While progress has been made, estimations by the European Institute for Gender Equality suggest that, at the current pace of change, it would take 50 years for the EU to reach full gender equality. Disparities among Member States also persist. The new Strategy turns the objectives of the Roadmap for Women's Rights, presented by the Commission and endorsed in 2025 by all Member States, into concrete actions to empower women and girls, engage men and boys, vigorously oppose any backtracking on fundamental rights, and accelerate progress towards a truly gender-equal Europe.

Presented ahead of International Women's Day on 8 March, this Strategy builds on the milestone legislation adopted under the Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, including rules on Combating Violence against Women, on Pay Transparency and improving Gender Balance on Corporate Boards, and as well as the implementation of rules on Work Life Balance to promote equal sharing of care responsibilities.

The new Strategy will reinforce EU action in key areas, address emerging issues, and intensify the work on implementation of existing legislation and policies by: 

• Continuing the fight against gender-based violence with a strong emphasis on fighting cyberviolence, which disproportionately impacts women and girls. This includes measures to combat sexually explicit deepfakes and deepnudes, and improve the protection of women online.  
• Engaging men and boys in the fight for gender equality, recognising its benefit for them, as well as their important role in bringing about societal change.
• Promoting the highest standards of health and healthcare systems built for all. For the first time, healthcare is covered as a dedicated policy area in the Gender Equality Strategy, including a flagship initiative together with the World Health Organization to improve the quality and accessibility of women's healthcare.
• Boosting prosperity by promoting gender equality across economic sectors. The Strategy will launch a new Action Plan on Women in Research, Innovation & Startups to attract more women to this sector within the EU.  
• Tackling the gender pay and pension gaps, including by supporting Member States to fully and effectively implement the Pay Transparency Directive, and work with the European Investment Bank to improve access to finance for women entrepreneurs and boost female representation in the financial sector.  
• Taking further steps to support women's equal and safe participation in politics.  
• Continue to promote gender equality on the global stage by developing and presenting a new Gender Action Plan IV for 2028-2034, as well as a new Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security.  

For additional information and background, refer to the official European Commission website.

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