The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted an order to join the Equal Pay International Coalition, based on the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly on September 18, 2017 in New York (USA).
The corresponding decision was made at a government meeting on Wednesday.
“After receiving a response from the secretariat of the Equal Pay International Coalition, the government of Ukraine will become a member of this coalition together with the Confederation of Employers of Ukraine, the General Representative Body of Representative All-Ukrainian Associations of Trade Unions at the national level, the Kyiv Institute for Gender Studies,” the press service of the Ministry of Social Policy said.
It is reported that joining the Coalition is an important step in fulfilling the commitment to narrow the gender pay gap undertaken by Ukraine as part of its participation in the Biarritz Partnership international initiative, which Ukraine joined in August 2020.
“The positive experience of the states that have joined the coalition is important for Ukraine, given the course it has chosen for European integration and the need to consolidate the efforts of executive authorities, trade union associations, employers’ associations, civil society organizations, as well as academia, aimed at closing the pay gap in the wages of women and men” the ministry said.
According to the ministry, at the beginning of 2020 in Ukraine, the average monthly wage of men was 22% higher than the average monthly wage of women.
Despite the overall positive dynamics in some areas of economic activity (for example, in financial and insurance activities), the gap in wages for women and men is up to 35%. The level of remuneration for women and men is almost the same in those areas where wages are low (administrative and support services, functioning of libraries, education).
The Equal Pay Coalition is an international initiative founded by stakeholders to narrow the gender pay gap and respect the principle of equal pay for equal work in all countries and industries.
The coalition is joined by central executive bodies (ministries responsible for the formation and implementation of policies in the field of labor and employment, ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men, central executive bodies in the field of statistics), associations of employers and trade unions, relevant UN agencies, civil organisations and scientific institutions.
Batkivschyna leader Yulia Tymoshenko has said “a coalition of actions” should be created in the new parliament, and a coalition agreement should be based on the New Course program developed by her party. She said it is a clear plan for saving Ukraine.
“We proposed to create a coalition of actions and stop talking about reforms and dreams. We must make the New Course program the basis for a coalition of actions. This is the program that we have and which provides a timetable. There are certain indicators showing what we will achieve, for example, 7% economic growth per year. No party has such a professional comprehensive plan for Ukraine,” Tymoshenko said during an interview broadcast by the NewsOne TV on Thursday evening.
Tymoshenko said it is important not to waste time.
“We need to quickly get to work. There are many statements, conversations, memoranda, but this is white noise. We must act and give people results,” she said, adding that if the program is implemented successfully Ukrainians will live like Polish people do in five years.
“We have set ourselves such a task. And we will have at least 7% of economic growth per year,” she said.
Tymoshenko said the Servant of the People, the Batkivschyna and Holos party parliament factions would form a coalition in the new parliament.
“Our experience and knowledge of how to act daily to save the country […] will help the president’s team,” she said.
Leader of the parliamentary faction Batkivschyna Yulia Tymoshenko proposes to begin consultations on the creation of a new coalition in the Verkhovna Rada.
“I think that now we need to hold the main discussion about whether there will be extraordinary or next ones – we still have half a year to restart – we need to start a discussion about creating a new coalition in parliament and creating a new government of Ukraine with a completely new strategy and tactics of governing the country,” Tymoshenko said at a meeting of the conciliatory council of faction leaders and parliamentary groups on Monday.
She noted that, otherwise, time will be lost and chaos will continue, which today, according to the politician, exists in the country.
