"International Women's Day must promote and celebrate women's responses to the crisis, their contribution to bringing back growth, and their fight against stereotypes", said Mariya Gabriel MEP and Elisabeth Morin-Chartier MEP on Thursday 7 March.

"This day is an occasion to insist on the positive role played by women in Europe's economy and on the whole of society", underlined Mariya Gabriel, the EPP Group's Spokeswoman on women's rights and gender equality.

"Europe cannot afford to do without the managerial skills of half of its population. It must value more the way women are managing companies in these times of economic and financial crisis. Yes, their qualities are decisive assets for companies and for the economy! Proof of this is that SMEs led by women are 10 to 20% more profitable than the average same-sized companies. Their turnover is 50% higher than the average (numbers from Women Equity Growth Index 2012).

Elisabeth Morin-Chartier MEP, EP Rapporteur on the crisis' impact on women's work, said: "Women are confronted with a silent and pernicious crisis which aggravates and weakens their situation."

"Before the economic and financial crisis, unemployment, precarious work, part-time work, low salaries and slow career paths already affected women more than men. Today, with the effects of austerity policies, they are suffering a double punishment. The risk of falling into poverty has increased for them", she explained.

"We must continue to fight vigorously against all stereotypes in women's work, such as the idea that women's unemployment is less dramatic than men's. What's more, the fact that for equal work and competence, a gender pay gap of 16.2% still exists. This means women need to work 59 days more to achieve the annual pay of men which is an absolute scandal in a 21st century Europe", continued Morin-Chartier.

"When economic recovery takes off, qualified staff will be greatly needed. Young women, who on average are better educated than men as 60% of university graduates are women, are a great pool of competences. They will be our best arms for the competitiveness of our companies, who would be well advised not to do without them", she concluded.

European Equal Pay Day: 16.2% gender pay gap is intolerable

For further information:

Mariya GABRIEL MEP, Tel: +32-2-2845248

Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER MEP, Tel: +32-2-2845630

Marion Jeanne, EPP Group Press and Communications Service, Tel: +32-479-840293

Notes to Editors:
The EPP Group is by far the largest political group in the European Parliament with 270 Members and 3 Croatian Observer Members.

Co-signatories: MEPs Roberta Angellili, Regina Bastos, Edit Bauer, Anne Delvaux, Rosa Estaràs-Ferragut, Lívia Járóka, Teresa Jiménez-Becerril, Christa Klass, Constance Le Grip, Barbara Matera, Doris Pack, Sirpa Pietikäinen, Licia Ronzulli, Joanna Skrzydlewska and Corien Wortmann-Kool.