The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) has found violations of the right to equal pay and the right to equal opportunities in the workplace in Italy. Strasbourg found various violations of women’s rights in Italy primarily due to insufficient progress in reducing the gender pay gap, but in some cases also due to lack of pay transparency, ineffective legal remedies and insufficient powers of gender equality bodies. Out of the 15 countries which apply the European Social Charter’s collective complaints procedure, only Sweden was found to be compliant with the Charter. Apart from Italy, the ECSR found violations in Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Slovenia. Complaints to the ECSR, which monitors the implementation of the Charter, were lodged by the international NGO University Women of Europe (UWE).
“The gender pay gap is unacceptable in modern societies, yet it continues to be one of the main obstacles to achieving real equality. European governments must urgently step up efforts to ensure equal opportunities in the workplace. And more countries should use the Council of Europe’s Social Charter as one means of reaching that goal,” said Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe.