“The pay gap between men and women is 13.1%, above the European average, which stands at 12.7%,” highlights Michael Page, in a note sent to newsrooms.

However, Portugal “is not among the countries with the greatest inequalities in Europe”, highlights the human resources company.

In Estonia and Latvia, for example, the gender pay gap exceeds 20%.

As for the main factors that still contribute to inequality between women and men, Michael Page identifies the lack of transparency in salary policies, labour policies that are not very inclusive or family-friendly, and “recruitment that is not always guided impartially”.

“In addition to legislative measures, the response to these factors depends, among other aspects, on companies, which can make significant progress in eliminating the gender pay gap, changing a corporate culture and creating a more equitable environment”, urges the human resources specialist.

As for policies that employers can implement, they suggest, in particular, professional development programs and training to promote women’s rise to leadership positions, as well as mentoring programs, detailed analyses of internal pay equity in various functions, flexible working hours and recruitment processes based exclusively on candidates’ skills and qualifications, without considering gender.

“Implementing impartial recruitment processes, such as blind interviews or standardised evaluation systems, allows companies to ensure that decisions are made fairly, promoting equal opportunities from the beginning of the process,” explains Michael Page.

The company also warns that the pay gap does not affect all women in the same way.

Age, parenthood, disability, ethnicity and religion tend to amplify inequalities, notes Michael Page. With regard to parenthood, the work that earned economist Claudia Goldin the Nobel Prize in Economics showed precisely that the bulk of pay differences occur with the birth of the first child.

The data reveals that while, for men, being a father results in an increase in income — this is the so-called “fatherhood advantage” —, for women, being a mother means more family responsibilities, more career interruptions, and, in addition, a greater pay disadvantage — this is the “motherhood penalty”.