Source: CNA
Gender Equality Commissioner Josephine Antoniou said in a message on the European Union's Equal Pay Day that the pay gap between men and women in Cyprus is 9%, which means that women earn 91 cents for every euro earned by men.
She claims that in the EU, women continue to earn less than men on average for equal work. Women earn 87 cents for every €1 earned by men. That means that in the last two months of the year, women in the EU work for free.
In the EU, women earn 87 cents for every €1 earned by men. That means that in the last two months of the year, women in the EU work for free.
Despite the fact that women's positions in social and professional life have improved, and women's labor-force participation has increased significantly, the pay gap remains entrenched.
The Commissioner emphasizes that the factors underlying the wage disparity between men and women are numerous and complex, and that there are numerous barriers that continue to limit women's advancement.
These are identified in the multiple roles women have, such as the responsibility of looking after family, children, and elderly parents, resulting in part-time work - often in lower-paid sectors while facing the problem of a 'glass ceiling' and 'sticky floor' in terms of advancement, with progress in reducing and closing the pay gap remaining slow.
According to Ms. Antoniou, one of the seven key objectives of the National Action Plan for Gender Equality 2019-2023 is women's professional empowerment and work-family reconciliation.
At the same time, it is noted that intermediate objectives have been established, which are to combat workplace harassment and sexual harassment, to strengthen social partners' capacity to better address the problems faced by women in employment and to strengthen women's entrepreneurship.
Combating gender discrimination in the workplace, balancing work and family responsibilities, encouraging businesses to promote equal pay and gender equality in the workplace in general, and eliminating pay disparities between men and women.
Finally, Ms. Antoniou emphasizes that in order to close the pay gap between men and women for equal-value work, we need the collective and effective cooperation of all stakeholders, as well as additional measures, policies, and support structures to provide women with equal opportunities in their professional lives.
[This article was translated from its Greek original]
