Equal Pay Day in Estonia
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Gender Pay Gap in Estonia
With a gap of 25.3 per cent (2016), Estonia has the highest gender pay gap among the member states of the European Union. Furthermore, the gender pay gap remains relatively stable at a high level despite the fact that the wage pay has decreased by three percentage points in the last 10 to 15 years.
With such a large gap of nearly one third less income on average, Estonia faces severe problems related to women's lacking economic independence as well as women's and children's risks of falling into poverty.
Equal Pay Day in Estonia
Equal Pay Day 2018
In Estonia, BPW organised a whole week for Equal Pay Day with many activities, among them a Facebook game on Equal Pay or a web seminar. The Estonian word for gap means salmon. So BPW called for a common action to go fishing together. BPW Estonia also had the new idea to take the campaign to the day care centres, where parents can get the information on equal pay. In addition, BPW Estonia is also active in debate with politicians.
Equal Pay Day 2017
The EPD 2017 is held on April 10. The idea of having discounts of 26.9 per cent for food without dill in comparison to food with dill has shown great success in past years. Therefore, BPW Estonia has gained support for the campaign and promotes the activities in many restaurants. The Estonian word for dill is used as word game to call attention to the pay gap. Furthermore, a panel discussion the Minister of Health, and Labour, the Head of Gender Equality Council, the Head of Human Resource of Skype, the Head of Human Resource of Swedbank and young woman entrepreneur has been organised. Two seminars on the Equal Pay Day have also been held in Tartu and Pärnu.
Equal Pay Day 2016
On April 11, 2016, the Equal Pay Day in Estonia will be celebrated. Around 80 restaurants, cafés and pubs offer their meals with and without dill. The meals with dill are 28.3 per cent more expensive than the ones without dill. Using or not using dill originates in a wordplay with the Estonian word for dill.
Furthermore, shops have been asked to exhibit red bags in their windows symbolising their support the the claim for equal pay. In addition, information materials are distributed.
Information on the Equal Pay Day campaign can be found here.
Equal Pay Day 2015
The Equal Pay Day has been held on April 25, 2015. The main theme of the activities related to young parents and how they can reconciliate their career and family life. On the EPD, restaurants offered their dishes with special ingredients 29.9 per cent pricier than without. Certain restaurants also offered the "soup for working women" and shops joined the activities with a special discount rate at 29.9 per cent for women on the EPD.
Related Links
European Commission: Exchange of good practices on gender equality - discussion paper Estonia
European Commission: The gender pay gap in the European Union - Infographic
European Commission: The gender pay gap in Estonia
Gender Wage Watchers: Fact Sheet - Gender Pay Gap in Estonia
