Gender Pay Gap: How Big is the Difference Actually? TERRE DES FEMMES Presents the Ultimate Experiment

BERLIN, February 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

German women's rights institution TERRE DES FEMMES demands equal pay for equal work

Are we living in a world of equal opportunities and equal pay? Not even close. With their worldwide unique experiment starring three trans job applicants - applying once as women and once as men - TERRE DES FEMMES proves a point. Women do, in fact, earn up to 33 percent less for the same job. This is an indecently stark difference that surpasses even the latest statistical evaluations which put it up to 21 percent in Germany. In any case, only very few actually believe these 21% anyway: "critics complain, among other things, that these statistics refer to fundamentally different people with different qualifications," explains Christa Stolle, Managing Director of TERRE DES FEMMES. "That's why, the core of our Gender Pay Gap Experiment, involves sending trans people to reveal the pay gap where it begins: at the job interview" And thus, we can provide the ultimate proof.

The Gender Pay Gap Experiment: The same person with the same qualifications applies for the same job - once as a woman, once as a man. 

Presenting once as a man and once as a woman, three trans people undertake different job interviews within the fields of project management, pharmaceutical / technical assistant and in the fashion sector - with the same CVs, qualifications and fundamental personalities. None of the three are actors and but are authentic in their presentation of themselves as both genders. Iris P., who presents as a woman in public and as a man with their family, introduced themselves once as Dirk and once as Iris in the job interviews. Oliver Z., who presents as a man in everyday life, but also feels comfortable as a woman, introduced themselves once as Olivia and once as Michael. And Leni W., who is used to living both gender roles in everyday life introduced themselves as Anna-Lena and Leo.

The result - an absolute scandal: One person, two salaries

Hidden cameras captured how interviewers treated the women in their interviews differently - especially when it came to salary negotiations. Men were offered bonuses that were not even mentioned to women.

"The gender pay gap experiment exposes the political efforts taken in the interests of gender equality in recent years. It shows that women are still a long way from being treated equally. Politicians must finally act and promote the effective implementation of equal rights and pin them down by law." Stolle adds: "Every company in the world should, in its own interest, contribute to the implementation of equal rights, especially in job interviews which is where the unequal treatment begins."

Find our more and watch the video on: http://frauenrechte.de/paygap-experiment/

TERRE DES FEMMES (TDF) is a German non-profit women's rights organization. We are committed to ensuring that girls and women can live a free, safe, and self-determined life while holding equal and inalienable rights regarding all aspects of life. Our aim is to raise public awareness by means of education and advocacy, campaigning and lobbying, international networking, and individual personal assistance. We also promote a number of independent and local self-help projects abroad. For more information visit: www.frauenrechte.de

For further questions and interview queries please get in touch with TERRE DES FEMMES/achtung!: Stephanie Sendler, Tel. +49-40-45-02-10-824 or e-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE TERRE DES FEMMES