This is why it is important to annually commemorate Equal Pay Day, which this year falls on March 6.
March 6, 2024, Prague – This year’s spring Equal Pay Day (EPD) falls on March 6. It is a symbolic date that reminds us every year that women, on average, have to work longer to earn the same amount in a year as men. This year, it’s an additional 65 days. This day highlights the ongoing issue of the gender pay gap (GPG), the persistent disparity in earnings between men and women.
Currently, the difference in the average earnings of men and women has increased by 18% year-on-year. After a gradual, multi-year reduction of this gap, which continued until 2021 when it reached its lowest point of 15%, the gap is now slowly and steadily rising again, even in year-on-year comparisons. The Business & Professional Women CR (BPWCR) organization has been drawing attention to this issue of pay inequality for many years.
While there have been some steps to reduce the gender pay gap, these were mostly one-off measures rather than systemic ones. In the temporary reduction of the gap in previous years, factors such as increases in the minimum wage or salary tariffs in undervalued sectors that are more strongly represented by women, such as education and healthcare, also played a role. To maintain the trend of reducing the gender pay gap, long-term and systemic changes are needed.
Among comparable job positions, the largest pay differences between men and women are found in management and leadership roles, as well as in specialist categories, medical positions, and university teaching positions.
In comparison with the European Union, where the average gender pay gap is 13%, the Czech Republic ranks among the lowest. Nordic countries and Slovenia traditionally top the rankings, with legislation supporting shared parental leave and a one-year parental leave period.
Women are more likely to successfully complete higher education, which does not mean they will receive equal pay; on the contrary, university-educated women, compared to equally educated men, have the highest earnings disparities.
The pay gap between men and women also varies according to age. The highest disparity occurs between the ages of 35 and 44, where it averages 22%. This is partly due to the disadvantage faced by women in this age group, who often return to the workforce after maternity leave and need support for smooth reintegration. They needed greater flexibility in their employment, whether through options for working from home, hybrid collaboration models, or part-time contracts. The gap is further deepened by the general career break for maternity, the insufficient availability and variability of childcare facilities for young children, low utilization of shared parental leave between partners, and the obstacles they must overcome upon returning to work.
One form of support for families with children is preschool child care services in children’s groups. A new option is the neighborhood children’s group, which offers care in the home of a professional caregiver for a small group of a maximum of 4 children, including the caregiver’s own children. This innovative form of care provides parents with greater flexibility, which is also the goal of the amendment to the Labor Code currently being discussed in the Czech Parliament.
Since 2022, there has been a 5% discount on social insurance for part-time contracts based on the total assessment base for employees.
Equal Pay is a systemic project of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs that contributes to positive changes by providing tools and advisory services for measuring pay differences, setting work value for wage systems, foreign best practices, and cooperation with employers in the Czech Republic who want to ensure fair pay. There is a fair salary calculator available, which shows real earnings and differences based on the entered personal characteristics and job positions.
The Equal Pay project will again participate as an expert partner at the Equal Pay Day 2025 conference.
Significant speakers at this year’s event include representatives from companies such as Philip Morris, Allianz, MARS, Lego, Raiffeisenbank, Danone, and many others.
The aim of BPWCR, the organizer of the Equal Pay Day conference, which consists of a media campaign and an international conference, is to raise awareness of the persistent gender pay gap. Their goal is to achieve zero pay disparity and equal representation of women in decision-making positions. Strengthening the stable and economically stronger position of women in the labor market will be the theme of this year’s conference, which will carry the subtitle “Potential.” BPW International is one of the most influential women’s organizations, operating in more than 100 countries across five continents, with each country running its own awareness campaign on this topic.
This conference has gained success not only within the Czech environment but also in the context of awards. In 2024, it won the public award at the Good Company Circle Awards, which recognizes exemplary cooperation between non-profit organizations and businesses.
In addition to organizing the conference and its associated campaigns and awareness initiatives, BPWCR also provides practical advisory services on equal pay and offers a platform for sharing best practices. Through similar collaborations, it helps fulfill obligations related to non-financial reporting (ESG), specifically the “S” for social factors.
She is also an ambassador for the WEPs principles, the Women’s Empowerment Principles, which already have 18 signatories in the Czech Republic, including major companies such as Allianz Insurance, a.s., HOPI HOLDING a.s., and GasNet.
These are not only companies committed to society, but also individuals. If you are interested in this issue and would like to learn more or contribute to change, this year’s conference will take place on March 25-26, 2025, at the Clarion Congress Hotel Prague.
Contact for media and interested parties:
Katřina Hájková | katerina.hajkova@bpwcr.cz | +420 720 965 644
