Listen: Can the EU really close the gender pay gap?

As member states scramble to transpose the Pay Transparency Directive, the biggest drivers of women’s lower earnings such as part-time work, motherhood penalties and male-dominated sectors, remain stubbornly untouched.

lunedì 22 giugno 2026 New tab

764 words~3 min read

Production: By Europod, in co-production with Sphera Network.

EUobserver is proud to have an editorial partnership with Europod to co-publish the podcast series “Briefed” hosted by Léa Marchal. The podcast is available on all major platforms.

Find the full transcript below:

Has it ever happened to you to discover, after months of working in your role, that your colleague is receiving a higher salary for the same job? If you’re a woman, there is a high chance the answer is yes.

But don’t worry, the European Union is changing that thanks to the Pay Transparency Directive, which just became mandatory everywhere in Europe.

Listen: Can the EU really close the gender pay gap?

Listen: Can the EU really close the gender pay gap?

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Pay transparency: Which EU countries are ready for the new rules?

Will new pay transparency rules close the gender pay gap for good?

Other newsrooms on this story

Related reading

Can the EU fix the gender pay gap? Take our poll.

How does the EU ensure pay transparency? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot

Can the EU Pay Transparency Directive close the gender pay gap?

Will EU penalize Germany over its gender pay gap directive?

Pay transparency: Which EU countries are ready for the new rules?

Will new pay transparency rules close the gender pay gap for good?