Inequality between the sexes: Women do more, earn less!

Inequality between the sexes: Women do more, earn less!

On March 6, 2025, attention will again be drawn to the inequality between the genders in Austria and Germany. Current figures from the economic research institute Wifo and the Momentum Institute show that women are significantly disadvantaged not only in professional life, but also in unpaid work. Women are paid, on average, 14 percent less at work than their male counterparts, while taking on more than half of the unpaid work, about 5.7 billion hours annually. They miss out on up to 28,000 euros every year. The total added value of this unpaid work amounts to an incredible 100 billion euros in Austria, which even exceeds the added value of the largest economic sector, goods manufacturing, according to the Momentum Institute.

Wealth inequality among the super-rich

At the same time, a new survey by Oxfam and the Tax Justice Network is drawing attention to the distribution of wealth among the super-rich in Germany. This study, published on the upcoming Equal Pay Day, shows that 71 percent of the largest private assets are in male hands. Women therefore only own 29 percent of Germany's billion-dollar assets, which amounts to 201 billion euros out of a total of 695 billion euros. In comparison, women in society as a whole hold around 43 percent of the net assets in Germany. This heavily male-dominated distribution of wealth is closely linked to entrenched social and political power, which not only endangers democracy but also further exacerbates gender inequality, warns Pia Schwertner from Oxfam.

So the gender gap in wages and wealth is clear and leaves little doubt about the need for change. While the pay gap has been reduced to 14 percent from 20 percent in 2011, further progress is urgently needed to achieve equality between men and women. The numbers make it clear that gender equality remains one of the central challenges of our time, both at work and in private life krone.at and zeit.de report.