Equal Pay Day and the gender pay gap
Every year, Equal Pay Day draws attention to the fact that women around the world earn less than men. It highlights the percentage difference in the average gross earnings of women and men. This difference is also known as the gender pay gap.
According to Eurostat statistics on the gender pay gap, working women in the EU earn on average 12.7% less per hour than men. The European Parliament gives the definition and causes of the gender pay gap in the EU.
Equal pay for equal work for men and women is one of the European Union’s founding principles, enshrined in Article 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The implementation and enforcement of this principle remain a challenge. Owing to a lack of pay transparency, pay discrimination often goes undetected, and victims face difficulties in making claims for redress.
The EU is tackling the problem of the gender pay gap with various measures. The aim is to promote the principle of equal pay through regulations on pay transparency and the monitoring of their implementation.
There are considerable differences in the gender pay gap between EU countries. Equal Pay Day is now established in 12 different EU countries. At national level, EU countries are also combating the gender pay gap.
International Women's Day
Every year since 1911, on 8 March, women around the world have brought gender equality to public attention on International Women's Day.
Gender equality is also a fundamental principle of the European Union, but it is not yet a reality.
On International Women's Day on 8 March 2025, the European Commission is strengthening its commitment to gender equality with a new roadmap for women's rights.
The new roadmap builds on the successes of the European Commission's Gender Equality Strategy. The report on gender equality in the EU 2025, published on 7 March, provides a detailed overview of progress and highlights where more needs to be done.
The European Parliament is also fighting for gender equality, the protection of women's rights and the closing of the pay gap between women and men.
Efforts in the EU to promote women's rights, ensure equal pay and end violence against women can also be found at the European Council
Access to a wealth of data aligned with the main dimensions of the Gender Equality Strategy can be found at the Gender Equality Strategy Monitoring Portal.
To strengthen and promote gender equality across the EU, the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) was established in 2010.
On the EIGE website you will find information on gender equality, the Gender Equality Index 2024 and a gender statistics database.
EUROSTAT – the statistical office of the EU also provides gender statistics for the EU, a selection of indicators from areas such as education, the labour market, income and life expectancy, which are particularly important for measuring differences between women and men.
To gain a deeper understanding of the issues, the European Council Library has compiled a library guide with relevant resources on gender equality.
Browsing through the tabs you will find books and articles, EU publications, podcasts, videos and websites.
