Women in the European Union continue to earn less than men with the average gender pay gap in the EU standing at 13%. This means that for every €1 a man earns, women will make only €0.87. Equal Pay Day marks the date that symbolizes how many extra days women must work until the end of the year to earn what men earned in the same year. This year Equal Pay Day falls on 15 November.
Ahead of this symbolic day, Věra Jourová, Vice-President for Values and Transparency, and Helena Dalli, Commissioner for Equality, said: “Equal Pay Day serves to remind us to continue our efforts to close the gender pay gap. Equal pay for the same work or work of equal value is one of the founding principles of the EU. It was laid down in the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Yet progress on the elimination of the gender pay gap is stagnant this year and has been slow over the years. This reminds us that gender stereotypes continue to affect women and men in all spheres of life, including in the workplace, and that specific action is necessary to implement the principle of equal pay”.
The Commission works consistently to advance equality between women and men in the EU. This June, the Pay Transparency Directive entered into force. Under this new law, employees will be able to enforce their right to equal pay for equal work or work of equal value through a right to pay information.
Those who are established to have suffered pay discrimination based on sex must get remedied for unpaid work and receive fair pay thereon. Transparency is key to making a real change and this new legislation is an important step in the right direction. The implementation of the Directive by the Member States will now be key to enforcing the principle of equal pay for all EU citizens.
