“Even with growing awareness and progress, gender stereotypes still run deep across the EU”, the European Institute for Gender Equality notes in a report published on Thursday 28 August.
‘Perception to policy: Dismantling gender stereotypes in the European Union’ demonstrates that, despite a number of advances, gender stereotypes continue to shape European societies and are therefore holding back progress towards effective equality.
According to the EIGE, these stereotypes are “built into our cultures, institutions, relationships and behaviours” and influence both women’s and men’s self-image and their life choices.
They lead to continuing inequalities in paid work, access to financial resources, education, the sharing of domestic tasks, health, political representation and the fight against gender-based violence.
As the document reports, in 2024, the employment rate for men was 81%, compared with 71% for women, with nearly three times as many women as men working part-time. The pay gap was 12% and the pension gap 25%.
Furthermore, 36% of women and 46% of men still believe that men earn more because their jobs are more demanding.
Stereotypes do not seem to be fading among the younger generations: while young women say they are more aware of inequalities, an increasing proportion of young men are defending traditional norms.
43% of men aged 15-24 believe that a man’s main role is to earn money - a proportion equivalent to that observed among 45-64 year-olds (43%), compared to 42% among 25-44 year-olds - and much higher than among their female counterparts of the same age (30%).
The EIGE feels there is a need for action on several levels. The institute recommends integrating gender-sensitive education from an early age, promoting diversified leadership models, increasing pay transparency, breaking taboos around access to mental health (especially for men) and promoting a balanced sharing of family responsibilities.
Read the document: https://aeur.eu/f/i77 (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)