Absence of barriers to economic, political and social participation on grounds of sex and gender.
See also: gender equality
Such barriers are often indirect, difficult to discern and caused and maintained by structural phenomena and social representations that have proved particularly resistant to change. Equal opportunities as one of a set of gender equality objectives is founded on the rationale that a whole range of strategies, actions and measures are necessary to redress deep-rooted and persistent inequalities.
European Commission (1998). 100 Words for Equality: A Glossary of Terms on Equality between Women and Men.
The concepts and definitions found in this glossary were published in 2016, and some may be out-of-date. EIGE is currently looking into which terms may need to be updated in the future.