Disney has agreed to pay $43.25 million to settle a class action lawsuit over gender pay inequality, daily.afisha.ru reports, citing Variety.

The lawsuit was filed in 2019 with allegations of systematic wage discrimination against women. A study commissioned by the plaintiffs revealed a pay gap: for one category of female employees, the salary was 2% lower, for another – 0.58% less than for men.

The lawsuit centered on the story of financial analyst LaRhonda Rasmussen, who discovered that six men with a similar position were paid significantly more. Despite a $25 000 pay raise after her complaint, the pay gap remained.

The lawsuit covered about 9 000 women who worked in various Disney divisions: in theme parks, on cruise ships, film and television studios, including ABC, Marvel and Lucasfilm. However, employees of ESPN, Pixar, Hulu, Fox and FX were not included in the list of plaintiffs.

The company's lawyers disputed the allegations, arguing that it is impossible to accurately compare qualifications in different professions. Disney itself stated its desire for fair pay and a desire to end the litigation.

Under the terms of the agreement, the plaintiffs’ lawyers will receive about $14.4 million in legal costs. If the petition is approved, thousands of women will be able to receive compensation payments for the period since April 2015.

The plaintiffs' lawyer Lori Andrus praised the courage of the women who risked their careers to fight wage inequality at one of the largest entertainment companies in the world.