How to close the gender wage gap
Iceland owes its progress in narrowing the gender wage gap to a decades-long equal-rights movement and public policies.
Society
Social Europe is an award-winning digital media publisher driven by the core values of freedom, sustainability, and equality. These principles guide our exploration of society’s most pressing challenges. This archive page curates Social Europe articles focused on societal issues, offering a rich resource for innovative thinking and informed debate.
Delivering on social protection for all
Despite the European Pillar of Social Rights, social protection remains patchy for atypical and self-employed workers.
Housing crisis: Europe cannot afford it
Housing may not be an EU competence but the growing affordability crisis across the union demands attention.
Persons with disabilities: removing the barriers
As the European Parliament election looms, it’s time for action on disability policies, not pity.
Mining for critical materials cannot undermine trust
The climate transition must benefit local communities, Lisa Pelling writes, if it is not to exhaust their patience.
Not done yet—applying the minimum-wages directive
The directive has already changed the landscape on setting minimum wages and extending collective bargaining.
Violence against women: ‘tradition’ confronts Europe
The European Commission recently proposed that EU accession negotiations be opened with Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Codetermination in Spain: chronicle of a death foretold?
A failed initiative to advance democracy at work nevertheless contains lessons for how to pursue the cause.
What is meaningful work? A philosopher’s view
Employees need to feel their work makes a social contribution—which means they need to be involved in its governance.
Decarbonising housing fairly: a sufficiency approach
Housing is a huge source of carbon emissions. But decarbonising it effectively requires a sufficiency lens.
Rethinking the battle against homelessness
Eradicating homelessness starts with seeing beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to homeless people.
European elections: a call for accessibility
More is needed for visually impaired voters—and candidates—to exercise their political rights.
When less is more: reducing Europe’s material footprint
Beyond cutting greenhouse-gas emissions, the key to a sustainable planet lies in resource management.
Sex trafficking in Romania and Moldova
The charges faced in Romania by a high-profile ‘influencer’ highlight how the region has become a hub for sex trafficking.
Time for a European industrial strategy
The next phase of the European Green Deal can be centred on a European industrial strategy.
A global legal precedent on climate change
Older Swiss women have set a global legal precedent for challenging their nation’s climate-change policy.
EU leaders may miss a rendezvous with history
The emerging strategic agenda for the next EU mandate reveals an ecological step backwards Europe cannot afford to take.