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CREATING AN INCLUSIVE AND GENDER EQUAL LABOUR MARKET
2. CREATING AN INCLUSIVE AND GENDER EQUAL LABOUR MARKET Women in Europe are working hard, but the labour market is not working for women. Even though gender equality in the labour market is enshrined in EU law, gender gaps still persist when it comes to employment levels, pay and pensions, types of jobs, working conditions, work-life balance and decisionmaking. These gaps are exacerbated for women exposed to multiple forms of discrimination, for example women with minority or migrant backgrounds and women with disabilities. Women’s experiences of the labour market also differ widely between countries and regions. Labour market inequalities have a negative effect on women’s well-being, economic independence, and the European economy as a whole. They are symptomatic of a patriarchal system which was not designed with women’s experiences in mind, and where ‘gender neutral’ employment policies perpetuate existing inequalities. Part of a progressive feminist economy is to make employment policy work for women as well as men. That will require fundamental changes at EU, national and regional levels, through binding legislation, social dialogue, increased public funding and a revision of cultural biases about work and gender.
