Brussels, 25/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - European Commissioner Viviane Reding, addressing the European Parliament women's rights and equal opportunities committee (FEMM), set out her gender equality agenda. Unsurprisingly, the percentage of women on company boards features very strongly. The commissioner is awaiting the end of the consultation which is currently taking place to see the extent to which she should bring forward legislative measures. She spoke again about maternity leave, an issue where no headway is being made, and a situation she said was frustrating. She said that she was constantly trying to move forward in these areas. A matter of the greatest importance in her eyes is the continuing wage gap between the genders. This situation is due to a number of factors which have to be studied. Awareness has to be raised at all levels, including political, employer and trade union, and there has to be transparency on remuneration. She is monitoring a number of pilot projects in Germany, Portugal and Austria. A committee vote was taken on a resolution drafted by Edit Bauer (EPP, Slovakia) on the wage gap. MEPs call for fresh measures from the Commission to end this state of affairs, and also for improved enforcement of existing legislation, with, consequently, sanctions being toughened. The rapporteur said that the difference in wages between the genders is a serious social problem, resulting in the feminisation of poverty. (MD/transl.rt)