Abela Baldacchino says austerity measures widened gender pay gap

Labour MEP Claudette Abela Baldacchino said that Gender equality does not simply mean giving women the same rights as men; it rather means restoring a balance, which has been distorted by adamant stereotypes.

Addressing a seminar organized at the European Parliament, she emphasised that gender quotas are not enough on their own.

“We need a shift in mentality, a change, that shows how committed we are to equal rights and opportunities for all. This is what democracy is all about.”

Amongst other issues Abela Baldacchino mentioned the gender pay gap, saying that recent austerity measures widened the gender pay gap, mainly affecting women in precarious jobs.

“Women are still underpaid, domestic violence keeps taking place at alarming rates, and in 2012, the level of employment for women was only 62,4% compared to 74,6 for men."

She sustained that she disagrees with people who keep playing down the need for efforts regarding gender equality. 

"I believe that the fundamental imbalances cannot be taken lightly. All stakeholders urgently need to work together and bring about concrete change. Developments in the field of gender equality may seem enormous on the long term, but there is still a great gap to bridge," Abela Baldacchino said.

She also declared her support for the 50/50 Campaign launched by the European Women´s Lobby and embraced by a substantial number of MEPs.