The subdelegate of the Government in Lugo, Isabel Rodríguez, today claimed the feminist public policies implemented by the Government to promote women’s access to the labor market and their professional promotion, promoting conciliation and co-responsibility measures. “Because despite the advances, the conquest of rights and the improvement of working conditions for half of the population remains a fundamental element of our struggle. For the Government of Spain, ensuring the equality of women in employment is a priority issue,” said Isabel Rodríguez, who referred to the 7,760 women unemployed in the province, which represents 57% of the total.
The subdelegate made these statements at the opening of the day “Actions of the Labour Inspectorate for the Equality of Work”, framed in the programming of activities organized by the Government Subdelegation on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The session, aimed at municipal personnel and managers of social services and women’s information centres, was attended by Labour Inspector Olalla Ferreiro.
During the event, Isabel Rodríguez warned of several latent inequalities today such as that women had earned 18.72% less than men on average in 2020, that women concentrate three-quarters of part-time employment in Spain or that four out of five people who request family care leave are women. Faced with this reality, the subdelegate highlighted the steps taken by the Government to guarantee equality between men and women in the labour market. Thus, he highlighted the increase in the SMI by 46.76% compared to 2018, “a fundamental milestone in the correction of the salary gap, one of the most chronic structural inequalities of the labor bought”. She also reported that thanks to the gender gap labor reform it decreased by 2.7 points in the last 2 years and indefinite contracts for women went from 9 to 41% of the total.
He also highlighted other measures approved by the Central Executive, such as the ratification of ILO Convention 189, which recognizes the labour rights of domestic workers; the equalization of maternity and paternity leave to achieve real equality when hiring or the recent law on equal representation between men and women in decision-making centres that was approved last week in the Council of Ministers.
“It is necessary to continue advancing the implementation of policies that address the redistribution of jobs, time and wealth, and to that is contributing the full development of the Third Strategic Plan for the Effective Equality of Women and Men 2022-2025,” said Rodríguez, a norm that includes the political agenda on equality for the next four years.
Finally, the deputy delegate indicated that the Government will continue to work on a legal framework that eliminates gender inequalities, “because to be a fair and democratic society we have a duty to take advantage of 100% of female talent, breaking glass ceilings, but also sticky floors.”
Labor Inspection activity
The Inspector of Labour and Social Security of Lugo Olalla Ferreiro referred in her speech to the controls she carries out to comply with the legislation on equal work and the prevention of occupational risks with a gender perspective. It also influenced the various campaigns related to women planned by the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy and the discrimination suffered by women in access to employment, in the reconciliation of family and work life, in collective bargaining and in the employment relationship.