Equal Pay Day and the end of discrimination against men in Switzerland

18 November 2021 was Equal Pay Day in the UK (this falls on the day when the average female worker stops earning, as opposed to the average male worker, because of the gender pay gap). However, for black women, Equal Pay Day had already fallen on 27 September last year (26% pay gap compared to the average worker), for Bangladeshi women it was on 19 September last year (28% gap) and for women of Pakistani origin it was on 8 September last year (31% gap). Caribbean women earned on average 18% less than men – Equal Pay Day was celebrated on 26 October 2021. |

According to the results of a survey of 1,150 UK employees of medium-sized Fortune 500 companies, men are significantly more likely than women to think of themselves as active allies and advocates for gender equality in the workplace. The survey by the Integrating Women Leaders (IWL) Foundation also found that men are more likely than women (88% to 72%) to believe that their organisation is making progress in promoting women into leadership positions.

According to a judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Swiss government is discriminating against men under the provisions of the widow’s pension (survivor’s pension). The decision will cost the local authorities millions of Swiss francs in arrears and force the government to change the law. Currently, women whose husbands have died receive a survivor’s pension after their deceased spouse for the rest of their lives, while men only receive a survivor’s pension if they have children under the age of 18.