"The gender pay gap is the difference between men's and women's pay, based on the average difference in gross hourly earnings of all employees. Closing the gender pay gap has long been a priority for the EU."--Editor.

The gender pay gap uncovers the different realities women and men face in their professional and personal lives. The statistics speak for themselves. Across the EU, women earn on average 16% less than men. This is a result of many already identified factors: women are concentrated in lower level and lower paid jobs, work more hours (in both paid and unpaid work), take longer career breaks, and are more likely to choose part-time work to reconcile work and care responsibilities. The price to pay is high: women's pensions end up being 37 % less than men's.

Sammenligning af ligelønslovgivningen i 33 europæiske lande

Seminar paper from the year 2016 in the subject Business economics - Miscellaneous, grade: 1, University of Linz, language: English, abstract: In this paper the issue of the gender pay gap, a challenge women are still faced with at the workplace, will be considered. It will deal with the definition of the gender pay gap and the status quo in the European Union, especially in Austria. What is more, reasons for its existence, measures and policies how the gap can be closed will be outlined and the benefits in case of the closure will be presented, too. Closing the gender pay gap is an important step towards gender equality and does not only benefit the female workforce itself, but also companies and the economy as a whole.

The gender pay gap (GPG) exists in every European country, but it varies considerably, even in EU member states covered by the same legal principles on pay equality. Part of the variation can be explained by different patterns of social partnership. With current policy pressure to de-centralise collective bargaining and increase the percentage of pay linked to productivity, what role can social partnership play in tackling the GPG? Reporting on the findings of the European Commission funded research project "Close the Deal, Fill the Gap", this book uses an interdisciplinary analysis involving legal, economic, and sociological expertise, to explore the role of social partnership in GPG in Italy, Poland and the UK. Selected on the basis of their contrasting profiles in terms of legal regulation, industrial relations, systems of collective bargaining, coverage of collective agreements, and differing rates of the GPG, the in-depth study provides important insights into the main issues underlying the problem of reducing the gender pay gap which have led to guidelines in the negotiation of arrangements on GPG-related issues. Based on a unique comparative, interdisciplinary and action-oriented esearch project, it will be of great interest to all researchers and advanced students with an interest in women’s representation in the workforce and the gender pay gap, as well as practitioners and policy makers in organisations such as trade unions and employers’ associations.

Recoge: 1. The EU's tools for gender equality. - 2. Policy areas. - 3. Looking forward : future initiatives for gender equality.

Argues that legal guarantees will not suffice in tackling the pay gap for women. Advocates a pluralist approach comprising appropriate labour contracts and working time, participation in decision making, etc. Includes a number of European country reports on experiences made in overcoming barriers to equal pay.