Ending the Pay and Pension Gap for Women

EU Gender Pay and Pension Gap Resolution – 2026

Current situation

• Women earn on average 12 % less per hour than men in the EU.
• In some countries the gap is over 18 %.
• Women work an extra 54–67 days a year in unpaid care and household duties.
• Women with children face a 16.5 % pay gap compared with men.
• Only 7.7 % of men work part‑time, versus 27.9 % of women, mainly because of care duties.
• Women dominate low‑paid sectors: 3 in 10 work in education, health or social care, while only 8 % of men do.
• Women are under‑represented on corporate boards (30 % of board members, 1 in 10 CEOs).
• The gender pension gap reached 25 % in 2025.
• 16.9 % of retired women are at risk of poverty, almost twice the rate for men.
• Around 6.8 million undeclared care workers in the EU, 90 % of whom are women.
• The gender pay gap costs the EU €390 billion in 2023.
• Closing the gap could raise EU GDP per capita by 3.2–5.5 % by 2050.

Why the gaps exist

• Women are concentrated in low‑paid, undervalued sectors.
• Care responsibilities, both paid and unpaid, limit women’s work hours and career progression.
• Persistent discrimination, gender stereotypes, and a “sticky floor” in promotions.
• Lack of pay transparency and weak enforcement of equal‑pay laws.
• Informal and part‑time work reduces pension contributions.
• Intersectional disadvantages (race, disability, age, sexuality) compound the problem.

Key actions proposed

1. Strengthen existing laws

• Fast‑track the Pay Transparency Directive and the Gender Balance on Corporate Boards Directive.
• Enforce equal pay for equal work and protect workers from discrimination after maternity or care leave.

2. Improve care infrastructure

• Invest in affordable, high‑quality childcare, early‑education, long‑term care and support for informal carers.
• Recognise care work in pension calculations and offer care credits.

3. Boost women’s participation in high‑pay sectors

• Promote STEM, ICT, finance, defence and other traditionally male‑dominated fields.
• Provide targeted training, mentoring, and entrepreneurship support for women, especially in rural areas and for migrants.

4. Revalue women‑dominated work

• Adopt gender‑neutral job evaluation systems to ensure fair pay and career progression.
• Encourage collective bargaining to cover non‑standard and low‑paid jobs.

5. Address intersectionality

• Protect women with disabilities, migrants, LGBTIQ+ people and those in rural regions from exploitation.
• Ensure pension systems count care periods and provide minimum pension guarantees.

6. Data and monitoring

• Collect and publish gender‑disaggregated data on pay, pensions, and care work.
• Use the European Institute for Gender Equality and Eurostat to track progress.

7. Financial incentives

• Offer tax breaks for dual‑earner households, support for single parents, and incentives for employers who implement gender‑equality plans.
• Promote automatic enrolment in occupational pension schemes for all workers, including part‑time.

8. Public awareness

• Run EU‑wide campaigns on pay transparency, equal treatment, and the value of care work.
• Educate employers and workers on gender‑neutral recruitment and evaluation.

Goal

By 2030, the EU aims to halve the gender employment gap (currently 10 %) and significantly reduce the pay and pension gaps, creating a fairer, more productive economy where women’s work is valued, their careers are protected, and they can enjoy financial independence and security in retirement.