The widening wage gap between men and women across the EU is documented, inter alia, by research Eurobarometer on gender equality, published today in Brussels. According to Eurostat data, in 2014 the total average annual earnings of women in Greece remained lower by 41,4%, compared to 39,6% in the EU in 2015. Regarding the difference between the average gross hourly wages between men and women, Women's salaries in Greece are 15% lower, compared to 16,3% in the EU.
According to the Commission, the significant wage gap between men and women is mainly due to four reasons:
- First, in the fact that the best paid managerial positions are occupied mainly by men, who are more often promoted by women. This trend peaks in senior positions, where women make up less than 6% of CEOs.
- Second, women take on unpaid responsibilities, such as household and childcare or relatives on a larger scale than men. Working men spend an average of 9 hours a week in unpaid care and household activities, while women spend 22 hours. This is reflected in the labor market with more than one in 3 women reducing their paid working hours.
- Thirdly, women tend to spend more time away from the job market and interrupt their careers for children or relatives. These vacations not only affect hourly earnings, but also have an impact on future earnings and pensions.
- Fourth, women tend to be overrepresented in areas such as teaching or sales that offer lower wages.
- Fifth, in wage discrimination, which, although illegal, continue to widen the gender pay gap.
Presenting the results of the Eurobarometer survey, Commissioner for Justice, Consumer Affairs and Gender Equality Vera Jurova said: "Women are still under-represented in decision-making positions in both politics and the business world. Women's pay remains on average 16% lower than that of men across the EU. At the same time, violence against women is still widespread. This is unfair and unacceptable in today's society. "The gender pay gap must be bridged, because women's economic independence is the best protection against violence."
According to the Eurobarometer, when it comes to gender equality, 9 out of 10 Europeans believe that promoting gender equality is important for society, the economy and themselves.
Furthermore, more than half of Europeans believe that there should be more women in political decision-making positions, with 7 out of 10 supporting legal measures to ensure equality between men and women in politics. Also, more than 8 in 10 Europeans believe that a man should do an equal share of household chores, or take parental leave to take care of his children. However, the majority believe that women still spend more time on household chores and care than men (73%).
End, 90% of Europeans say it is unacceptable for women to be paid less than men, and 64% are in favor of payroll transparency as a means of achieving change in this area.
(With information from RES-ICU)
Source: HuffPost