The leap to "work of equal value"

Directive 75/117/EEC made a seemingly  technical but, in reality, fundamental change: it extended the principle of  equal pay from "identical" work to work "of equal value".  Previously, a woman had to point to a specific man performing exactly the  same job. After 1975, she could compare her occupation with another recognised  as equally valuable—even if it went by a different name.

One ruling that changed EU law

Behind the breakthrough stood the  Belgian lawyer Éliane Vogel-Polsky, who saw the potential of Article 119 of  the Treaty of Rome. She brought the Defrenne v. SABENA case (1976): flight  attendant Gabrielle Defrenne sued the airline over lower pay and an earlier  retirement age than men in comparable roles. The Court held that Article 119  had "direct effect" — citizens may rely on it directly before  national courts.

The deepest part of the gap comes from  undervaluation

Why does "equal value"  matter so much for intersectional discrimination too? Because the deepest  part of the gap stems from occupational segregation and the systemic  undervaluation of female-dominated occupations. Blau and Kahn's (2017) review  identifies segregation as one of the largest components of the gap.  "Comparable worth" analyses (Levanon, England, Allison, 2009)  demonstrated a causal effect: as an occupation "feminises", its pay  falls — despite comparable qualifications.

On a global scale, this thread ties  gender to class and origin. The International Labour Organization estimates  the global gap at around 20% and attributes a significant part of it to the  undervaluation of care work — performed worldwide mainly by women, often  migrants. "Equal value" remains the hardest and most important  question in this story: not "do we pay the same for the same", but  "do we fairly value work that looks different".

Equal pay for the same work is not enough. Measurework of equal value.

Compare roles by the real value of thework, not by job titles — and see where "women's" occupations areundervalued. Get your Tour Pass — offer valid only until 31.10.2026 - to measureyour adjusted pay gap in 5 minutes.

Data and research:• Directive 75/117/EEC; Article 119 of the Treaty of  Rome; Defrenne v. SABENA (43/75, 1976).
• Blau, Kahn, Journal of Economic Literature, 2017.
• Levanon, England, Allison, Social Forces, 2009 (pay decline as an  occupation feminises).
• ILO, "Global  Wage Report" — global gap ~20%.