The Gender Pension Gap: Differences between Mothers and Women without Children

Studie 15-07-2016

This study was commissioned by the European Parliament's Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the FEMM Committee. Demographic trends and the financial and economic crisis have obliged European countries to accelerate the revision of their pension systems with the aim of ensuring their sustainability. However, serious question on the effects these reforms on pension adequacy have been raised. This report summarises recent changes in pension reforms and their effects on gender pension gaps, with a focus on women with children. The assessment of recent pension reforms in a gender perspective shows that changes in pension design may increase the gender gap in pensions and translate into higher poverty risks for older women compared to men, unless specific measures are implemented in Member States to support women’s position in the labour market and to address periods out of the labour market due to caring duties.