On Tuesday 26 November, MEPs debated the gender pay gap, which remains at an average of 13% in the European Union, according to Eurostat data.
According to Helena Dalli, European Commissioner for Equality, who opened the discussions, although progress has been made under the current mandate, with a reduction equivalent to five working days, this progress remains limited and insufficient to truly reverse the trend.
The adoption of the directive on pay transparency in April 2023 (see EUROPE 13153/13) does, however, represent a first milestone in the fight against this persistent disparity.
Ms Dalli explained that this text provides “tools to detect and correct disparities” and encouraged companies to reevaluate undervalued positions, often held by women. This directive also requires the publication of pay data and provides for penalties in the event of unjustified differences of more than 5%, thereby making employers more accountable.
The Commissioner warned that the pace of progress was too slow, estimating that it would take almost 30 years to achieve equal pay in the EU.
It would also involve tackling stereotypes, the unequal distribution of domestic tasks and discrimination, in particular through the European strategy to reduce women’s unpaid responsibilities.
Systemic inequalities. A number of MEPs gave their analyses of these disparities. Heléne Fritzon (S&D, Swedish) denounced structural injustices, pointing out that women are over-represented in low-paid jobs, which affects their salaries and pensions.
She found it unacceptable that it would still take a lifetime to close this gap, describing it as a collective failure of European society.
Jana Toom (Renew Europe, Estonian) felt that inequalities go far beyond pay. She highlighted the burden of unpaid work, such as housework and childcare, which forces many women to reduce their hours of paid work.
She called for decisive action by the Member States to improve access to care services, which is vital if women are to participate fully in the labour market.
Disparities within the EU. The debates also highlighted the significant differences between Member States. Lídia Pereira (EPP, Portuguese) pointed out that although Portugal’s pay gap is slightly lower than the European average (12%), the situation remains problematic. She described this disparity as a denial of human dignity and social justice, calling for greater efforts.
Marlena Maląg (ECR, Polish), for her part, spoke of specific national situations, citing the example of Poland, where the gap is 7.8%, one of the lowest in Europe. It has supported appropriate policies, in particular flexible forms of work and better reconciliation of work and family life.
Economic violence. Finally, Estelle Ceulemans (S&D, Belgian) denounced the close link between pay inequality and other forms of economic violence. She believes that financial dependence increases the risk of physical and sexual violence against women. She urged concrete measures to guarantee equal pay, a right enshrined in the European treaties since 1958, but still too often theoretical. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)