By Thea Pieridou
Press Officer of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus

International Women's Day is celebrated every year on March 8, in memory of a large protest held on March 8, 1857 by female textile workers in New York, who demanded better working conditions.

In Europe, equality between women and men is one of the fundamental values ​​of the European Union, enshrined in the EU Treaties. The EU is a pioneer in tackling gender discrimination and Europe is the preeminent place for women to enjoy the greatest degree of security and equality worldwide. However, the struggle to safeguard and protect women's rights remains a necessity. In the EU, we want equality for girls and women in all walks of life: access to education, access to leadership in corporate boards and politics, protection from violence and equal pay for equal work.

This year, the European Parliament Office in Cyprus decided to highlight the situation in Cyprus regarding equal pay for equal work. Even though the principle of equal pay for equal work is theoretically in place for more than 60 years, women in the European Union are still paid, on average, 14% less for the same work. The pay gap between men and women in Cyprus amounts to 10,4%.

Although significant progress has been recorded to date in Cyprus, inequalities between men and women in the labor market unfortunately still exist. Also, a year after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, its social and economic consequences are exacerbating existing gender inequalities, threatening to undermine progress achieved so far and push hundreds of women below the poverty line.

The European Parliament and the European Commission are working hard to reduce the gender pay gap, and equal pay for equal work is the cornerstone of the European Gender Equality Strategy.

The European Parliament wants binding provisions on the gender pay gap, which will apply to both the public and private sectors. It also wants a strong enforcement mechanism, clear targets and a progress monitoring mechanism. To address the lack of participation of women in the labor market, which is one of the causes of the gender pay gap, MEPs are calling for more investment in early education, care services and more family-friendly labor arrangements.

They also want to encourage women to take better paid jobs through a range of measures, ranging from promoting science and technology for schoolgirls, boosting women's entrepreneurship, and ensuring lifelong learning.