Presentation by Maria Tommassetti, European Union Gender Equality Unit

1. Equality between women and men
Gender pay gap in the EU
Workshop "Equal Pay Day" - CSW 54, New York,
29th Febr. 2012
Maria Tomassetti – Gender Equality Unit
Justice

2. Equality between women and men
Summary
What is the gender pay gap?
Gender pay gap figures
Legislative background
Actions at European level
Example of action: the gender pay gap
campaign

3. Equality between women and men
What is the gender pay gap?
• The gender pay gap is the difference between men’s and
women’s pay (based on hourly earnings across the
economy)
• On average, women in the EU earn 16.4% less than men
• In some countries the gender pay gap is widening
• The pay gap goes far beyond the single issue of equal pay
for equal work
• Consequence of ongoing discrimination and inequalities in
the labour market

4. Equality between women and men
Why does the gender pay gap
persist?
• The causes of the gender pay gap are
complex and
often interrelated:
Direct discrimination
The undervaluing of women’s work
Traditions and stereotypes
Segregation in the labour market
Glass ceiling
Unequal balance of work and private life

5. Equality between women and men
Why does the gender pay gap
persist?
• The effect of the gender pay gap
on lifetime earnings means that
women have lower pensions and
have a higher risk of poverty

6. Equality between women and men
Summary
What is the gender pay gap?
Gender pay gap figures
Legislative background
Actions at European level
Example of action: the gender pay gap
campaign

7. Equality between women and men
Pay gap between women and men in unadjusted form in EU Member States - 2010 (Difference between men's and women's
average gross hourly earnings as a percentage of men's average gross hourly earnings)

8. Equality between women and men
Summary
What is the gender pay gap?
Gender pay gap figures
Legislative background
Actions at European level
Example of action: the gender pay gap
campaign

9. Equality between women and men
Treaties
• Under EU law it is illegal to discriminate against
women at work and in their pay
• Since 1957, the Treaty of the European
Community has provided a legal basis for policy
and action on gender equality. It contained a
provision which set the principle of equal pay for
equal work

10. Equality between women and men
Directives
• Directive 75/117/EEC: introduces the notion of
« work to which equal value is attributed ». Job
classification systems should be gender neutral
•Directive 2002/73/EC: application of the principle of
equal treatment as regards access to employment,
including pay
• Directive 2006/54/EC (« recast » Directive): puts
together several Directives on gender, including
Directives 75/117/EEC and 2002/73/EC. No change
in substance. The principle of equal pay is dealt with
in Article 4 of Directive 2006/54/EC

11. Equality between women and men
Summary
What is the gender pay gap?
Gender pay gap figures
Legislative background
Actions at European level
Example of action: the gender pay gap
campaign

12. Equality between women and men
Strategy for Equality between Women
and Men 2010-2015
Adopted on 21 September 2010

13. Equality between women and men
Strategy for Equality between
Equal economic independence Women and Men
Equal pay for equal work and work of equal value
Equality in decision-making
Dignity, integrity and an end to gender-based violence
Gender equality in external actions
Horizontal issues

14. Equality between women and men
Equal pay for equal work and work
of equal value
Key Actions
Improve transparency of pay & impact of
arrangements such as part-time work and fixed-term
contracts with European Social Partners
Support equal pay initiatives at the workplace
Institute a European Equal Pay Day
Seek to encourage women to enter non-traditional
professions

15. Equality between women and men
Summary
What is the gender pay gap?
Gender pay gap figures
Legislative background
Actions at European level
Examples of action

16. Equality between women and men
Awareness-raising activities on equal
pay and the gender pay gap in
companies
• Companies from EU-27, EEA, precandidates and
candidates
• Four years: big companies and SMEs
• Training activities, from autumn 2012 on the "business
case" for gender equality, adapted to the national contexts
• Exchanges of good practices from companies: 2013,
2014, 2015 around the European Equal Pay Day
• Open also business organisations, social partners
(employers' organisations, trade unions) or others

17. Equality between women and men
The European Gender Pay Gap
information campaign 2009-2012
The main goal :
 To raise awareness among employees,
employers and EU citizens on :
• the existence of the gender pay gap,
• the tools and mechanisms for reducing it
• and the role of the EU in tackling the pay gap
 and to engage stakeholders in a dialogue.

18. Equality between women and men
The gender pay gap across the
lifecycle : the campaign visuals
BOY OR GIRL, EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES?
These babies are born with equal opportunities, but the educational and
career expectations for boys and girls are different. By the time they
grow up, the boy will be earning on average 17.5 % more than the girl.
Close the gender pay gap
IS OUR WORK VALUED THE SAME?
Women have as good or better qualifications than men, but often
their skills are not as valued as men’s and their career progression is
slower. This results in an average gender pay gap of 17.5 % in Europe.
European Commission
Close the gender pay gap

19. Equality between women and men
The gender pay gap across the
lifecycle
WILL HAVING A CHILD HARM MY
CAREER?
Family responsibilities are not equally shared. As a result, women
have more frequent career breaks and often do not go back to a full
time job. As a result, women earn on average 17.5 % less than men.
Close the gender pay gap
SAME JOB,SAME PENSION?
Women’s earnings over a lifetime are on average 17.5 % lower than men’s.
When women retire these lower earnings result in lower pensions.
This leads to more women than men experiencing poverty in old age.
Close the gender pay gap

20. Equality between women and men
The campaign activities : a website in
22 languages

21. Equality between women and men
The campaign activities
• Advertising activities in the press and in the public
transport
• Development of a partnership with :
social partners,
ministries for Employment/Social Affairs/Equality,
NGOs in the field of gender equality
and recruitment agencies both private and public…
• Development of material : brochure, quizz,
posters

22. Equality between women and men
The campaign activities :
Stand in national job fairs, career days
Stockholm
Vienna
Riga
Budapest
Copenhagen
Warsaw

23. Equality between women and men
European Equal Pay Day
• 2 March 2012 : the second EEPD
• Extra days that a woman is required to work in
Europe in order to earn the same salary as a
man during a full year of work
• launch of a web clip highlighting the absurdity of
pay inequalities between women and men

24. Equality between women and men
Gender equality website:
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender-equality/index_en.htm
Gender pay gap campaign:
http://ec.europa.eu/equalpay