EU-STRATEGIEN ZUR GESCHLECHTER- UND LOHNGLEICHSTELLUNG UND DIE AUSWIRKUNGEN DER WIRTSCHAFTSKRISE

Over the last 15 years, the European Employment Strategy has been the most important influence on equal opportunities policies at the member-state level. However a progressive loss of commitment to this goal meant that the foundations for protecting previous policy gains and making further progress was weak as Europe entered the economic crisis. Over this period the EU pursuit of gender equality adopted an instrumental approach to support dominant economic goals and as a consequence the gender pay gap was only included when it was considered an obstacle to women’s labour market integration. This context was far from ideal for making progress against the gender pay gap and thus pay inequality policy was an early casualty of the crisis. The complex of factors, on and off the labour market, influencing pay inequalities means that a sustained, multidimensional and coordinated approach to policy is required – something which neither actors at the European or national level have aspired. The crisis only served to reinforce this weak commitment to closing pay gaps.