Following the adoption of an own-initiative report on the gender pay and pension gap in the EU, the Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament has led the call for stronger EU action to strengthen women’s economic empowerment across the Union.
Women in the EU earn on average 12% less per hour than men for work of equal value. This gap widens over time due to career breaks, motherhood and part-time work, and translates into a gender pension gap of around 25%, leaving older women at greater risk of poverty.
Renew Europe welcomed the Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030's commitment to tackling pay discrimination, supporting the Pay Transparency Directive and a promised toolkit on gender-neutral job evaluation, but calls for a dedicated EU action plan to eradicate the gender pay and pension gaps.
The full implementation of the Work-Life Balance Directive has also been called for, including the promotion of non-transferable and adequately paid paternity and parental leave, which help address the unequal distribution of care that drives pay inequalities.
Renew Europe welcomed the European Care Deal which will be crucial to address gender inequalities in both formal and informal care. Irena Joveva MEP (Gibanje Svoboda, SI) commented on the gender pay and pension gaps:
"I am proud of the end result of the report, which according to Renew priorities aims to achieve true gender equality. It confronts persistent pay and pension gaps, while tackling the imbalance in unpaid care and domestic work which disproportionately falls on women. It sets out actionable measures at EU and MS level, to secure equality, economic independence, work–life balance, and equal opportunities — foundations for justice, resilient society, and shared prosperity. Yet, the actions and measures following the report will be crucial, as equality depends on concrete actions that will follow."
Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová MEP (Progresívne Slovensko, SK) also commented on gender equality in the workplace:
“Women’s economic equality is essential for a fair and competitive Europe. To close the gender pay and pension gaps, we must address their root causes from the unequal distribution of care responsibilities to the persistent undervaluation of work in female-dominated sectors and the continued underrepresentation of women in leadership and STEM. Ensuring fair pay and equal opportunities for women will strengthen Europe’s labour markets, support productivity, and help our economies reach their full potential.”