Won't stop pushing for gender quotas on boards, says EU's Ursula von der Leyen on gender pay gap

European Union Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said women must know whether their employers treat them fairly, while pitching to address wage imbalances and close the gender pay gap.

According to reports, the EU has proposed firms that employ over 250 workers to publish a report on the salary gap among those who perform the same kind of work. The measures include fines in case of violations. Reports say if gender-based discrimination is found, then full compensation for missing wages and bonuses would be required. 

Leyen has proposed legislation to boost pay transparency across the 27-nation bloc.  

According to EU statistics, the average pay gap between men and women currently stands at 14.1 per cent, with the European body keen to introduce rules on pay transparency and mechanism to enforce it.

The EU is also seeking to strengthen the confidence of workers who demand compensation before courts, with the aim to ensure it benefits both businesses and workers - women and men.

"I won't stop pushing for gender quotas on boards until we get a fair system for all European countries," Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament's committee on women's rights.

"Women should always be able to reach for the top, including in private companies," von der Leyen added.

A 2012 proposal had called for listing companies in the EU to fill at least 40 per cent of their non-executive board seats with women, however, some EU countries had refused to adopt the target as law.