Gender pay gap in the health and care sector in the WHO European Region: evidence brief

Overview

The Framework for action on the health and care workforce in the WHO European Region 2023–2030 calls for concrete action to eliminate gender pay gaps, value unpaid care work and promote gender balance in all decision-making positions across the Region. This evidence brief builds on the 2022 International Labour Organization–WHO gender pay gap report and provides an updated analysis for the Region. The findings confirm that despite being one of the most feminized sectors in the Region, health and care continues to show persistent and substantial gender pay gaps. Much of the gaps remain unexplained by observable factors, indicating that systemic undervaluation and biases are at play. This has consequences that reach far beyond arguments of what is fair or not, with implications for recruitment and retention, career decisions, career progression and leadership of women, and impacts the quality of care that health systems can provide. The findings underscore the need for targeted sector-specific policy interventions to advance gender equality in health and care work and health systems resilience. Closing gender pay gaps in the health and care sector improve not only gender equality outcomes but also wider goals of inclusive economic growth, social protection and sustainable development.