The importance of women in society has been increasing. The labour market has seen an increase in female leadership. What positive impact can this social change bring?
Gender equality is slowly transforming societal norms, empowering women to claim their rightful place in every corner of life.
Take education, for example. In 2022, women made up 56% of bachelor’s degree graduates, and nearly half of doctoral degrees are now earned by women. But even with this progress, many women remain on the sidelines of the labour market – especially in leadership roles, where gender parity is a long way off.
If companies can improve the representation of women in key positions, including leadership, they don’t just do the right thing, they benefit too. Diverse teams bring in fresh perspectives, which can lead to innovative solutions. The impact can be significant, both for organisational success and to drive broader economic growth.
But there are still deep-rooted stereotypes and societal expectations that hold women back. The usual combination of a lack of role models, unconscious biases in hiring and workplace culture play a part in shaping this reality.
Occupational segregation is a stark reality: only about one in five graduates in engineering, manufacturing, construction, and ICT are women, and in 2023, women comprised just 20% of the ICT workforce. We know that increasing women’s participation in these fields can help bridge the skills gap and enhance productivity.
There’s this issue called the ‘leaky pipeline’ – it’s the idea that women tend to leave certain fields, especially tech, because of stereotypes, pay gaps, and slow career progression. For example, women in ICT leave the sector at higher rates than men, leaving a huge untapped pool of female talent. Imagine the positive impact that addressing these issues could have on retaining skilled women in the workforce and contributing to a more robust and competitive economy.
In fact, in 2024, women hold 34% of board seats in the largest EU companies – up 6 points since 2019 but still short of entering the 40% gender balance zone. Women occupy only 28% of decision-making roles in top national science academies and just 22% of sports federation boards, despite slight increases. In central banks, women make up 32% of decision-making bodies, but key roles in Austria, Romania, and Slovakia are still held solely by men. These gaps show there’s still a lot of room to grow, and doing so could lead to more inclusive policies and better representation everywhere.
As a woman and leader of EIGE, what do you see remains to be done to create greater gender balance?
As a woman and the Director of EIGE, I know that while we have made important strides toward gender equality, much work remains. Right now, the EU faces big economic, geopolitical, and democratic challenges, and these highlight how crucial it is to have coordinated, forward-looking solutions – bringing together new laws and education – focused on raising awareness among citizens about their rights, the value of gender equality, and the importance of shifting deep-rooted social norms – to really unlock the potential for economic resilience and social cohesion. Achieving genuine gender balance requires continued effort to dismantle systemic barriers, challenge harmful stereotypes, and promote inclusive leadership across all sectors.
One of the most critical areas of concern is gender-based violence. This phenomenon remains widespread across the EU, with 1 in 3 women experiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetime according to the EU GBV survey data results by Eurostat, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), and EIGE. Violence permeates every sphere of a woman’s life – at home, at work and in public spaces.
And technology is making things trickier. Perpetrators can now cause harm from a distance, often with little accountability. Cyberviolence against women is an increasingly urgent issue that impacts women’s safety and freedom online. It includes threats, harassment, cyberstalking, doxxing, and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images.
To end gender-based violence and accelerate progress toward gender equality, comprehensive legal and policy frameworks are essential. However, these measures alone are not enough. We must also challenge and shift the stereotypes and societal norms that limit achieving true gender equality, as changing attitudes is crucial for lasting progress.
What is the role of EIGE in the European context with regard to gender balance?
EIGE collects, analyses, and communicates data on gender equality issues. This helps policymakers, stakeholders, and the general public really understand where we stand on gender equality in the EU and its Member States.
Our goal is to support efforts toward a society where women, men, girls, and boys in all their diversity have equal opportunities to succeed and participate fully in society. Research and data collection have been at the core of our work for over 15 years, making us a trusted source of information on gender equality in the EU.
Our Gender Equality Index is a key tool for measuring and monitoring gender equality across the EU, serving as an annual indicator of progress. But the work doesn’t stop there. We also support the monitoring of the EU’s international and national commitments on gender equality, preparing reports such as the recently published Beijing + 30 review: ‘Impact driver: marking milestones and opportunities for gender equality in the EU’.
And a big part of our work focuses on gender mainstreaming and the elimination of gender-based violence. We develop practical tools and provide technical assistance to help integrate a gender perspective into all EU and national policies, ensuring that the needs of women and men, in all their diversity, are considered at every stage of policymaking.
When it comes to gender-based violence, we are focusing on improving the collection, standardisation, and comparability of administrative data across the EU. This data is essential for understanding the scope and nature of GBV and for informing the development of effective policies. We are supporting EU Member States by establishing a coordination system for data collection and creating a common methodology in line with the Directive on Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence.
As I mentioned above, we collaborated with Eurostat and FRA in conducting the EU’s most comprehensive gender-based violence survey to date, involving nearly 115,000 women. The results of this survey really show that GBV impacts women in every aspect of their lives – limiting their safety, health, economic independence, and ability to fully participate in society. We need to understand that until we effectively address this issue, true gender equality remains out of reach. That’s why it’s a core focus of our work at EIGE.
What actions or measures would you highlight as having already been successful and brought up for discussion by EIGE?
We have seen some very important progress in the EU in recent years that is already making a real difference. This includes the introduction of three landmark directives on work–life balance, gender balance on corporate boards and pay transparency.
Our data highlighted very thoroughly that in these areas covered by the directives, there are clear divides between women and men.
EIGE’s role in gathering and analysing data is vital for supporting the successful implementation of these legislative measures. For example, according to Eurostat, 1 in 3 women in the EU cannot work full-time due to family care responsibilities, compared to just one in ten men. It’s a wake-up call for policymakers to implement the European Care Strategy fully and invest in accessible, affordable, and modern care services that not only advance gender equality but benefits the EU economy.
We also marked a major milestone recently with the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention in June 2023, which is essential for creating a comprehensive legal framework to eliminate violence against women. Then, in May 2024, we saw the adoption of the new Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence – another key achievement. This legislation sets out clear minimum standards for defining criminal offences and victim protections, and EIGE’s role in providing robust data and evidence helps ensure these laws are effectively informed and targeted.
Currently, the world is on the verge of change in many different areas. Are you concerned that women’s rights are in danger?
Yes, I am concerned that women’s rights are in danger. Recent years have seen a worrying rise in movements opposing gender equality, using restrictive laws and spreading false or misleading information to undermine progress. They tend to target women politicians, journalists, and human rights activists, who face both physical and online abuse.
Their efforts often include campaigns aimed at damaging the reputation of civil society groups who support women’s rights. Recently we have observed sinister attempts to back roll the access to sexual and reproductive health services which fully undermines women’s basic rights.
Anti-gender actors challenge important international agreements which aim to protect women from violence – like the Istanbul Convention. They also intentionally manipulate information and spread stories claiming that the idea of ‘gender’ is part of a politicised agenda, with the aim to generate opposition to the Convention’s ratification at the national and EU levels.
These movements are gaining influence across Europe, making it harder to pass important legislation that addresses challenges women and girls continue to face every day – from access to affordable, high-quality care that enables their participation in the workforce, to accessing sexual and reproductive health.
But there is hope. The EU’s Roadmap for Women’s Rights demonstrates a firm commitment to reversing these setbacks. It sends a powerful message: achieving gender equality for women and girls in all their diversity, remains a priority for the EU. The upcoming EU Gender Equality Strategy is a key opportunity to strengthen and accelerate efforts toward achieving gender equality.
We need to keep envisioning 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 participate in and lead our European society on equal footing.
In times like these, what message should we convey to women (and men too!) about safeguarding everyone’s rights?
In these challenging times, it’s more important than ever to remind ourselves that gender equality benefits us all. When we promote equal opportunities, respect, and dignity for everyone, we strengthen our communities, boost economic development, and foster a culture of justice and mutual respect.
However, it is concerning that many young men are becoming more conservative when it comes to gender equality and women’s rights. Research across the EU shows that young men aged 18-29 are the group most hesitant to accept advances in women’s rights, often seeing these as threats to their own opportunities.
The message we need to share is clear: women’s rights are non-negotiable. Yet I want to bring further clarity into what this truly means: guaranteeing women’s rights does not mean that men’s rights are being endangered. Gender equality is not a zero-sum game. Everybody benefits.
So, we cannot afford to let setbacks or opposition for anyone undermine the progress we have worked so hard to achieve. Every person has a role to play – whether as an advocate, a supporter, or simply someone speaking out against injustice.
