programme is typically popular with companies who have been on the equal pay trail for some time and have chalked up considerable progress and success ," says Briggs. "Therefore, they feel suitably ready to enter the Awards and tell their story.

"However, we constantly hear from businesses who are at the other end of the scale. They care about the issue, they've tabled change and are in to research and planning stages, but not quite ready to come forward. We want to pledge our support to them too," says Briggs, who led the launch of the inaugural YWCA Equal Pay Awards back in 2014.

Briggs believes one of the biggest advantages of the Compact will be the ability to profile more businesses that are making steps in the right direction, encouraging even more organisations to step forward.

"In past campaigns, we saw some remarkable examples of equal pay in action, but not everyone can win. Therefore previously, we have only been able to shout about a cluster of winners. This year, we can talk about Compact qualifiers as well," she adds.

Briggs says this is great for businesses, but even better for the hard working women of New Zealand, who desperately need clear navigation around who best practice equal pay employers are.

"This has become a highly visible issue," says Briggs. "For those organisations not declaring their equal pay status, their silence will be deafening."

Research conducted last by ACNielsen Ltd for Westpac New Zealand's 2015 Equal Pay Survey, confirmed 65% of women are aware there is a gender pay gap in New Zealand, while 41% of women believe men are given increased opportunities to get paid more in the workplace.

"These statistics are high and indicate women are unsatisfied with the status quo," says Briggs.

"Businesses who qualify for the Compact will immediately be more attractive to female talent and we think this could be hugely motivating for others to follow suit," she concludes.

Watch: Auckland calling for fairer future

Today, there is a 14% gender pay gap in New Zealand, which means men are being paid $4.09 per hour more, according to the NZ Income Survey: June 2015: based on average full-time hourly earnings.

Other industries and sectors report larger gaps. Accountancy, for instance, reports male chartered accountants in New Zealand earn an average of $45,573 more than female chartered accountants according to the NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants: 2015 Remuneration Survey. While the Institution of Professional Engineers NZ: Remuneration Survey 2015 confirmed male engineers earn 22 per cent more than their female counterparts.

To learn more about the YWCA Equal Pay Awards 2016, entry details and criteria, visit www.ywcaequalpay.org.nz