On February 22, 2023, Minister of Equality between Women and Men Taina Bofferding and Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Economy Georges Engel presented the new brochure "Gender Equality - a strategic challenge for your company".
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with some 32,000 companies and currently employing almost 210,000 people, account for just over fifty-five percent of domestic employment in Luxembourg. They are therefore a decisive pillar in highlighting the benefits ofgender equality in the labour market and thus in promoting social innovation.
Taina Bofferding underlined that: "Gender equality can thus be considered as one of the practical and effective solutions that respond to contemporary challenges in the world of work. It is a central element in the implementation of equality in all areas of life. Only if all parties are equally involved in the process can employers and employees benefit. Anchoring equality in company policy does not only mean valuing employees, but also meeting on an equal footing in all decision-making processes."
In addition, the ministers take stock of the current challenges in the field of equality. Minister Taina Bofferding thus recalled the immense progress made in the area of equal pay for women and men, where Luxembourg leads the European countries with a gap of only 0.7 percent. Furthermore, the Minister welcomed the development of thepositive action program, welcomed the growing demand and launched a new appeal to companies.
Georges Engel stressed that the Luxembourg labor market is still dominated by male employees. However, in the context of a shortage of qualified workers, the Minister stressed that Luxembourg needs new talent to meet the demands of employers.
Attracting new talent is not only a matter of integrating employees from neighboring countries into the Luxembourg labor market, but also of mobilizing talent from within the country.
Similarly, the Minister recalled the importance of official bodies involved in the fight for greater equality in the workplace. In particular, he underlined the important role of the Labour and Mines Inspectorate (ITM), which has set up a whole system to assist people who want to report infringements in the field of equality.
Finally, Georges Engel emphasized the importance of the subject of occupational health, which also plays a role in the fight for greater equality between women and men in the workplace.
Press release by the Ministry of Equality between Women and Men/Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Economy
Photo ©MEGA (from left to right) Georges Engel, Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Economy; Taina Bofferding, Minister for Equality between Women and Men
Published on 28 February 2023
