Women in Europe, between part time jobs, houseworks and family assistance are still undervalued and there is still a significant salary gap with their male collegues.
The gender gap varies in different member states : between less than 10% to 20%. That’s what is written in an analysis by European Parliament on gender equality in employment. In Europe women earn about 16 % less than men.
Women compressed from family responsabilities and underestimated
The different treatment is even more striking when looking at pensions. As result of lower salaries’ accumulation over the career there is a 39% gap in pensions that clearly increases the poverty risk among elderly women. The part time job has a woman face: women are over-represented in part time jobs and in sectors with lower retributions. In managerial jobs, women are still very few: victims of prejudices, female competences are undervalued comparing with the ones of male collegues.
Furthermore, women are still the most in charge for family care and houseworks and that clearly affects their career path. There is also a large wage and pension gap for transgenders.
The majority of EU citizens (76%) according to the Eurobarometer March 2015 statistics, think the gender equality should be one of the most urgent priorities in EU challanges. After violence against women, the gender gap in wages and pensions is considered a primary challenge for women in the EU. In at least sixteen EU member states equalizing salaries and eliminating the wage gender gap could increase also the women presence in the job market. Survey data suggest that EU citizens would be on favour of policies to support a better access to children care, to flexible jobs, to better quality jobs, and that contrast gender discriminations during the hiring procedures .
According to the European added value assessment in 2013 on equal pay, there is a direct correlation between reducing gender pay gap and increasing GDP. A European level initiative to revise the directive on equal opportunities and equal treatment between women and men regarding the employment could increase the GDP of about 13 billion of euro par year. In 2013, according to the EU Commission analysis on the implementation of the directive , twenty-six member states still had cases opened on the conformity with the national legislation. In particular, it is still problematic to implement the disposals on equal pay in the member states. The European Women Lobby (EWL) asks for more strict measures and more binding law disposals : mandatory controls on salaries for a better transparency on retributions.
@IreneGiuntella
Women in Europe, between part time jobs, houseworks and family assistance are still undervalued and there is still a significant salary gap with their male collegues.
