The Community principle of non wage discrimination because of gender

Abstract

The Community principle of non-wage discrimination because of gender is the tool through which the European Union has tried to eradicate the pay discrimination suffered by women. This discrimination is clearly reflected by the gender pay gap and is only one more example of the gender inequality existing in the work sphere. The principle has suffered an interesting evolution since its birth with the foundation of the European Union, and it shows its increasing interest towards human rights and social justice. The purpose of this study is to show a summary but complete vision of the state of play from an eminently legal perspective. Therefore, it explains how the principle works, and the main concepts that compose it, paying special attention to the issues arisen in its practical application and to the last developments incorporated by the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union. The system of guarantees imposed by the European Union to the member states is also briefly exposed. Considering the statistics, it is clear that despite of the European Institution’s efforts the problem remains, so it is obviously necessary to analyse the deficiencies of the current regulation and the possible changes, as well as new ways that could help reaching the final solution.