The European Commission has set out a new Gender Equality Strategy for 2026 to 2030, saying the European Union is on course to need 50 years to reach full gender equality at the current pace of change.
Progress has been made but gaps between EU countries persist, the Commission declared in a statement on Thursday.
The strategy was published ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March and is designed to apply “online and offline.”
It translates the objectives of the Roadmap for Women’s Rights — endorsed in 2025 by all EU countries — into actions focused on women and girls, men and boys, and “backtracking on fundamental rights.”
Focus on cyberviolence, pay gaps and politics
One of the main areas listed is tackling gender-based violence, with a focus on cyberviolence, including measures against sexually explicit deepfakes and “deepnudes”, and steps to improve protection for women online, according to the Commission.
Another priority is engaging men and boys, including work to counter information manipulation and disinformation that the Commission said can drive polarisation between women and men, particularly among young people.
The Commission also set out plans on health, including an initiative with the World Health Organization to improve the quality and accessibility of women’s healthcare.
On the economy, it said it would promote gender equality across sectors by attracting more women into research, innovation, start-ups and STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — and encouraging more men into areas such as health and education.
The strategy includes work to tackle the gender pay and pension gaps, including support for EU countries implementing the Pay Transparency Directive, and cooperation with the European Investment Bank to improve access to finance for women entrepreneurs and increase female representation in the financial sector.
It also lists steps related to women’s participation in politics, including tackling online information manipulation and interference, and outlines plans for EU action globally, including a new gender action plan for 2028 to 2034 and a new action plan on women, peace and security.
