Gender equity: Council info and EU Publications

Gender equality and human rights are at the core of universal values and constitute stand-alone priorities mainstreamed across all European Union policies. The Council recalls its Conclusions on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) of 10 December 2018, reaffirms the validity of the EU Strategic Approach to WPS, and commits to the full implementation of the EU’s Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2019-2024.

European Ministers for Social Affairs and Employment adopted conclusions on the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic regarding gender equality.

The Council adopted conclusions calling the Commission and the member states for greater efforts to reduce the gender pay gap and gender gaps in care, and to combat gender stereotypes. The Council has approved Conclusions on "Tackling the Gender Pay Gap: Valuation and Distribution of Paid Work and Unpaid Care Work".

Drafted within the framework of the annual review of the implementation of the UN agenda for gender equality and women's empowerment by the EU and its member states (Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995), the conclusions acknowledge the progress achieved by the EU in certain areas, such as the adoption of the work-life balance directive, the increased share of women on the boards of large companies and the reduced number of women and men at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

Respect both for human rights and respect for equality between women and men are founding values for the Union, as stated in the Treaty on European Union and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

To help break the glass ceiling, the EU has adopted new rules to improve gender balance among the directors of listed companies.

Press release: the Council gave its final go-ahead to EU rules to promote more balanced gender representation on the boards of listed companies

Provision of fairness and justice in the distribution of benefits and responsibilities between women and men.

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) is an EU agency working to make gender equality a reality in the EU and beyond.

Shows gender equality trends every two years.

Gender (in)equality concerns both women and men and has a strong impact on their daily lives. Historically gender equality policies have been contextualised mainly as a “women’s issue” – as women have been a driving force behind gender equality strategies and struggles.

The issue of the role of men in the promotion of gender equality is being recognised as a necessary part of gender equality policy. On this account efforts were made to collect basic information and data in the area by mapping relevant actors in the 27 EU Member States whose activity can be considered as contributing to a more effective involvement of men in the promotion of gender equality.

Gender-based violence is both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality. Therefore, providing resources to put an end to it is an important part of EIGE work. This section provides research, statistics and expertise to help understand the problem and the way it affects our societies.

Aims to raise awareness about some of the different consequences of the Covid-19 crisis for women and men in Europe. The information draws on research findings and gender statistics. It puts forward ideas for policymakers to ensure that the gender perspective is not forgotten when it comes to making important decisions during and after the pandemic.

An online library with 500 000 documents including publications not available in other public libraries.

Variious books, articles, conference proceedings and more on masculinity in the EIGE resource and documentation centre.

The Gender Equality Index 2023 presents the EU in relation to gender equality amid crises and uncertainties. In recent years, the world has been hit by repeated shocks and multiple crises. What remains constant is the fact that when crisis strikes, women and girls suffer disproportionally. The crises and shocks continuously threaten to create new challenges and reverse years of progress on women’s rights and gender equality.
The thematic focus of the Gender Equality Index 2023 is the European Green Deal’s socially fair transition and its implications for gender equality.

Social isolation, school closures and movement restrictions keeping people within their homes led to unprecedented informal care needs and work–life tensions for people looking after others. Women and lone parents, mostly mothers, have borne the brunt of the upheaval, including the more acute socioeconomic consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. The service sector, with high female employment rates, was among the hardest hit, and the working conditions of front-line women workers were severely impacted.

This study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the FEMM Committee, assesses whether a gender dimension has been incorporated in the initiatives proposed under the Fit for 55 package and whether a gender-sensitive approach was used in its formulation. Examples are given of good practice for gender mainstreaming in energy and climate policy. Recommendations are made to close identified gender gaps in policies and processes.

The EU and its Member States have made considerable progress towards the development and implementation of gender equality policies. The adoption of the European Pact for Gender Equality and the 2020–2025 EU Gender Equality Strategy are tangible signs of the EU’s commitment and efforts in this area. However, many challenges still hinder the concrete realisation of gender equality in the EU.

Despite significant progress over the last decades, gender inequality still remains a prominent issue in the EU. Published to mark International Women’s Day 2022, this Results Pack seeks to raise awareness of the importance of a gender perspective in research and innovation.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated economic crisis have impacted women differently than men in the European Union. Even if gender issues have never been so high-up in the European political agenda, the effects of the COVID-19 crisis are putting in jeopardy the progress achieved in the past decade in terms on the reduction of gender inequalities in European member states. The effects of the COVID-19 sanitary crisis have also served to highlight the need for member states to develop proactive – rather than reactive – gender mainstreaming policies.

This report explores the potential of gender-sensitive recovery policies, spotlighting inter-related issues around unpaid care work, teleworking and wellbeing.

This in-depth, case-analytical overview, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and
Constitutional Affairs at the request of the FEMM Committee, examines the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on a representative sample of member states with the aim of alimenting policy recommendations for the COVID-19 recovery period to ensure that the gains of the past years in the matter of gender equality are not overridden by the short-term negative effects of the measures implemented to combat the COVID-19 sanitary crisis.

The COVID-19 health crisis has had strong repercussions for the EU labour market, despite the employment and income support measures adopted. The outbreak has also highlighted the importance of providing workers with essential services, such as healthcare, ICT and utilities, education and emergency services (including support services for victims of domestic violence) (ILO, 2020a). The European Institute for Gender Equality's (EIGE) analysis shows that women are over-represented in many of these essential jobs.

Closing gender gaps in the labour market by achieving the equal participation of women is among the key objectives of the new Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025. Despite significant progress in reducing the gender employment gap, it has stagnated over the past few years. Moreover, segregation in employment across sectors and occupations is still pervasive. Against this background, this policy brief investigates the evolution of female labour market participation in the last decade and shows that the persisting gender employment gap cost Europe more than €320 billion per year in 2018, corresponding to 2.4% of EU GDP. The analysis also examines the disproportionate effects that the current COVID-19 crisis is having on working women, including the risk of disengagement from the labour market and the unintended consequences of confinement measures.

Striving for a Union of equality means a Union where all women and men, girls and boys — in all their diversity — are equal. This is a joint undertaking by all stakeholders. The gender equality strategy 2020-2025 sets out a vision, policy objectives and actions to make concrete progress on gender equality in Europe and towards achieving the sustainable development goals.

Promoting equal economic independence for women and men, closing the gender pay gap, advancing gender balance in decision making, ending gender based violence and promoting gender equality beyond the EU.

Achievements and key areas for action.

A gateway to a wealth of data aligned to the three main dimensions of the Gender Equality Strategy : Free from violence and stereotypes, Thriving in a gender-equal economy and Leading equally throughout society.

The EU Gender Equality Strategy delivers on the von der Leyen Commission’s commitment to achieving a Union of Equality. The Strategy presents policy objectives and actions to make significant progress by 2025 towards a gender-equal Europe. The goal is a Union where women and men, girls and boys, in all their diversity, are free to pursue their chosen path in life, have equal opportunities to thrive, and can equally participate in and lead our European society.

The European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). Latest news, links to documents and videos of meetings

The COVID pandemic has demonstrated the essential nature of care work overwhelmingly carried out by women, says Evelyn Regner, Chair of the FEMM committee. She points out to gender inequalities linked to women’s position in the context of globalised care economy but also in society in general. The latest study examines the gendered nature of the EU care economy, the impact of COVID-19 on care, and the extent to which gender equality and care are considered in the EU’s Recovery Plan.

Découvrez comment la pandémie exacerbe les inégalités existantes entre les genres dans l'Union européenne.

European foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions. It provides knowledge to assist in the development of better social, employment and work-related policies.

Gender equality is a core value of the EU, a fundamental right, a critical component of economic growth and a key principle of the European Pillar of Social Rights.