Today, 3 November 2016, is (again) European Equal Pay Day!

Kirsten Lühmann, CESI´s FEMM Commission´s chairwoman (again) welcomed the EC initiative: “The European Commission is demonstrating great motivation concerning this issue and it can count on CESI’s unconditional support in its endeavours. However, let us also be honest, the current prognoses are clearly not encouraging. “

According to the latest Global Gender Gap Report 2016 of the world Economic Forum, the worldwide gender pay gap will not be closed for another 170 years, and the economic gender gap 2016 “has reverted back to where it stood in 2008, after a peak in 2013.”

Lühmann deeply deplores these findings: “The 2015 report had predicted 118 years for the worldwide gender gap to close, and now we are at 170 years! Even if economic slowdown has to be taken into account, it means that in too many countries homework has not been done.”

Referring to the to her mind most important conclusions of the Report, according to which the forecasts “reflect the current state of progress and serve as a call to action to policymakers and other stakeholders to accelerate gender equality “, Kirsten Lühmann highlighted everyone´s responsibility:

“CESI is such a stakeholder, and we reiterate our firm intention to make things change. We provide all our expertise relating to the modern working world for the EU equality strategy. As trade unions, we see cases of unequal treatment on a daily basis, so we know that problems are particularly serious for women in the professional world. “

Yet for CESI´s FEMM-Commission chairwoman one thing remains key for any real success: “If the main responsibility for home and child care remains on women, labour market equality will never work. There we need strong legislative incentives and obligations which may lead to a real change of paradigm in our heads.”

Kirsten Lühmann, CESI´s FEMM Commission´s chairwoman (again) welcomed the EC initiative: “The European Commission is demonstrating great motivation concerning this issue and it can count on CESI’s unconditional support in its endeavours. However, let us also be honest, the current prognoses are clearly not encouraging. “

According to the latest Global Gender Gap Report 2016 of the world Economic Forum, the worldwide gender pay gap will not be closed for another 170 years, and the economic gender gap 2016 “has reverted back to where it stood in 2008, after a peak in 2013.”

Lühmann deeply deplores these findings: “The 2015 report had predicted 118 years for the worldwide gender gap to close, and now we are at 170 years! Even if economic slowdown has to be taken into account, it means that in too many countries homework has not been done.”

Referring to the to her mind most important conclusions of the Report, according to which the forecasts “reflect the current state of progress and serve as a call to action to policymakers and other stakeholders to accelerate gender equality “, Kirsten Lühmann highlighted everyone´s responsibility:

“CESI is such a stakeholder, and we reiterate our firm intention to make things change. We provide all our expertise relating to the modern working world for the EU equality strategy. As trade unions, we see cases of unequal treatment on a daily basis, so we know that problems are particularly serious for women in the professional world. “

Yet for CESI´s FEMM-Commission chairwoman one thing remains key for any real success: “If the main responsibility for home and child care remains on women, labour market equality will never work. There we need strong legislative incentives and obligations which may lead to a real change of paradigm in our heads.”