THE income gap between the sexes is steadily narrowing, although women are still paid lower salaries, the Human Sciences Research Council said in Pretoria on Monday. “A survey in 1997 indicated the income of men was still higher than that of women in 90% of the occupations,” research specialist Johan Jacobs said in a statement. In 70% of the occupations, the salary increase — as measured by the annual growth in income — from 1981 to 1997 was higher for women than for men. Jacobs said the income of women in the public and private sector steadily increased from 1981 to 1997. In contrast, he said, the income of self-employed women decreased in this period.