Thirty years after the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), showed, in a report published on Thursday 19 June, that progress within the European Union continues to be slow, particularly in the economic field.
According to the analysis, which looks at data for the period from 2019 to 2024, despite the adoption of flagship directives such as those on work-life balance, pay transparency and parity on boards of directors, gender disparities are still very much present.
In 2023, 80% of men aged between 20 and 64 were employed, compared with only 70% of women.
The report also shows that pay gaps persist, remaining at 12% on average in the EU, although there has been a reduction of 1.7 points since 2019.
Women are also still under-represented in the fields of the future. In 2024, they accounted for just one-third of specialists in renewable energies and artificial intelligence, and only 19% of digital entrepreneurs.
Added to this is the burden of unpaid care, which has become even more significant since the Covid-19 pandemic, and which continues to slow women’s progress towards full-time employment. In addition, limited childcare resources, combined with a gendered division of roles, also undermine their economic autonomy.
According to the EIGE, a truly inclusive economy depends on a strong political commitment to support female employment.
Incentives in the most promising sectors, improved conditions in the care sector, easier access to finance and continuing training, and the adoption of equality plans in companies are all recommended.
“These policies are not only vital for achieving gender equality, but also essential for fostering a more resilient society - particularly in the polycrisis context”, the report argues, while the European Union must respond to a range of issues from digital and green transitions to demographic ageing and geopolitical challenges.
Read the report: https://aeur.eu/f/hij (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)