Women in the European Union (EU) continue to earn, on average, 13% less than men, according to a new report from the European Commission.
This wage gap means that for every euro earned by a man, women only earn €0.87, the Commission highlighted. In other words, to match a man’s annual income, a woman in Europe must work extra days, it added.
This wage gap is marked symbolically on 15 November each year.
“This day is a useful reminder that we must persist with efforts to eliminate this pay gap,” EU Commissioner for Values Vera Jourova, and Belgium’s Equality Minister, Helena Dalli, said on Tuesday.
Both lamented the fact that the gender pay gap remains approximately the same as in 2022 and 2021.
In 2023, all EU countries pledged to reduce the gap through a directive, but several have yet to incorporate the measure into their legislation.
