The gender pay gap is the difference between male and female median earnings expressed as a percentage of male earnings, according to the OECD.
There is a debate as to the extent to which this is the result of gender differences, implicit discrimination resulting from lifestyle choices (e.g. number of hours worked, need for maternity leave), or because of explicit discrimination.
In 2008, the OECD found that women still had a 20% poorer chance of having a job than men, on average, and they were paid 17% less than their male counterparts.
There were considerable differences within the EU, for example, with the pay gap ranging from less than 10% in Italy, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Belgium to more than 20% in Slovakia, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Germany, the United Kingdom and Greece and more than 25% in Estonia and Austria.
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