In Hungary, women earn on average 17.2% less per hour than men, resulting in an annual pay gap of more than two months, according to a statement by Egyenlítő Alapítvány (Equalisation Foundation). Thus, the Hungarian Equal Pay Day, which highlights the pay gap between men and women in the country will take place at the end of October in 2022.
According to the statement, the gender pay gap is fundamentally at odds with the principle of equal pay for equal work, a law adopted in most countries, including Hungary.
„However, this pay gap is linked to a number of cultural, legal, social and economic factors that go far beyond the issue of equal pay for equal work,” Zorigt Burtejin, Equalisation Foundation's expert, researcher and political scientist said. She adds that in many cases women simply spend less time in paid work because they spend more time in unpaid, so-called invisible work. This is why they often interrupt their careers (to have children, and to care for the elderly). This affects not only their hourly wages and earnings but also their future income and pensions. When women have children, their wages plummet and they do not catch up with men until retirement.
According to Edina Heal, head of the foundation, the problem needs to be discussed openly and in a clear and understandable way, and solutions need to be proposed based on good examples from other countries. Many European countries have introduced wage transparency legislation. The Equalisation Foundation also considers it important to introduce such a law, because transparency will allow employees to know the level of pay for a particular job within a company so that they can argue their case in wage negotiations in a legally justified way.
The translation of this article was made possible by our cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation.
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