The “International Day for Equal Pay” reflects the United Nations (UN) fundamental commitment to, equal pay for work of equal value, and equal pay opportunities, as well as combating all forms of discrimination, including gender-based discrimination against women and girls. This Day is celebrated annually on September 18, marking the culmination of long-standing efforts to eliminate unequal power relations based on gender, global poverty, and social inequalities, while ensuring equal access to resources and opportunities for all.
Income inequality disproportionately affects women, with the global gender pay gap estimated at approximately 20%. To ensure that no one is left behind, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), explicitly include the need to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
The DAISSy Research Group of Hellenic Open University (HOU) recognizes equal pay as a milestone for human rights and gender equality. Through this lens, it works systematically over time to combat it through targeted actions. Εxamples of such successful actions in recent years are important European co-funded projects, where DAISSy-HOU participated as the only Greek entity in international consortia.
Indicative example is the "Women's Innovative Business Incubation Zone" (WINBIZ) project, where DAISSy-HOU enhanced the entrepreneurial training and support provided to migrant women from non-EU countries, enabling them to acquire and develop the transversal and specialized skills essential for their full integration and reintegration into the European labor market, thereby fostering prosperity for both the women themselves and the host societies.
Similar example is the "Migrant Women Empowerment and Integration" (WEMIN) European project, where DAISSy-HOU contributed to the development of an innovative model for the integration of migrant and refugee women of all ages into the host communities of the partner countries. The project combined, among other elements, training, empowerment, and mentoring sessions, learning through art, production of guides (on best practices for migrant integration and relevant policymaking), and development of digital educational material (videos) and tools, including an online peer-learning platform.
Furthermore, in the "Entrepreneurial Skills for Women in a Digital World" (E4W) European project DAISSy-HOU successfully developed entrepreneurship training pathways for disadvantaged women. The project addressed one of Europe's most pressing challenges - the employability skills. The development of entrepreneurial skills is recognized by the European Commission as a lifelong learning competence and is considered as a gateway to employment and social inclusion across Europe.
Recognizing equal pay for work of equal value as a collective responsibility, DAISSy-HOU promotes decent work and sustainable economic development, contributing to productive employment for all. Over time, the Research Group has established enduring partnerships with entities across various sectors and fields of expertise, with the ultimate goal of making coordinated progress towards eliminating any relevant gaps.
