Though greater numbers of women are working, they remain under-represented in sectors considered crucial for economic development and which are usually better remunerated, the European Commission’s annual report on equality between women and men notes.

Significant differences in the employment rates of women exist at national level across the European Union (EU). In Malta for example, the rate was only 34.9 per cent compared to more than 70 per cent in Sweden and Denmark.

As for the pay gap in the EU it has remained steady at 15 per cent since 2003. The smallest differences were observed in Malta (three per cent), Belgium (seven per cent) and Slovenia (eight per cent), with the biggest differences found in three of the newest EU member states Estonia (25 per cent), Cyprus and Slovakia, followed by Denmark, the UK, Finland and Austria (all 20 per cent or more).

“Overall, despite their better educational attainment, women’s careers are shorter, slower and less well-paid – it is clear that we need to do more to make full use of the productive potential of the workforce,” said Equal Opportunities Commissioner Vladimír Špidla as he presented the Commission’s fifth annual report on gender equality on Wednesday.

The report, which is the first to cover the 27 EU member states, shows that “major challenges remain” in particular to “boost the qualitative aspect of equality”. This is despite a number of measures announced in the Commission’s roadmap for equality between women and men and the European Council’s pact for gender equality, implemented in 2007.

The female employment rate has been steadily increasing since 2000 and the unemployment rate for women has fallen to its lowest level for 10 years. However, the pay gap, labour market segregation, and work/life balance are ongoing challenges that undermine the qualitative aspect of jobs.

The report also highlights that “women’s participation in the labour market is still largely characterised by a high and increasing share of part-time work.” In 2007, the share of women employees working part-time was 31.4 per cent in the EU 27, while the corresponding figure for men was only 7.8 per cent.

The fact that some member states face high segregation in occupations as well as sectoral segregation is considered a particular problem as well. “As a consequence of segregated labour markets, there is an under-representation of women in sectors crucial for economic development and usually well remunerated. For example, only 29 per cent of scientists and engineers in the EU are women,” says the report.