Equal pay for equal work is one of the EU’s founding principles. And yet, imagine if you stopped getting paid for the year today? Instead of getting paid for a full year, you only get paid for 10 and a half months. For women in the EU, who earn on average 13% less than their male counterparts, this gender pay gap represents their reality.
Today is the EU’s Equal Pay Day. It is the day of the year on which women in Europe symbolically stop to be paid compared to men. We mark it every year in order to keep raising awareness about the fact that female workers still earn less on average.
The day changes depending on the latest figure of the EU gender pay gap, with it falling on 15 November in 2024. Over the past ten years, progress has been slow in Europe, with only a 3-percentage point gap reduction since 2014.
The EU is working to close this pay gap by creating new legislation and monitoring its implementation. This includes a dedicated directive on equal pay, as well as legislation on pay transparency, the work-life balance and gender balance on corporate boards.
For more information
Statement on European Equal Pay Day
