The EU Employment Committee’s Policy Analysis Group held a tripartite meeting on 24 and 25 March with employers and trade unions to discuss how job quality differs for women and men across the bloc.
The meeting brought together representatives from EU member states and the European Commission, alongside social partners at EU level — ETUC, BusinessEurope, SGI Europe and SMEunited — as well as national-level organisations, the Commission announced on Thursday.
Existing EU laws and initiatives cover issues such as pay transparency and work–life balance, but “substantial differences” in job quality between women and men remain, it added.
The talks focused on three connected areas: collective bargaining, career progression and wellbeing.
Focus areas: bargaining, careers and wellbeing
On collective bargaining, participants discussed how the share of workers covered by collective agreements, women’s representation in social partner organisations, and gender equality clauses in sector-level agreements can affect job quality for women and occupational segregation, the Commission informed.
On career progression, the meeting looked at the impact of pay transparency measures, parental leave and childcare policies on closing the gender pay gap, supporting career advancement and strengthening social protection.
On wellbeing, discussions covered mental health and work–life balance, including “high psychosocial risks” in female-dominated care and service sectors.
The meeting was held in the context of the European Commission’s Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030 and its 2025 Roadmap for Women’s Rights.
