Spotlight on EU action for women.
Date: 2020-02-25
Institutions: Directorate-General for Communication
Subjects: EU action, equal pay, gender equality, gender mainstreaming, position of women, sexual discrimination, sexual violence, women's rights

Spotlight on
EU ACTION FOR 
WOMEN

February 2020

Equality between women and men is a fundamental value of the European Union, 
dating back to the 1957 Treaty of Rome, which established the principle of equal pay 
for equal work. Since then, the EU has continued to tackle gender-based discrimination 
and today Europe is one of the safest and fairest places for women in the world.

However, the fight for and protection of women’s rights is still 
necessary.  Although  women  in  Europe  should  enjoy  equality, 
empowerment and safety, for far too many women these rights 
are  not  yet  a  reality.  Statistics  show  that  women  are  under-
represented in decision-making positions in politics and business 
and still earn on average 16 % less than men across the EU. 
Gender-based violence and harassment remain widespread.

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WHAT  THE  EU 
IS DOING

The EU aims to give women 
the  same  opportunities 
as  men  in  the  workplace, 
such  as  equal  pay,  and 
to  help  both  men  and 
women  to  strike  a  better 
balance  between  work 
and  other  areas  of  life. 
Another major priority is to stop violence against women 
and  girls  and  to  promote  gender  equality  in  the  EU 
and  across  the  world.  The  EU  also  promotes  equality 
between men and women in decision-making positions. 
The European Commission’s work in all these areas is 
based on its strategic engagement for gender equality  
2016-2019.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND PAY 

Gender pay gap 
On average, in 2016 women earned  
16 % less than men in the EU

Many  women  are  still  not  achieving  full  economic 
independence.  Barriers  to  participating  in  the  labour 
market  and  the  care-giving  responsibilities  of  many 
women are some of the reasons why women tend to 
work less than men and in lower-paid sectors, take more 
career breaks and face fewer and slower promotions. 
However, the EU is committed to providing women with 
equal opportunities in employment and equal pay.

In  2017,  66.5  %  of  women  aged  20  to  64  in  the  EU 
were in work, up from 62.1 % in 2010. The employment 
rate for men was 78 % in 2017 and 75.1 % in 2010. 
The principle of equal pay is included in the EU treaties 
and in the rules on gender equality in the labour market, 
however it remains a challenge in all Member States to 
ensure that the rules are correctly applied.

Based on a 2017 projection for 28 Member 
States, improving gender equality could create  
10.5 million jobs by 2050 and boost the EU 
economy by between €1.95 and €3.15 trillion.

In 2017, the EU presented an action 
plan to close the gap between what 
women and men are paid. The plan 
tackles  issues  such  as  stereotypes 
and  work-life  balance  and  calls  on 
governments,  employers  and  trade 
unions to take action to ensure that 
women’s pay is determined fairly.

EU ACTION TO IMPROVE GENDER EQUALITY 
AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Gender equality is not only an issue for women, but also 
for men. It is at the heart of the European Pillar of Social 
Rights,  which  aims  for  the  equality  of  treatment  and 
opportunities between women and men in all areas. This 
includes participation in the labour market, employment 
conditions, and career progression.

A  directive  adopted  by  the  EU  in  2014  makes  it 
compulsory  for  large  listed  companies  to  publish 
information  about  their  company  boards  with  regard 
to  their  diversity  policy,  such  as  age,  gender  and 
educational and professional backgrounds.

But  life  is  not  all  about  work  and  money.  Striking  a 
balance  between  working,  securing  your  income  and 
having time for yourself and your family is an important 
consideration for both women and men.

The gap in employment between 
men and women was estimated 
in 2013 to cost the EU 
economy €370 billion per year.

€

Video on work-life balance: https://bit.ly/2tUdtPb

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The European Commission’s work-life balance initiative 
delivers  on  the  pillar’s  principle  of  equal  treatment 
and  introduces  new  rights    -  or  strengthens  existing 
ones - at EU level to help balance the sharing of care 
responsibilities between women and men, and thereby 
support  women’s  employment.  These 
cover  paternity,  parental,  and  carers’ 
leave, as well as flexible working 
arrangements  for  parents  and 
carers.

Projects  financed  in  the  EU’s  regions  provide  women 
with  new  opportunities  through  access  to  financing, 
personalised support or coaching to help start a business.  
You can find programmes and projects in your country 
or region.

The WEgate platform is a one-stop shop for women who 
want to start or grow a business, with information on 
training, mentoring, advice and networking. You can also 
find out how EU loans and venture capital can enable 
you to set up or grow your business.

The initiative also contains a set of measures to support 
Member  States  in  protecting  pregnant  workers  as 
well as people who take family leave from dismissal, 
in  improving  the  provision  of  care  services  and  in 
addressing economic disincentives for second earners.

Health  issues  can  be  different  for  women  and  men. 
The EU’s third Health Programme aims to ensure that 
people have equal chances of good health and quality 
healthcare, regardless of their gender.

HOW THE EU IS ASSISTING WOMEN IN THE 
WORLD OF WORK

The EU takes the specific needs of women into account 
across its different spending programmes and policies, 
and every year the European Social Fund helps millions 
of people facing a variety of challenges to improve their 
access to jobs.

Specific  actions  to  help  get  women  into  work  include 
schemes  to  retrain  and  improve  skills.  The  fund  also 
enables women to return to work after a career break, 
for example by providing quality childcare and individual 
guidance, and by improving employers’ awareness of the 
challenges faced by women. The European Social Fund 
supports projects in your country. Its many successful 
initiatives are making a real difference to people’s lives.

The  EU  is  also  taking  action  to  boost  women’s 
participation  in  the  digital  sector  by  challenging 
stereotypes, promoting education and training in digital 
skills,  and  encouraging  more  female  entrepreneurs  in 
the sector. The European Network for Women in Digital 
was launched in 2018 so that girls and women in the 
digital sector can network and collaborate on ideas and 
experiences in this field. Some 20 tech companies have 
also  committed  to  provide  an  inclusive  and  gender-
balanced work culture and environment. 

The  EU  is  also  committed  to  closing  gender  gaps  in 
research  and  innovation.  For  example,  the  Horizon 
2020  programme  helps  research  organisations  and 
universities to implement gender equality plans. Every 
year,  the  EU  Prize  for  Women  Innovators  recognises 
women  who  are  not  just  excellent  researchers  and 
innovators but successful entrepreneurs too. The EU is 
also taking action to improve women’s employment in 
other sectors such as transport.

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STOPPING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

One in three women in the EU has 
experienced physical and/or sexual 
violence since the age of 15.

EU Agency for Fundamental Rights survey on violence 
against women (2014)

Everybody has the right to live a life free of violence. 
However, violence towards women and girls is on the 
rise around the globe. In many places, attitudes towards 
victims contribute to the problem: a 2016 Eurobarometer 
survey  revealed  that  violence  against  women  is  still 
accepted and even justified in some countries in the EU. 
The majority of victims of trafficking reported in the EU 
are women and girls. Anti-trafficking legislation in the EU 
creates obligations to adopt gender-specific measures, 
and  is  accompanied  by  policy  measures  and  financial 
programmes to support Member States.

All EU Member States, as well as the European Union 
itself,  have  signed  the  Council  of  Europe  convention 
on preventing and combating violence against women 
and  domestic  violence  (also  known  as  the  Istanbul 
convention). The convention obliges countries to prevent 
and criminalise all forms of violence, protect victims and 
prosecute perpetrators.

PROMOTING EQUALITY AND PROTECTING 
YOUR RIGHTS

You have rights and can take action if 
you think they have been breached. For 
more 
information  on  how  non-
discrimination  and  equal  treatment 
apply  in  your  own  country,  you  can 
contact  the  appropriate  national 
member  of  the  European  Network  of 
Equality Bodies, which was set up to promote a uniform 
application of EU law in these fields.

Every  year,  the  European  Commission  publishes  a 
wide-ranging report on the state of gender equality in 
the  EU.  The  judgments  of  the  Court  of  Justice  of  the 
European  Union  play  an  important  role  in  promoting 
equality between women and men, ensuring that EU law 
is interpreted and applied in the same way in every EU 
country.

The  European  Institute  for  Gender  Equality  supports 
Member States and the EU in their efforts to promote 
and  ensure  equal  opportunities  for  women  and  men 
across  Europe  and  beyond.  The  institute’s  Gender 
Equality  Index  monitors  progress.  The  European 
Commission supports European networks of civil society 
organisations, including the European Women’s Lobby, 
Women Against Violence Europe, the European Network 
for  the  Work  with  Perpetrators  of  Domestic  Violence, 
and the END FGM European Network. They work closely 
with the EU institutions on issues of women’s rights and 
equality between men and women, and can also put you 
in touch with relevant organisations in your own country.

The EU’s NON.NO.NEIN campaign encourages men and 
women to take a stand against violence against women. 
The EU also funds projects on combating gender-based 
violence  and  supporting  its  victims  under  the  Rights, 
Equality and Citizenship programme.

At global level, in 2017 the EU and the United Nations 
launched the Spotlight Initiative to eliminate all forms of 
violence against women and girls. It was supported with 
a commitment of €500 million from the EU.

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PROGRESS FOR WOMEN IN POLITICS AND 
DECISION-MAKING

The  President  and  female  members  of 
the European Commission

The  EU  is  working  to  help  women  break  glass 
ceilings  in  business  and  politics.  It  is  doing  this  by 
working  with  governments,  businesses,  trade  unions 
and  non-governmental  organisations  to  design  and 
implement EU-wide activities on gender balance at top 
levels, by collecting and disseminating information, and 
by promoting good practices.

In December 2019, Ursula von der Leyen became the first 
female President of the European Commission. Christine 
Lagarde took office as the head of the European Central 
Bank  in  November  2019,  making  her  the  first  female 
President  of  the  ECB.  Emily  O’Reilly  is  the  European 
Ombudsman,  who  investigates  complaints  of  poor 
administration by EU institutions.

The rules that govern employment in the EU institutions 
must be applied without any discrimination based on sex,  
including  as  regards  pay.  Staff  are  entitled  to  parental 
or  family  leave.  The  European  Commission  does  not 
discriminate in the recruitment or promotion of staff, and it 
provides a respectful and flexible working environment for 
its employees. The Commission also has a strategy in place 
to promote work-life balance and the well-being of staff.

Former  European  Commission  President  Juncker  set 
a  target  of  ensuring  at  least  40  %  of  the  European 
Commission’s middle and senior managers are women 
by the end of his mandate in 2019. As of October 2019, 
women accounted for 41 % of all managers, up from 
30 % in 2014.

Proportion of women and men 
in the European Parliament

Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission | Margrethe 
Vestager (Executive Vice-President) A Europe Fit for the Digital Age | Věra 
Jourová  (Vice-President)  Values  and  Transparency  |  Dubravka  Šuica 
(Vice-President)  Democracy  and  Demography  |  Mariya  Gabriel  Innovation, 
Research,  Culture,  Education  and  Youth  |  Elisa  Ferreira  Cohesion  and 
Reforms  |  Stella  Kyriakides  Health  and  Food  Safety  |  Helena  Dalli 
Equality  |  Ylva  Johansson  Home  Affairs  |  Adina  Vălean  Transport  | 
International  Partnerships  |  Kadri  Simson  Energy
Jutta  Urpilainen 

1989-1994 

84-1989 

9
1

4 
8
9
1
-
9
7
9
1

1994-1999  1999-2004  2004-2009 

2

7.4 %

19.9 %
15.7 %

.

2
7
5
%

9.9 %

2

35.5 %
36.4 %

15.2 %

39.4 %

2009-2014 

2014-201

9 

2
0
1
9
-
2
0
2
4

The European Parliament elections resulted in an increase 
in the number of female members to 39.4 % - a record 
high.  In  seven  Member  States  women  filled  50  %  or 
more of the seats: Denmark, 
Latvia,  Luxembourg,  Malta, 
Slovenia,  Finland  and 
Sweden.

Following the 2019 elections, women make up 39.4 %  
of the members of the European Parliament  
(situation February 2020)

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IMPROVING LIVES WORLDWIDE

The European Union aims to improve the lives 
of  girls  and  women  worldwide  through  its 
policies, in particular the Framework for Gender 
Equality  and  Women’s  Empowerment.  Through 
this framework, the EU aims to support partner 
countries, especially in developing, enlargement 
and  neighbouring  countries,  to  achieve  real 
results in the area of gender equality set out in 
its action plan.

The EU further pursues gender equality in development 
cooperation by making it a priority in political and policy 
dialogues with partner countries. For example, in the 
context of trade negotiations with Chile, the EU has, for 
the first time, proposed provisions on trade and gender 
equality.

The  EU’s  twin-track  approach  focuses  on  gender 
mainstreaming and gender specific actions in a number 
of  areas:  capacity-building  for  developing  countries; 
support for women’s organisations; and disseminating 
information on gender equality through guidelines, best 
practices and awareness raising.

The EU has also led the way in negotiating the inclusion 
of  gender  equality  targets  in  the  UN’s  2030  Agenda 
for Sustainable Development. These targets focus on 
eliminating  violence  against  women,  on  recognising 
unpaid care and domestic work and on universal access 
to  sexual  and  reproductive  health  and  reproductive 
rights. In addition, there is an explicit commitment to 
gender mainstreaming of all sustainable development 
goals, targets and indicators.

The  EU  and  its  Member  States  are  also 
committed  to  including  a  strong  gender 
component in all their policies and practices 
in their relations with developing countries. This 
is done through the 2017 European Consensus 
on  Development.  Among  the  key  objectives 
are  strengthening  policy  dialogue  to  empower 
women and girls, promoting their important role 
in  development  and  change,  and  increasing  targeted 
action towards gender equality.

Over the last 2 years, the EU has supported more than 
1.5 million girls and women with services for protection 
and  care  related  to  female  genital  mutilation.  As  a 
result,  3 000  communities,  representing  8.5 million 
people,  made  public  declarations  on  abandoning  this 
practice. 

The EU also recognises women fighting for their rights 
across the world. Islamic State survivors Nadia Murad 
and Lamiya Aji Bashar and Pakistani campaigner for 
girls’  education  Malala  Yousafzai  have  received  the 
European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize.

In  addition,  candidate  countries  working  towards 
becoming members of the EU must fully embrace 
the  fundamental  principle  of  equality 
between women and men and must work 
to  include  EU  legislation  in  this  area  in 
their own structures. This remains a 
priority of the enlargement process.

Questions about the European Union?  
Europe Direct can help: 
00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11, 
http://europedirect.europa.eu 

An interactive version of this 
publication, containing links to online 
content, is available in PDF and HTML 
format: https://op.europa.eu/webpub/
com/factsheets/women/en/

Part of the Spotlight on series of the European Commission
© European Union, 2020 

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Reuse is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. 

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permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders.

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