What is the European Equal Pay Day?
In the EU27, the average gross hourly earnings of male employees was 12.7% higher than for women in 2021. This gender pay gap equals to a difference of around one month and an half of salary per year. The day of the year on which women symbolically stop on average to be paid compared to men is called the Equal Pay Day. The European Commission marks this day every year in order to keep raising awareness on the fact that female workers in Europe still earn on average less than their male colleagues. This day changes depending on the latest figure of the EU gender pay gap. In 2023, the European Equal Pay Day falls on 15 November.
The Equal Pay Day in other countries
12 EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Estonia, France, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Portugal, Spain and Sweden) organise and have organised an Equal Pay Day according to the respective Pay Gap in their country. Various awareness-raising activities are arranged to show the negative effect of the gender pay gap. Such activities involve equal pay actions organised by trade unions, public debates, seminars and press conferences.