Motherhood and unpaid care work at the root of the Gender Pay Gap

21.04.19

European Union - The EU delegation of MMM responded to the public consultation of the European Commission on 'equal pay' in April 2019 which gathered views from stakeholders on the impact of the EU rules on equal pay for work of equal value.

In November 2017, the Commission adopted an Action Plan to tackle the Gender Pay Gap. The objective of the consultation was to assess if the current legal framework needs to be reviewed. The Gender Pay Gap is at 16% at EU level and it is stagnating in many countries.

In our response, we highlighted that the Gender Pay Gap is the result of many complex factors including vertical and horizontal occupational segregation, as well as direct pay discrimination, but that it is mainly linked to motherhood. In our society, women, especially mothers, perform the largest share of unpaid care work (i.e. household work, caring for children, disabled person, frail and older people), a work which is not valued. As a result, mothers suffer from specific discriminations linked to motherhood, the so-called “motherhood penalty“, which includes a motherhood wage gap, i.e. a difference in wages between mothers and women without children.

MMM also underlined that women’s unequal pay does not just hurt women, but that it is a cost for society as a whole. There is also a strong link between the gender pay gap and child poverty.

Our report presents the state of play of the gender pay gap in the European Union, the underlying causes and links to the unequal distribution of unpaid family care work, a summary of the current situation in Belgium, and finally some recommendations.

The fact that mothers suffer a wage penalty raises major concerns that go beyond gender inequality. This issue ultimately questions the capacity of societies to manage a sustainable balance between their economic aim of active female participation in paid work and the social aims of providing a fair distribution of income to support the reproduction and rearing of children.

MMM Response to the Consultation and Annex

 

 

Most read articles

Mothers, unpaid care work and global crises – connecting the dots

02.07.24

UN New York / HLPF - Register now to join us online at this year’s High Level Political Forum side-event.

Lire plus

Widowed mothers: MMM calls for addressing the distinct challenges they face

20.06.24

UN Geneva, Human Rights Council - MMM was invited to contribute to a side-event organised by Widows Rights International to discuss the unique challenges faced by widows who are mothers,

Lire plus

Time Poverty and the Motherhood Penalty
Unveiling Economic and Social Injustices

09.07.24

Mothers play an essential role in families by ensuring their loved ones are nourished, educated, and healthy, but their unpaid care work often leads to economic and social injustices, known

Lire plus
See all the articlesof the category

Latest News from MMM and its Network

Ensuring Work-Life Balance: The EU’s Commitment to Supporting Parents, notably mothers, and Gender Equality

19.03.25

At the latest EPSCO Council (Employment, Social Policy, Health, and Consumer Affairs), the Council of the European Union adopted groundbreaking Conclusions aimed at addressing work-life balance and promoting ge

Read more

Breaking the Cycle: Gender Equality as a Path to Better Mental Health

18.03.25

The Council of the European Union has taken a decisive step in recognising the vital connection between gender equality and mental health.

Read more

Championing Mothers’ Rights at the UN Human Rights Council

18.03.25

UN Geneva - The 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC58) provided a crucial platform for advocacy, engagement, and collaboration on pressing human rights issues. MMM representatives made significant

Read more

The voice of Mothers: Uncovering the Truth Behind the Numbers

12.03.25

On 11 March, MMM unveiled its State of Motherhood in Europe 2024 Survey in an interactive webinar. Three expert panelists and an engaged audience commented its most striking results presented by Angela Garcia,

Read more

Motherhood: The Unfinished Business of Beijing

09.03.25

UN New York - The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995) is a landmark global policy document focused on advancing gender equality and women's rights, and is considered one of the most comprehensive

Read more

Supporting Mothers with Disabilities: A Call for Enhanced Care and Resources

06.03.25

Mothers with disabilities face many challenges in a world that is physically, socially and structurally inaccessible. Their struggles often go unnoticed and underappreciated which results in vast misconceptions

Read more