No EU funds for companies which discriminate against women - Alfred Sant

Labour MEP Alfred Sant says that closing the gender pay gap should be at the forefront of the fight for social justice 

Labour MEP Alfred Sant
Labour MEP Alfred Sant

Only companies that ban all forms of discriminatory practices towards women should get EU funds, Labour MEP Alfred Sant said.

Sant has called for an assessment to ensure that companies which are given EU funds have high working standards and ban all forms of discriminatory practise toward women.

While voting in favour of a European Parliament resolution on the gender pay gap in the EU, the Labour MEP said that equal pay for work for equal value and closing the gender pay gap should be at the forefront of the fight for social justice.

“Illegal pay discrimination among men and women is still practised in the EU. Companies participating in its persistence are preventing women from being autonomous and independent, denying their empowerment,” Sant said.

He highlighted that the causes were numerous. “Women being the main caregivers of families can explain it, with career breaks and lower hours. Discontinuous careers should be better valued by our societies as this is later reflected in the pension gap and retirement ages. Nevertheless, other causes remain unexplained, linked to gender stereotypes and undervaluation of female-dominated work. This is unacceptable.”

Sant said that pay transparency was still rare in the private sector. “Lack of pay transparency opens the opportunity to perpetuate inequality.” He added that his vote in favour acknowledged that the EU was currently working on a European-wide answer, that aimed to help victims be better informed on wage structures for them to contest unequal treatment.