EIGE’s publications overview 2024.
Date: 2025-01-22
Institutions: European Institute for Gender Equality
Subjects: EU publication, European Institute for Gender Equality, anti-discriminatory measure, catalogue, gender equality, institutional activity, position of women

EIGE’s publications overview 2024

Women fleeing the war: Access to sexual and reproductive healthcare  
in the EU under the Temporary Protection Directive 

Description:

Since the onset of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on 22 
February 2022, human rights violations and violence have become the 
new harrowing reality of Ukraine, with growing evidence of mass atrocities 
and crimes of sexual violence and torture committed against civilians in 
the territories occupied by Russia’s armed forces. Over 8 million persons 
– mostly women and children – fled Ukraine and sought refuge and 
protection across Europe.

The overarching objective of this report is to assess the availability of 
specialised services available in the European Union for victims of conflict-
related sexual violence. More specifically, the report aims to identify gaps 
in the provision of sexual and reproductive health services and offers 
recommendations to ensure that victims of conflict-related sexual violence 
enjoy immediate access to them.

Gender-based violence

Women fleeing the war:
Access to sexual and reproductive healthcare in the EU 
under the Temporary Protection Directive

Type: Report

Publishing date: February

Language version: EN

Gender Equality Action Plans for Parliaments: Step-by-step tool

Gender Mainstreaming

Gender Equality Action 
Plans for Parliaments: 
Step-by-step tool

Type: Tool

Publishing date: March

Language version: EN

Description:

This tool provides practical step-by-step guidance to parliaments at the EU, 
national and regional levels to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate a 
gender equality action plan. 

The tool describes how to: 

 ▶ plan the process of establishing a gender equality action plan from start 

to finish

 ▶ set up the necessary support structures and conditions that are required 

to success fully execute a gender equality action plan

 ▶ design the contents of a gender equality action plan, including the 

measures that parliaments can adopt

 ▶ recognise the key challenges they may encounter throughout the 

process, and potential solutions to prevent and address these concerns. 

The tool supports parliaments in achieving gender-responsive institutional 
transformation. If you have assessed the gender-sensitivity of your 
parliament, develop a gender equality action plan as a next step towards 
achieving a gender-sensitive parliament.

1

European Institute for Gender EqualityGender Equality Action Plans

Description:

Gender equality action plans are gender mainstreaming tools that outline 
the specific actions an institution will take to advance gender equality in 
their organisation. 

Institutions are not gender-neutral entities, as gender inequalities may 
be perpetuated through policies, activities and organisational culture. 
Gender equality action plans enable institutions to address the identified 
inequalities within their organisations by integrating a gender perspective 
into their internal activities and external outputs. 

Gender equality action plans: 

 ▶ outline the gender equality goals the institution aims to achieve and the 

specific actions to carry out to achieve each goal

 ▶ present the timeframe and (human and financial) resources for 

implementation

 ▶ describe procedures for monitoring and evaluating progress

Gender Mainstreaming

Gender Equality 
Action Plans

Type: Method  
and tool brief

Publishing date: April

Language version: EN

Financial Independence and Gender Equality:  
Joining the dots between income, wealth, and power

Description:

This report presents evidence on gender inequalities in financial 
independence in the EU, with a particular focus on how financial 
independence has been defined and measured. It also presents evidence 
on the impact of tax–benefit systems in EU Member States on gender 
inequalities in financial independence and explores consequences 
associated with financial dependence, including economic violence.

The report finds that:

Beijing Platform for Action

Financial independence
and gender equality
Joining the dots between income, wealth, and power

Financial independence has most often been defined in narrow terms, 
focusing on earnings and income specifically within the context of female–
male partnerships

Type: Report

Publishing date: May

Language version: EN

Gender inequalities in pay, earnings and income are entrenched and 
enduring, with gender gaps consistently being to the detriment of women

Women are consistently disadvantaged compared to men in relation to 
wealth, with gender gaps increasing with age or presence of children, and 
women often shouldering financial responsibility for making ends meet.

Data limitations make it difficult to estimate gender inequalities in 
financial independence across all its dimensions

Tax–benefit systems in EU Member States reduce gender 
inequalities in financial independence, but largely 
for the working age population

Consequences associated with financial 
dependence are wide-ranging, and 
financial dependence has been linked 
to different forms of violence, such 
as economic violence

2

European Institute for Gender EqualityGender equality in the European and national parliaments  
ahead of the 2024 election year

Gender Mainstreaming

Gender equality in the European 
Parliament and in national 
parliaments in the European Union 
ahead of the 2024 election year

What is a gender-sensitive parliament?

As bastions of democracy and guardians of gender equality, 
gender-sensitive parliaments ensure that there are no barriers 
for women and men in all their diversity to participate equally 
and have equal influence over decision-making. They serve as a 
positive example of safe, gender-equal workplaces that ensure 
that everyone – members of parliament (MPs) and parliamentary 

staff alike – has equal opportunities to contribute fully to the 
work that underpins the legislative process. They also set up 
structures and use tools to ensure that a gender perspective is 
mainstreamed in all parliamentary work, processes and outputs 
and that legislation across all policy areas has a fair and equal 
impact on diverse groups of women and men.

How is gender sensitivity assessed?

The gender-sensitive parliaments self-assessment tool of 
the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) assesses 
and monitors gender equality in the organisation and work 
of parliaments. The assessment is broken down into five 
areas. This factsheet presents selected key findings from 
the  assessment  of  gender  sensitivity  in  the  European 

Parliament  and  in  the  national  parliaments  in  the  EU 
conducted in May–August 2023 (1). It recognises efforts 
made since EIGE’s first assessment in 2019 and highlights 
the space for improvement to promote and deliver gender 
equalit y  in  the  parliaments’  internal  struc tures  and 
legislative outputs.

Where do parliaments stand on their way to gender equality?

Area  1:  Opportunities  to  enter 
parliament

Gender balance has been achieved 
in the European Parliament. National 
parliaments are lagging behind as 
women account for one in three MPs. 

Area 3: Space on the parliamentary 
agenda

The European Parliament has made 
progress in advancing gender equality 
within its operational activities. Not 
all national parliaments have gender 
equality bodies and the use of gender 
mainstreaming tools is limited.

Area 5: Symbolic function

F ew  parliament s  adequatel y 
recognize their symbolic function 
on gender equality with policies to 
enhance the gender-sensitivity of 
physical spaces and communication 
on gender equality.

Area  2:  Oppor tunities  to 
influence parliament’s work

Persistent vertical and horizontal 
segregation remains an issue 
at EU and Member State levels. 
Provisions to ensure safe working 
conditions and work-life balance 
are mostly absent.

A r e a  4 :  G e n d e r- s e n s i t i v e 
legislation

The extent to which Member States 
have developed legislation dealing 
with gender equality in specific 
policy areas varies. Gender impact 
assessments of draft legislation are 
underused.

(1)  Data collection covered both chambers in countries with bicameral parliaments. Information was primarily sourced from publicly available data, for example on 

websites and in published reports, with additional input from national parliamentary contacts when online information was unavailable.

Type: Factsheet

Publishing date: May

Language version: EN

Description:

As bastions of democracy and guardians of gender equality, gender-
sensitive parliaments ensure that there are no barriers for women and men 
in all their diversity to participate equally and have equal influence over 
decision-making.

They serve as a positive example of safe, gender-equal workplaces that 
ensure that everyone – members of parliament (MPs) and parliamentary 
staff alike – has equal opportunities to contribute fully to the work that 
underpins the legislative process.

They also set up structures and use tools to ensure that a gender 
perspective is mainstreamed in all parliamentary work, processes and 
outputs and that legislation across all policy areas has a fair and equal 
impact on diverse groups of women and men.

Gender balance in politics: November 2023

Description:

Despite ongoing efforts and interventions to promote balanced 
representation of women and men in political decision-making within 
the EU, and some progress over time, the overall situation remains one of 
imbalance, with key positions largely occupied by men.

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) regularly monitors 
gender balance in political decision-making in the EU and its 27 Member 
States. This brief presents EIGE’s data on the representation of women 
and men in key political decision-making positions at the EU and national 
levels.

Gender Statistics Database

Gender balance in politics 
 November 2023

Member State codes

BE 
BG 
CZ 
DK 
DE 
EE 
IE 
EL 
ES 
FR 
HR 
IT 
CY 

Belgium
Bulgaria
Czechia
Denmark
Germany
Estonia
Ireland
Greece
Spain
France
Croatia
Italy
Cyprus

LV 
LT 
LU 
HU 
MT 
NL 
AT 
PL 
PT 
RO 
SI 
SK 
FI 
SE 

Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Hungary
Malta
Netherlands
Austria
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovenia
Slovakia
Finland
Sweden

Despite ongoing efforts and interventions to promote balanced rep-
resentation of women and men in political decision-making within the 
EU, and some progress over time, the overall situation remains one of 
imbalance, with key positions largely occupied by men.

There  is  now  gender  balance  in  the  European  Parliament  (i.e.  Mem-
bers  of  the  European  Parliament  (MEPs)  comprise  at  least  40  %  of 
each gender), yet there are significant differences in the gender com-
position of MEPs from different Member States. The focus of the up-
coming European elections, in June 2024, is thus on how to improve 
the  gender  balance  among  individual  Member  State  delegations  (1). 
The  European  Parliament  drafted  a  legislative  proposal  to  support  a 
binding objective of gender equality for the upcoming elections and 
an obligation for political entities to ensure gender equality on candi-
date lists, but the Council has yet to endorse the proposal (2).

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) regularly monitors 
gender balance in political decision-making in the EU and its 27 Mem-
ber  States.  This  brief  presents  EIGE’s  data  on  the  representation  of 
women and men in key political decision-making positions at the EU 
and national levels.

Further action needed to translate quotas into gender balance in the European Parliament and 
national parliaments

In  November  2023,  40.0  %  of  MEPs  were  women  and  60.0  %  were 
men (Figure  1), while, of the combined members of the single/lower 
houses  of  national  parliaments  in  the  Member  States,  33.0  %  were 
women and 67.0 % were men.

A total of 11 Member States have legislated gender quotas applicable 
to candidate lists for national parliament elections, and 10 of them also 
have quotas for the European Parliament elections. The numbers differ 
because Ireland has a quota for national elections (40 %) but not for the 
European Parliament elections. Notably, the quota threshold is higher 
for the European elections than the national elections in Italy (50 % ver-
sus  40  %,  respectively)  and  Slovenia  (40  %  versus  35  %,  respectively) 
(see Figure 1).

To  date,  the  proportion  of  elected  women  MEPs  in  four  Member 
States (Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg and Poland) matches or exceeds 

the respective candidate quota set for the European Parliament (see 
Figure 1) (3). However, so far, the representation of women in the sin-
gle/lower house of parliament has reached or surpassed the legislat-
ed  candidate  quota  in  only  two  of  these  Member  States  (Spain  and 
Slovenia)  (4).  Evidence  suggests  that  quotas  can  boost  the  share  of 
women in parliaments (see below), but they need to be accompanied 
by deterrent sanctions (e.g. rejection of and/or financial penalties for 
candidate  lists  containing  insufficient  women)  and  appropriate  sys-
tems (e.g. 'zipped lists', i.e. candidate lists containing men and women 
alternately,  or  applying  the  quota  to  a  certain  number  of  positions 
in the candidate list) to ensure that women candidates are placed in 
‘winnable’  seats,  increasing  the  likelihood  of  more  gender-balanced 
parliaments.  For  example,  in  Spain,  the  quota  of  40  %  of  either  sex 
has  to  be  respected  not  only  in  the  list  as  a  whole  but  also  in  every 
group of five candidates in the list.

Figure 1.  Share of women members in the single/lower houses of national parliaments and in the European Parliament (EP) by 
Member State, and quota thresholds for candidate lists for national and European elections, November 2023

% Women (national parliaments)

% Women (EP)

Quota (national parliaments)

Quota (EP)

n
e
m
o
w
%

80

60

33.0

40.0

40

20

0

7
2
-
U
E

E
S

I
F

S
E

K
D

E
B

T
A

L
N

I

R S
F

T
P

E
D

R
H

T
I

V
L

U
L

E
E

L
P

T
L

T
M

Z
C

E
G I
B

L
E

K
S

O
R

Y
C

U
H

NB: Member States are listed in descending order of the percentage of women in national parliaments. In Belgium and France, both quotas are 50 %; in Greece, Spain, Croatia, Lux-
embourg and Portugal, both quotas are 40 %; and in Poland both quotas are 35 %. In Ireland, the quota is 40 % for national elections but there is no quota for European elections. 
In Italy, the quota is 40 % for national elections and 50 % for European elections. In Slovenia, the quota is 35 % for national elections and 40 % for European elections. Malta does 
not have a legislative quota for candidate lists but has a ‘gender-corrective’ mechanism for national elections; however, there is no equivalent for the European elections.

Source: EIGE Gender Statistics Database.

See the European Parliament briefing on gender balance in European elections: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2023/751447/EPRS_BRI(2023)751447_EN.pdf.
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2022-0129_EN.html.

(1) 
(2) 
(3)  November 2023: Spain: 49.1 % women MEPs, 40 % quota; Luxembourg: 66.7 % women MEPs, 40 % quota; Poland: 35.3 % women MEPs, 35 % quota; Portugal: 47.6 % women MEPs, 40 % quota.
(4)  November 2023: Spain: 44.2 % women, 40 % quota; Slovenia: 37.8 % women, 35 % quota.

Type: Factsheet

Publishing date: May

Language version: EN

3

European Institute for Gender Equality 
Fostering a gender and intersectional perspective in EU foresight

Description:

Foresight is the method of anticipating future developments and potential 
risks to inform strategic planning. In the EU, foresight has been integrated 
into policymaking since 2021 to create evidence-based strategies that 
anticipate future trends, risks and opportunities. 

The EU is mandated to incorporate a gender perspective into all policies 
and activities to achieve gender equality, and foresight is no exception. By 
adopting a gender-transformative approach, foresight can better address 
the diverse needs and priorities of women and men, thus promoting 
gender equality by considering all subgroups as agents of change. 

An intersectional perspective considers how gender and characteristics 
such as age, socioeconomic situation, disability, race, ethnicity, 
religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, rural or urban location are 
interconnected and influence people’s experiences. 

There are numerous opportunities to incorporate a gender and intersecting 
inequalities perspective into foresight at different stages of the EU policy 
cycle and the ‘Better regulation’ framework. This policy brief explains how 
this can be achieved.

Gender Mainstreaming

Fostering a gender and 
intersectional perspective 
in EU foresight

Type: Policy brief

Publishing date: May

Language version: EN

Gender equality in the European Parliament and in national parliaments  
in the European Union: 2023 state of play

Description:

This report assesses the state of gender equality in the European 
Parliament and in national parliaments in the European Union (EU). 
Achieving gender-sensitive parliaments requires prioritising gender 
equality as a social, political and economic objective and transforming 
parliaments’ culture, processes, practices and outputs towards advancing 
gender equality. 

The report presents the findings of the second European Institute for 
Gender Equality (EIGE) data collection on gender-sensitive parliaments. 
Based on data collected between May and August 2023, this report 
presents a comparative assessment of findings from the European 
Parliament and the national parliaments of the 27 EU Member States. It 
assesses their performance in five areas outlined in EIGE’s self-assessment 
framework for gender-sensitive parliaments.

Gender Mainstreaming

Gender equality in the European 
Parliament and in national 
parliaments in the European Union: 
2023 state of play

Type: Report

Publishing date: June

Language version: EN

4

European Institute for Gender EqualityGender-responsive Evaluation for a Sustainable Future for All:  
GREENA step-by-step toolkit for a green and gender-equal Europe

Gender Mainstreaming
Gender-responsive Evaluation for a 
Sustainable Future for All: GREENA 
step-by-step toolkit for a green and 
gender-equal Europe

The EU gender equality strategy (1) acknowledges that the 
policies under the European Green Deal affect women and 
men differently. To leverage the full potential of green policies 
it is crucial to recognise the synergies between the European 
Green Deal and the EU gender equality strategy, and thus 
address the gender and intersectional dimension of these 
policies.

The ‘Better regulation’ agenda sets out the Commission’s 
approach  to  designing  and  evaluating  EU  policies 
transparently based on evidence and the views of citizens 
and stakeholders (2). In 2020, the Commission committed to 
improving the assessment of gender impacts in evaluations 
and  impact  assessments  within  the  ‘Better  regulation’ 
framework, under the interinstitutional agreement signed 
by the European Parliament, the Council of the European 
Union  and  the  European  Commission  (3).  Its  aim  was  to 
enhance budgetary transparency, gender equality and gender 
mainstreaming in the implementation and monitoring of 
the 2021–2027 multiannual financial framework. In 2021, the 

Commission built on this commitment with the communication 
on ‘Better regulation’ (4), vowing to pay greater attention 
to  gender  equality  and  equality  for  all  in  all  stages  of 
policymaking (5).

With the adoption of the European Green Deal, the European 
Commission pledged to ensure that the green transition is 
just and inclusive and leaves no one behind (6). To make this 
commitment a reality, the European Green Deal recognises 
that all EU actions, policies and investments should pull 
together to help the EU achieve a successful, sustainable 
and fair transition.

A gender-responsive approach to the impact assessment and 
evaluation of policies and investments launched under the 
European Green Deal can contribute to the design of better 
and more transparent interventions that adequately respond 
to the different needs and priorities of women and men, in all 
their diversity, and a more efficient allocation of resources, 
and lead to more gender-equal results.

What is a gender-responsive evaluation for a sustainable future for 
all?

A gender-responsive evaluation for a sustainable future 
for all aims to follow a transformative and intersectional 
approach and recognises the importance of a gender-equal 
green transition that is just and fair for today and for future 
generations.

As a gender mainstreaming method, gender-responsive 
evaluation goes beyond assessing interventions specifically 
focused on gender equality and can be applied to all types 
of interventions (policies, programmes, projects, legislation 
and fitness checks), making it a critical component of EU 
policymaking processes.

(1)  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the 

Regions. A Union of Equality: Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025.

(2)  EIGE (2022), Gender-responsive evaluation, (https://eige.europa.eu/publications-resources/publications/gender-responsive-evaluation).
(3) 

‘Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on 
Budgetary  Discipline,  on  Cooperation  in  Budgetary  Matters  and  on  Sound  Financial  Management,  as  Well  as  on  New  Own  Resources,  Including  a  Roadmap 
towards  the  Introduction  of  New  Own  Resources’,  OJ  L  433I  §  (2020),  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.LI.2020.433.01.0028.01.
ENG.
‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, 
Better Regulation: Joining Forces to Make Better Laws’, COM(2021) 219 final § (2021), https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2021:219:FIN.
(5)  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the 

(4) 

Regions, Better Regulation: Joining forces to make better laws.

(6)  Communication 

from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  European  Council,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/

the  Regions.  The  European  Green  Deal  COM/2019/640 

final 

the  Committee  of 
Committee,  and 
TXT/?qid=1576150542719&uri=COM%3A2019%3A640%3AFIN).

Type: Factsheet

Publishing date: June

Language version: EN

Description:

The EU gender equality strategy acknowledges that the policies under 
the European Green Deal affect women and men differently. To leverage 
the full potential of green policies it is crucial to recognise the synergies 
between the European Green Deal and the EU gender equality strategy, and 
thus address the gender and intersectional dimension of these policies.

A gender-responsive evaluation for a sustainable future for all aims to 
follow a transformative and intersectional approach and recognises the 
importance of a gender-equal green transition that is just and fair for 
today and for future generations.

As a gender mainstreaming method, gender-responsive evaluation goes 
beyond assessing interventions specifically focused on gender equality 
and can be applied to all types of interventions (policies, programmes, 
projects, legislation and fitness checks), making it a critical component of 
EU policymaking processes.

Gender-responsive Evaluation for a Sustainable Future for All:  
GREENA step-by-step toolkit

Description:

The gender-responsive evaluation for an environmental and sustainable 
future for all (GREENA) step-by-step toolkit provides practical know-how 
to assess gender impacts and the implementation of gender-responsive 
evaluation of EU policies and programmes.

The toolkit has been contextualised to support the evaluation of European 
Green Deal policies with a gender perspective, given its relevance as a 
current EU priority and the urgency to ensure a gender-responsive green 
transition.

The GREENA toolkit provides practical guidance to ensure that EU 
evaluations consider gender equality at every stage of the process, from 
establishing the evaluation team, through fieldwork, to writing the 
evaluation report. Because of that, the toolkit can be used across various 
policy areas, including those beyond gender equality or the environment.

Gender Mainstreaming

Gender-responsive evaluation  
for a sustainable future for all:
GREENA step-by-step toolkit

Type: Toolkit

Publishing date: June

Language version: EN

5

European Institute for Gender EqualityGender balance in business and finance

Gender Statistics Database

Gender balance in business 
and finance

A decade after it was first proposed, the EU’s directive on improving gen-
der balance among directors of listed companies and related measures (1) 
was  adopted  by  EU  co-legislators  in  November  2022,  coming  into  force 
in  December  2022.  The  directive  requires  at  least  40 %  of  the  non-exec-
utive  members  of  the  boards  of  listed  companies,  or  at  least  33 %  of  all 
directors,  to  be  of  each  gender.  Prior  to  this,  several  governments  had 
already  taken  action  by  introducing  legislative  quotas  to  achieve  more 
gender-balanced  boards,  but  further  developments  are  expected  in  the 
coming months, as Member States are required to transpose the directive 
into  their  national  law  by  28 December  2024.  The  national  central  banks 

and European financial institutions are also increasingly paying attention 
to governance practices and diversity policies.

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) monitors gender bal-
ance  among  key  decision-makers  biannually  for  the  largest  listed  com-
panies in the EU and annually for central banks and European financial 
institutions.  Regular  monitoring  remains  vital  in  tracking  progress  to-
wards the achievement of legislative targets. This brief presents the lat-
est situation and trends in the gender balance among key decision-mak-
ers in large corporations and financial institutions in the EU.

Many EU Member States have taken action to promote gender balance in company boards but there are differences in scope

Government actions to promote a more gender-balanced representation 
in corporate leadership include legislative gender quotas, with sanctions 
for  non-compliance,  and  a  wide  range  of  soft  measures  designed  to  en-
courage  companies  to  self-regulate  (without  sanctions).  To  date,  eight 
Member States have put in place legally binding national gender quotas. 
Quotas  in  Belgium,  France,  Italy,  the  Netherlands  and  Portugal  either 

match or exceed the 33 % target set by the directive, but Germany (30 %), 
Greece  (25  %)  and  Austria  (30 %)  fall  slightly  short.  Twelve  further  Mem-
ber  States  have  implemented  soft  measures,  and  the  remaining  seven 
have taken no action (see Table 1). Following the adoption of the directive, 
Member States have until 28 December 2024 to incorporate its provisions 
into their national law (2).

Table 1.  Member States by type of government action to promote gender balance on company boards, 2023

National quota (8)

Year

Member State and quota

Companies covered

BE (33 %)

State-owned and listed

2011

FR (40 %) (*)

Listed and large non-listed

IT (40 %)

State-owned and listed

2015

DE (30 %) (*)

Listed and large non-listed

2017

2020

2022

AT (30 %)

PT (33 %)

EL (25 %)

NL (33 %) (*)

State-owned, listed and large

Public and listed private

Listed

Listed

No action (7)

BG, CZ, CY, LT, HU, MT, SK

NB: (*) Specific provisions for executive/management positions.

Year

1990

2002

2003

2004

2007

2009

2013

2016

2019

2020

Soft measures (12)

Member State

Companies covered

DK (*)

RO

FI

EE

SI

ES

LU

PL

SE

HR

IE

LV

All companies

All companies

Listed

State-owned

State-owned

Large

Private and state-owned

State-owned

Listed

Listed

Listed

Listed

In all cases, the scope of the existing national legislative quotas is either 
in line with that of the EU directive, which applies to all listed companies 
except  small  and  medium-sized  enterprises (3),  or  broader,  by  including 
large unlisted companies (as, for example, in Germany and France). How-

ever, soft measures have a narrower scope in some cases, covering only 
state-owned companies (as is the case in Estonia and Slovenia, for exam-
ple) or only large companies (as in Spain).

Two in five of the largest listed companies in the EU already meet the directive target for non-executive directors

In October 2023, almost two fifths of the largest listed companies in the EU 
(229 out of 561, 39 % (4)) included in EIGE’s sample met the target set by the 
directive of having at least 40 % of non-executive directors of each gender. 

Furthermore, nearly 6 in 10 of the companies covered (321 out of 561, 57 %) 
have already reached the minimum threshold of having 33 % of all directors 
(i.e. board members) of each gender (Figure 1).

Figure 1.  Proportion of the largest listed companies by share of women among non-executive directors and board members in the EU-27, October 2023

Non-executives

Board members

29 Companies
(5 %)

115 Companies
(20 %)

No women*

5 Companies
(1 %)

75 Companies
(13 %)

229 Companies
(39 %)

< 20 %

20–40 %

40–60 %

> 60 %

35 Companies
(6 %)

173 Companies
(30 %)

321 Companies
(57 %)

160 Companies
(29 %)

No women*

< 33 %

33–66 %

> 66 %

NB: (*) The 0 % category includes two companies (one in Bulgaria and one in Czechia) in which all directors are executives and two companies in Lithuania in which all decision-making is outsourced 
to an external company.
Source: EIGE Gender Statistics Database (unpublished microdata).

(1) 
(2) 
(3) 
(4) 

 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32022L2381.
 See Article 11 of Directive (EU) 2022/2381 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 November 2022 on improving the gender balance among directors of listed companies and related measures (OJ L 315, 7.12.2022, p. 44).
 Small and medium-sized enterprises are companies with fewer than 250 employees and with either an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million.
 EIGE’s data on the largest listed companies covers publicly listed companies (‘publicly listed’ meaning that shares in the company are openly traded on the national stock exchange). The ‘largest’ companies in each country are taken to 
be the members (maximum of 50) of the primary blue-chip index maintained by the national stock exchange, which covers the largest companies by market capitalisation and/or volume of market trades. Only companies registered in 
the country concerned (according to the International Securities Identification Number) are taken into account. The latest update, from October 2023, covers 561 publicly listed companies registered in the 27 EU Member States.

Type: Factsheet

Publishing date: July

Language version: EN

Description:

A decade after it was first proposed, the EU’s directive on improving gender 
balance among directors of listed companies and related measures was 
adopted by EU co-legislators in November 2022, coming into force in 
December 2022. The directive requires at least 40 % of the non-executive 
members of the boards of listed companies, or at least 33 % of all directors, 
to be of each gender.

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) monitors gender balance 
among key decision-makers biannually for the largest listed companies in 
the EU and annually for central banks and European financial institutions. 
Regular monitoring remains vital in tracking progress towards the 
achievement of legislative targets. This brief presents the latest situation 
and trends in the gender balance among key decision-makers in large 
corporations and financial institutions in the EU.

Return to the labour market after parental leave: A gender analysis

Description:

Parental leave is essential to enable new parents to balance their work and 
family responsibilities. However, it can affect employment opportunities 
and gender equality.

A more balanced uptake of family-related leave will depend on the 
availability of accessible, affordable and high-quality care services. These 
are essential to enable parents and caregivers to be part of the workforce.

Inequalities in work–life balance policies, or unequal uptake of the 
opportunities offered by such policies, maintain gender stereotypes and 
the gender care divide.

Return to the labour market 
after parental leave: A gender analysis

Executive summary

•  Parental leave policies have proved to be vital 
in helping parents to balance job and family 
responsibilities. However, women are still the 
primary caregivers, so the employment gap 
widens with parenting duties. Only a small 
number of fathers choose to take parental 
leave following the child’s birth.

•  Evidence shows that availability of subsidised 
care services has the most significant impact 
on reducing gender gaps in employment. 
Modelling by the European Institute for 
Gender Equality (EIGE) estimates that use 
of care services increases the probability of 
greater gender equality by about 13 %.

•  How parental leave is structured can help 
improve gender equality. An increase in 
fathers’ uptake might be achieved through 
greater flexibility and higher payment levels.

•  Shorter parental leave may have the potential 

to reshape traditional gender roles. Long 
duration of leave usually adversely affects 
a woman’s career and pay when she returns 
to work.

•  Returning to work can be challenging 

physically and mentally. This can be made 
easier through flexible and family-friendly 
working arrangements. Specific labour 
policies should aim to make re-entry to 
work easier.

Type: Policy brief

Publishing date: August

Language version: EN

6

European Institute for Gender EqualityGender equality benefits everyone – but it’s still 60 years away

Gender equality benefits everyone
But it’s still 60

years away

If you want to get there faster,
here’s how we can assist 

1 Get the facts

2 Put gender equality 
into practice

We are the EU’s knowledge centre on gender equality

Making gender mainstreaming work 

If you need to know more about gender equality, then come to us first.

Description:

If you want to reach gender equality faster, here’s how the European 
Institute for Gender Equality can assist.

Our Gender Equality Index and Gender Statistics Database are fully 
searchable - on topics ranging from gender-based violence to the
representation of women and men in decision making positions.

Every policy has a gender dimension 
We can help you shape policy which delivers on your priorities AND
improves gender equality at the same time. For example:

• Digitalisation: so everyone has equal access to digital services and is
      protected against online violence
• Green Transition: so we can have a more sustainable future for all
•
The future of work: so women and men benefit equally from 
      flexible work, training and new career opportunities.

Sharing our knowledge and expertise
We continue to support the FEMM committee with our data and
evidence. And we welcome gender mainstreaming approaches
from other EP committees, for example when a rapporteur prepares a
report or a hearing and wants to include a gender perspective.  

We produce independent research and share best practice to
promote gender equality and eliminate gender
discrimination.

As the EU agency for gender equality, we help people achieve
equal opportunities so everyone can thrive, independent of
their gender and background.

We combine research, data and tools to help policy makers
design measures that are inclusive, transformative and
promote gender equality in all areas of life.    

eige.europa.eu

PDF Web:      MH-01-24-000-EN-N  

PDF/X:  MH-01-24-000-EN-C

MEPs are uniquely placed to ensure that every phase of the policy cycle 
factors in gender equality. 

We produce toolkits and provide ‘good practices’ that deliver better results 
across these areas:

Impact assessments
Institutional transformation 

• Budgeting
•
•
• Green Deal delivery and evaluation
•
•
• Gender-sensitivity in parliaments
•

Public procurement
Communications

Sexism-free workplace

Find them all on our website at 
https://eige.europa.eu/publications-resources/toolkits-guides

Campaign for gender equality

Join our campaigns and take practical action to support gender equality
events, including:

International Women’s Day (8 March)
EP Gender Equality Week
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 

•
•
•
      (25 November)  
•

EIGE Gender Equality Forum (every two years)

If you want to feature in our social media activity, please let us know.

When you post about gender equality, please tag EIGE.

company/eige

eu_genderequality

eige.europa.eu

Type: Factsheet for  
the new Members of the 
European Parliament

Publishing date: 
September

Language version: EN

Words Matter: Supporting Gender Equality Through Language  
and Communication

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, 

Description:

Language and communication play a pivotal role in shaping our attitudes 
and behaviours and norms in society. They hold significant potential for 
not only supporting but also promoting gender equality. 

This guide is designed to offer a broad and practical approach to using 
language and communication effectively to support gender equality.

Language and communication constantly evolve as we continually strive 
to strengthen and uphold gender equality. This guide therefore reflects 
a context-specific moment in time.

In this guide, we focus primarily on a gender-inclusive approach to 
language and communication. The aim is to strengthen the focus on 
both gender and intersecting inequalities such as age, ethnicity, migrant 
background, disability and sexual orientation.

Words Matter
Supporting Gender Equality through Language 
and Communication 

Type: Guide

Publishing date: 
December

Language version: EN

7

European Institute for Gender Equality  
 
  
 
eige.europa.eu

www.eige.europa.eu

2023 Data Collection on Gender-sensitive Parliaments – Methodological report

Description:

This report describes the methodological approach adopted by the 
European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) in its 2023 data collection for 
the assessment of the gender sensitivity of the European Parliament and 
national parliaments in the EU.

GENDER STATISTICS DATABASE

Gender equality 
in the European Parliament 
and EU’s national parliaments: 
2023 state of play

Methodological report

Type: Methodological 
report

Publishing date: 
September

Language version: EN

Quality considerations for EIGE’s Gender Statistics Database (2nd edition): 
Evolving trends in producing gender equality data and intersectional perspectives

Description:

EIGE’s Gender Statistics Database is a comprehensive knowledge centre 
for gender statistics. Gender statistics measure to what extent equality 
between women and men is achieved across all areas of life in Europe.

Such statistics give EU Member States and candidate countries the means 
to gauge their success in achieving gender equality against the dual 
benchmarks of other countries’ achievements and their own histories.

The current publication presents the updated second edition of the quality 
considerations for EIGE’s Gender Statistics Database, originally published in 
2021.

Gender Statistics Database 

Quality considerations for EIGE’s Gender 
Statistics Database (2nd edition):
Evolving trends in producing gender equality data  
and intersectional perspectives

Type:  
Report

Publishing date: 
September

Language version: EN

8

European Institute for Gender EqualityGood practices on gender mainstreaming in the European Green Deal:  
Towards a more gender-equal and greener Europe

Description:

Climate change is one of the greatest environmental and development 
challenges facing the world today, and it has critical impacts on human 
rights and inequalities, including gender equality.

To overcome these challenges, in 2019 the EU launched the European 
Green Deal (EGD) strategy, which sets out targets of no net emissions of 
greenhouse gases by 2050 and economic growth decoupled from resource 
use, and states that no person and no place should be left behind.This 
report presents 12 good practices on how to mainstream gender in the EGD 
policy areas to simultaneously promote a more gender-equal and greener 
world.

The term ‘good practice’ refers to a project, programme or initiative that 
is successful in addressing equal representation of women and men, 
demonstrates gender-responsive content, is transferable to other countries 
and contexts and is inspirational in displaying solutions to addressing 
gender equality challenges.

Gender Mainstreaming 

Good practices on gender mainstreaming
in the European Green Deal: 
Towards a more gender-equal and greener Europe

eige.europa.eu

Type: Report

Publishing date: October

Language version: EN

EU gender-based violence survey: Key results

EU Gender-based Violence Survey

KEY RESULTS

Type: Report

Publishing date: 
November

Language version: EN

Description:

This report presents, for the first time, selected key results of the 
EU gender-based violence survey based on data from all 27 Member 
States. Across the EU-27, 114 023 women were interviewed about their 
experiences. The report focuses on the prevalence of various forms of 
violence against women in the EU.

The EU gender-based violence survey also collected specific data about 
women’s experiences of violence, including on the consequences of 
violence and contacts with different services that provide assistance to 
victims, as survivors of violence. Data on both the prevalence of violence 
and the consequences of violence will be analysed in detail in the survey 
report that Eurostat, FRA and EIGE will publish in 2025.

The results are presented in four chapters, starting with the overall 
prevalence of physical violence or threats and/or sexual violence by 
any perpetrator. This is followed by two chapters that focus on violence 
perpetrated by women’s intimate partners and by other people (non-
partners).

The fourth chapter examines women’s experiences of sexual harassment 
at work. Finally, the report includes an annex that summarises the survey 
data collection methodology.

9

European Institute for Gender EqualityTackling cyber violence against women and girls: The role of digital platforms

Tackling cyber violence 
against women and 
girls: The role of digital 
platforms

Type: Factsheet

Publishing date: 
December

Language version: EN

Description:

Digital platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, X and Reddit are forums 
for public and private expression and social interaction, and they provide 
many other useful services. However, the online space is not always 
welcoming to everyone. In an environment of pseudo-anonymity and 
limited accountability, pervasive exclusionary and harmful narratives 
are often unleashed. Spreading virally, these practices are categorised as 
cyber violence and can have significant emotional and physical impacts on 
human lives.

While cyber violence practices and behaviours can affect anyone, women 
and girls are more likely to be the targets of this form of violence and, as 
a result, they experience significant physical, sexual and psychological 
distress and/or financial difficulties. Incidents of cyber harassment, cyber 
stalking, coercive control, hate speech and the non-consensual sharing of 
intimate images tend to spill over into the physical environment, causing 
severe distress.

Cyber violence against women and girls (CVAWG) occurs as part of the 
broader continuum of gender-based violence (GBV), which is embedded 
in persisting unbalanced power structures. This brief by the European 
Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) aims to support digital and social 
media platforms by providing evidence-based actionable recommendations 
on how to strengthen their policies and practices to combat CVAWG.

Women and Men in Decision-Making: Methodological report

Description:

In January 2017, EIGE took over the database on women and men in 
decision-making (WMID), which was previously managed by the European 
Commission.

The WMID entry point had been launched in 2003 to monitor the numbers 
of men and women in key decision-making positions to provide reliable 
statistics that can be used to draw comparisons between European 
countries and analyse the current situation and trends through time.

This document sets out the methodological basis for the collection of data 
on decision-making, providing information on the coverage of the data 
(countries, organisations, and decision-making positions), definitions 
applied, and methods of collection for each topic.

Gender Statistics Database 

Women and Men in 
Decision Making 
Methodological report 

Methodology last updated: 18th December 2024 

Type: Methodological 
report

Publishing date: 
December

Language version: EN

10

European Institute for Gender Equality 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gender Equality Index 2024: Sustaining Momentum on a Fragile Path

GENDER EQUALITY 
INDEX 2024

Sustaining momentum on a fragile path

An EU Agency

Type: Report

Publishing date: 
December

Language version: EN

Description:

Ursula von der Leyen made a ‘union of equality’, based on the principle of 
equality for all and equality in all its senses, a cornerstone of her mandate. 
Binding measures since 2019 have made significant strides in supporting 
the fundamental principle of equal pay for equal work, gender-balanced 
company boards, work–life balance, binding standards for equality bodies 
and combating violence against women.

However, multiple and simultaneous crises and transformations are posing 
new challenges. Mounting evidence shows that changes in climate, digital 
technologies, demographics and geopolitics are profoundly affecting the 
lives of women and men from various social backgrounds. The time is ripe 
to consolidate gender equality progress and priorities to foster a real union 
of equality.

Since 2010, the Gender Equality Index has set a benchmark for equality 
between women and men to guide decision-makers on policies and goals 
for a more balanced and inclusive society across the EU by highlighting 
what is working and where, and what is not working.

This report presents the results of the Gender Equality Index 2024, 
along with key trends since the 2023 edition and between 2010 and 
2022. A convergence analysis reveals diverse progress patterns at the 
national level while providing a broader context for Index findings. The 
report summarises the policy context, the EU and country scores in key 
Index domains and how these scores link to violence against women. 
An intersectional approach exposes different layers of inequality across 
domains.

European Institute for Gender Equality,

EIGE Gedimino pr. 16
LT-01103 Vilnius
LITHUANIA

Tel. +370 52157444
Email: ege.sec@eige.europa.eu

Find us on

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) produces independent research and shares 
best practice to promote gender equality and eliminate discrimination based on gender. As the EU 
agency for gender equality, we help people achieve equal opportunities so everyone can thrive, independent of their 
gender and background.
We combine research, data and tools to help policy makers design measures that are inclusive, transformative and promote 
gender equality in all areas of life. We communicate our expertise and research effectively. We work closely with partners to 
raise awareness. We do this at EU and national level, as well as with EU candidate and potential candidate countries.
Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2025
© European Institute for Gender Equality, 2025
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
For any use or reproduction of elements that are not owned by EIGE, permission may need to be sought directly from the 
respective rightholders.

PDF 

ISBN 978-92-9486-270-9 

doi:10.2839/0589999 

MH-01-25-000-EN-N