Valuing Care, Closing the Gap. The European Union’s New Approach to the Principle of Equal Pay
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Abstract
The assignment of women to care traverses both reproductive and productive labour and is reported by numerous scientific studies as a determining factor of gender economic inequalities. Even though the principle of pay equity has been enshrined in the treaty since the beginning of European integration, the gender pay gap remains high within the EU. This contribution argues that the persistence of the gender pay gap is due to the principle's limited capacity to adapt to the realities of women's work and ensure the economic recognition of care work. However, this contribution contends that the implementation of the Work-Life Balance Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/1158), scheduled for 2022, and of the Pay Transparency Directive (Directive (EU) 2023/970), planned for 2026, could represent a pivotal moment in redefining the principle of equal pay. These directives provide concrete tools to address the root causes of structural economic inequalities, leveraging social and procedural rights to reinforce the principle of equal pay and strengthen protections for carers.
Keywords: Care Work, Gender, Pay Equality, Structural Discrimination, European Equality Law
Bibliographie: Vandenberg, Zoé: Valuing Care, Closing the Gap. The European Union’s New Approach to the Principle of Equal Pay, Femina Politica – Zeitschrift für feministische Politikwissenschaft, 2-2025, S. 32-44.
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