As in previous years, International Women’s Day was the occasion to deal with the situation of women in our society – in Austria und in Europe. Hence, on Wednesday, the European Parliament focussed on the issue, also in relation to the prevailing crises. The EU Commission commented, a number of events took place and the AK too had its say on various channels, in particular in respect to the wage and pension gap to the disadvantage of employees in Austria. To sum up, one could say that we still have a long way to go until we reach the goals we have set ourselves. There is still a lot to do.

The progress, which has been made on behalf of women, is obvious; however, the list of open demands is still long.

Unfortunately, (in most cases) the terms “Gender Pay Gap” and “Gender Time-Gap” are on everyone's lips only round about the 8th of March, as they describe the gap between women and men, concerning income and working hours. According to a current labour market analysis by AK Vienna “Arbeitsmarkt im Fokus”, women are worse off, in spite of an increased participation rate in the labour market. In most cases, this is associated with part-time work, which is widespread among women and care obligations, whose burden is still mainly carried by women. In Austria, every second women works in part time compared to men, where it is only every tenth. Hence, the compatibility of family and work is still mainly a “matter for women”, according to the AK labour market expert Ilse Leidl-Krapfenbauer. That is why the AK among other also demands a legal embedment of the Dad’s Month. So far, fathers have to rely on the voluntariness of their employer.

Old-age poverty also affects mainly women, as fewer working hours per week and a lower wage, do not only mean less income but also a smaller pension. One solution would be, commented Wolfgang Katzian, the chairman of the Union of Private Sector Employees, Graphical Workers and Journalists (GPA djp), if employers would pay higher contributions to retirement planning, but above all to counteract the unequal contribution of unpaid work in the private sector, which is mainly carried out by women.

The GPA djp regards the minimum income of EUR 1,700, which it has demanded, as an effective remedy concerning the closure of the wage gap. According to Eurostat, Austria, at 22.9 %, is second from the bottom in der EU, in respect of the income gap between female and male employees.

Reducing wage and pension gap EU widen

The socio economic situation of women was also subject of a debate in the plenum of the European Parliament. Some MEPs pointed out that the situation of women has particularly deteriorated because of the financial crisis. Commissioner Věra Jourová made clear that the wage and pension gap was no longer acceptable. On average, women in the EU receive 40 % less pension and earn about 16 % less than men. Hence, this year a package of measures by the EU Commission shall among other enable the improved compatibility of family and work. That women were always the ones who had to carry most of the burden was not sustainable, said Jourová. That is why the package had not only been planned for “working women”, but also for “working parents”.

The subject of the refugee crisis focussed in particular on the awful conditions of fleeing women. According to the Report of Mary Honeyball (S&D), which was adopted by Parliament on Wednesday, it was vital that European asylum policy would listen to the experience and address the needs of the women affected. Safe escape routes had to be created in particular for this group and the trafficking had to be stopped.

This year, all participants, who demand gender equality of woman and man / of female and male worker, once again agree: there is still a lot to do.

Further information:

AK Europe: Bad day for gender equality policy in the EU!

AK Europe: EU Commission intends to tackle gender pension gap in the EU

AK Europe: Women on supervisory boards – EU is on the rocks

AK Wien: Gender equality in the labour market has not been achieved! (German only)

AK Upper Austria: Women’s monitor 2015: The situation of women in Upper Austria (German only)

BAK: Women at executive level – No chance! (German only)

European Parliament: International Women’s Day 2016 - Female refugees and asylum seekers in the EU