Latest figures show that on average across the EU women earn 17.4 per cent less than men. Launching the initiative in Brussels on 3 March, employment and social affairs commissioner Vladimír Špidla demanded action "at all levels" to address the problem. "In today's economic climate, equality between men and women is more important than ever. Only by reaping the potential of all our talents can we face up to the crisis," he said.

As part of the campaign, which comes ahead of international women's day on 8 March, the commission has launched the results of a new study on representation of women in European politics. The commission's report shows that women make up just 31 per cent of all parliament's 736 MEPs, 24 per cent of national parliaments and 25 per cent of national governments. According to the report, the central banks of all 27 member states are led by a male governor and the key decision-making bodies of these organisations comprise 83 per cent men and just 17 per cent women. In additon, "under-representation" of women at the top level is heightened in big business where men account for nearly 90 per cent of board members in leading companies - a figure which, it adds, has "barely improved" in recent years.

The commission says that, as well a gender pay gap, women still suffer "ongoing discrimination" in the labour market and that pay inequalities causes poverty in later life. According to Špidla "significant" gaps still remains in several areas. While the employment rate of women has risen steadily - 58.3 per cent for women against 72.5 per cent for men - women still work part-time more often than men - 31.2 per cent for women and 7.7 per cent for men.
Source: TheParliament.com