Press Release: Gender equality: EU action triggers steady progress

On 14 April 2014, the main findings of the Commission's annual gender equality report published along with the annual report on fundamental rights showed that efforts paid off: concrete progress had been made in the area of addressing the gender pay gap – notably through an initiative by the Commission to improve pay transparency – or increasing the number of women on company boards.

But challenges remain: under current rates of progress, it will take almost 30 years to reach the EU’s target of 75% of women in employment, 70 years to make equal pay a reality and 20 years to achieve parity in national parliaments (at least 40% of each gender).

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: International Women’s Day: Commission takes action to close the gender pay gap http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-international-womens-day-commission-takes-action-to-close-the-gender-pay-gap/

ESO: Background information: European Commission hits equal opportunity targets 11 months in advance http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-european-commission-hits-equal-opportunity-targets-11-months-in-advance/

European Commission: RAPID: MEMO/14/284: Questions & Answers: Report on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and Progress Report on Gender Equality http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-284_en.pdf

European Commission: RAPID: SPEECH/14/327: Presentation of the Fundamental Rights report and the progress report on Gender Equality http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-14-327_en.pdf

European Commission: DG Justice: Newsroom: Fundamental rights: News: Fundamental Rights: Importance of EU Charter grows as citizens stand to benefit http://ec.europa.eu/justice/newsroom/fundamental-rights/news/140414_en.htm

EurActiv, 15.05.14: EU foot-dragging on women's rights http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-elections-2014/eu-foot-dragging-womens-rights-302159

---