On Saturday, 8th March 2025, the world will celebrate International Women’s Day, casting light on various issues surrounding women’s rights, achievements, and the persistent challenges they face. This year, Derby County Women is among the organizations being spotlighted as part of this significant occasion, reflecting the spirit of the day.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, emphasized the importance of demanding equal rights, stating: "We know progress is possible. Our history and the leaders of the women’s rights movements can show us the way." He notes the historical advocacy for women's rights has paved the way for current advancements and highlights the shared responsibility required to continue this momentum.
The 2025 theme set by the UN is “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” This reflects the need for continued vigilance and action to defend and promote women’s equality across the globe. The UN Human Rights Office also remarked, "Defending women’s rights leads to a brighter future for all," underscoring the interconnectedness of gender equality with overall human rights.
Historical efforts toward equal pay have laid the foundation for current initiatives. The principle of equal pay for equal work was first established with the Treaty of Rome back in 1957 and reinforced through the ILO Convention 100 of 1951. Despite these long-standing regulations, the gender pay gap remains significant. The EU recorded an average gender pay gap of 12% as of 2023. Current trends show women’s average earnings across the EU stand at 12% lower than men’s.
Highlighting the disparities, Latvia leads with the highest pay gap at 19%, followed closely by Austria at 18.3% and the Czech Republic at 18%. Greece, meanwhile, registered at 13.6%. Germany, often perceived as highly progressive, still grapples with significant inequality, at 17.6%.
The sectors where these pay gaps loom largest include finance and insurance, where differences can reach as high as 36.4%—the highest documented disparity occurring within the Czech Republic alone. Notably, the pay gap is persistently lower for newcomers to the job market but tends to widen significantly as age increases.
Research from the European Statistical Office sheds light on how the private sector consistently reflects higher pay gaps, with figures ranging from 6.1% to as extreme as 21.6% based on location, compared to the public sector where greater pay transparency prevails. The differences highlight systemic issues embedded deeply within workplace structures.
Part-time work remains another factor affecting women’s earnings. A significant percentage of women cite adult or child care as the primary reason they work part-time, contrasting with the more varied reasons men provide for the same situation. This continues to drive income disparities and limit professional advancement opportunities.
Elaborate findings from Greece’s ELSTAT wage structure survey made clear the glaring wage inequalities: women earned on average only €17,361 annually, about 26.4% less than men’s earnings at €21,947. The sectoral breakdown reveals women's average annual earnings of €38,867 compared to men’s €40,086 within the finance and insurance sectors, emphasizing the need for policy interventions.
Despite the emergence of women gaining ground, obstacles remain. The EU statistics reveal women earn €87.3 for every €100 earned by men. This significant gap requires women to work approximately one and a half additional months each year to earn the full pay equivalent to their male counterparts.
Understanding the factors behind the gender pay gap is far from straightforward. It arises from systemic and structural challenges such as occupational segregation—where women predominantly find roles within lower-paying professional sectors like education and healthcare, and men occupying higher-paying roles within fields like technology and finance.
Addressing this multilayered issue requires targeted actions—greater pay transparency, promoting equal opportunities, and empowering women for career advancement—to diminish wage discrepancies and improve overall work conditions. The path forward necessitates coordinated efforts from government entities, corporate leaders, and society at large to forge fair and equitable employment environments.
Reflecting on International Women’s Day, the focus remains on driving forward the demands for rights and equality. The message is clear: progress is achievable, but maintaining this progress necessitates collective vigilance and strategic action. The work of organizations like Derby County Women exemplifies local efforts interwoven with global movements for equality, pushing past barriers to establish fair treatment for all women.