Women in the European Union still earn around 13% less than men for the same work. This means that for a job for which a man earns one euro, a woman would take 87 cents, the European Commission said in a statement.
In Bulgaria, the situation is absolutely identical. For every 1 lev – women get 88 cents.
The level of women’s pay is rising compared to 2020 – by 0.5 percentage points.
On average in the EU (as well as in Bulgaria), women are paid 13% less than men for equal work, even though equal pay has been part of EU legislation since this year.
In March 2023, the European Commission launched a campaign opposing gender stereotypes.
However, some member states have not incorporated the directive, adopted in June, into national law.
The Pay Transparency Directive entered into force on 6 June 2023.
It sets out a clear framework for the implementation of the concept of “work of equal value” and criteria that include skills, effort, responsibility and working conditions. It helps workers to identify and challenge discrimination they may be victims of.
Romania has the smallest gender pay gap for the same job, at just 3.6 per cent. In Slovenia it is 3.8 per cent and in Poland 4.5 per cent, BNR reports.
Curiously , several countries that have an image of being socially developed have a much larger gap than Bulgaria. These are Switzerland with 17.7 and Germany, where the difference is 17.5 percent.
Why is there a wage gap?
The pay gap between men and women, referred to as ‘gender pay’ or ‘gender stereotyping’ , is a complex and multi-layered issue. Some of the factors that may contribute to this gap include:
- Choice of occupation and education: Men and women often choose different occupations and educational paths that have different pay grades. For example, some sectors such as technology or engineering have traditionally had fewer women.
- Differences in experience and seniority: Men and women may have different experience and seniority in their careers, which can affect their earnings.
- Interrupted careers and part-time work: Women often become mothers and may choose to have interrupted careers or work part-time, which can affect their earnings.
- Discrimination in the workplace: In some cases, there may be discrimination in the workplace that leads to pay inequalities.
- Negotiation skills: There is research to show that men may more often have more effective negotiation skills, which can affect their salary.
Addressing the gender pay gap requires systemic changes in education, culture, work practices and legislation. Across countries and societies, initiatives are being taken to reduce this gap and promote gender equality at work.