Dia de la igualdad salarial

Equal Pay Day is the title of the Civic Values self-adhesive stamp series, which draws attention to the gender discrimination against women in their pay checks.

European Union figures show that women earn less than men and that the percentage varies a great deal from one country to another. For this reason, and in order to create awareness amongst its citizens of these salary differences, the European Parliament has declared 22nd February European Equal Pay Day, an event which has become international. The choice of this date is a reference to the number of extra days which women have to work in order to earn the same amount as men. The amount a man earns up to 31st December for a full year requires women to continue working until 22nd February of the next year if they want to reach that sum.

Salary differences between men and women are the result of a series of factors such as: direct discrimination, since some men earn more than women for doing the same job; undervaluing a job position, since jobs requiring the same capacity, qualification and experience are valued less highly when done by a woman; and segregation in the workplace, due to the fact that men and women tend to work in different types of employment. Other factors point, as well, to traditions and stereotypes, since professional careers led by the two sexes tend to be different as a result of education received; and finally the work-life balance: women have more difficulties in juggling both, since tasks at home are not shared fairly and the employment rate among women with dependent children is lower than that of men.

Surveys looking at salary differences by gender indicate that eliminating the difference would lead to the creation of a fairer and more equal society and the creation of value-added jobs; companies would benefit, as would workers of both sexes, whilst the number of legal cases and complaints would drop.