The main objectives of the EU strategy for gender equality are: to end gender-based violence; to combat gender stereotypes; to close the gender gap in the labour market; to achieve equality in participation in different economic sectors; to address the gender pay gap and pension gap; to close the gap and achieve gender balance in decision-making and policy.
Despite the inequalities that still exist, the EU has made considerable progress in gender equality in recent decades, thanks to:
- equal treatment standards
- the inclusion of the gender dimension in all other policies (gender mainstreaming)
- specific measures to promote the status of women.
Gender inequalities, however, persist, and in the labour market women continue to be over-represented in low-paid sectors and under-represented in decision-making positions.
In this article, we want to point out a nice campaign to combat gender stereotypes that the European Commission has launched, focusing on stereotypes that affect men and women in various aspects of life, including when it comes to making professional choices, sharing caring responsibilities and making decisions.
It starts with staggering numbers: 44% of Europeans believe that the most important role for a woman is to take care of home and family; 36% is how much less women on average earn than men; only 8% of CEOs in large listed companies in the EU are women.
To change this, we need to start with training, culture, communication and then move on to action.