Policy Brief on the future Gender Equality Strategy

On the first week of March, the European Commission will release its new Gender Equality Strategy.

Equinet warmly welcomes this initiative, since it is extremely important for the European Union to positions itself as a leader in the field of gender equality.

While the five key areas for action from the current Strategic Engagement for Gender Equality (2016-2019) remain relevant, new policy issues should be tackled and strengthened at the European and national level, to achieve a gender equal Europe.

Based on the extensive wealth of expertise held by equality bodies, which are mandated by EU law to defend victims of gender-based discrimination and promote gender equality, Equinet is publishing a Policy Brief on the future Gender Equality Strategy.

The Policy Brief identifies six horizontal policy priorities:

• Access to justice
• Combatting structural and institutional discrimination
• Achieving substantive gender equality
• Fostering change in culture and cultural norms
• Ensuring intersectional policy-making
• Ensuring substantial financial investment in gender equality.  

The Policy Brief also identifies seven thematic policy priorities:

• The gender pay gap
• Work-Life Balance
• Women in Poverty
• Gender-based violence, violence against women and sexual harassment
• Gender Stereotypes
• Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence
• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights