The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) published its annual Gender Equality Index on Thursday 29 October.
With a score of 67.9 out of 100 this year (67.4 last year), the EIGE believes that full gender equality will not be achieved for at least 60 years if the EU does not act to accelerate its progress - progress whose main driver remains gender equality in decision-making, the institute points out.
Yet power remains the least performing area in terms of gender equality, according to the index (53.5 out of 100). However, there was a clear improvement over the previous year in this area, particularly in the private sector, thanks to the improvement in the gender balance on company boards (see EUROPE 12578/26).
One of the main obstacles to gender equality remains segregation in education and work. In the EU, for example, only two out of ten jobs in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector are held by women.
On the contrary, men account for barely 15% of workers in health services such as nursing, midwifery and personal care.
Another major obstacle is the coronavirus pandemic. This “seriously threatens the progress of gender equality” (see EUROPE 12470/16), recalled Carlien Scheele, Director of the EIGE. “It is quite clear that Covid-19 will exacerbate inequalities and put the achievements of the past decades at risk”, also regretted the Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, Evelyn Regner (S&D, Austria).
Finally, significant disparities persist between Member States. Sweden, Denmark and France remain at the top of the hightest-ranking countries. However, the most significant improvements have taken place in Italy, Luxembourg and Malta. Greece, Hungary and Romania, on the other hand, are definitely lagging behind.
Consult the 2020 Index: https://bit.ly/31TMt3Q (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)