What is the EU Roadmap for Women’s Rights And What Role Does EIGE Play?
The EU Roadmap for Women’s Rights is the European Commission's new, ambitious plan to advance gender equality across Europe. It builds on past achievements and paves the way for a post-2025 Gender Equality Strategy.
The roadmap reinforces commitments to women’s rights and ensures gender equality remains at the heart of policymaking. As the EU agency for gender equality, EIGE is a key partner in making the promises in this roadmap a reality.
By providing expert data, research, and guidance, EIGE helps policymakers translate commitments into concrete actions that benefit women and girls across Europe.
With EIGE's support, the roadmap moves from vision to implementation, ensuring real progress on gender equality.
“The roadmap is a commitment to lasting change. EIGE stands ready to deliver the data, insights, and tools policymakers need to drive progress,” says EIGE Director Carlien Scheele.
“Gender equality is the foundation of a stronger, fairer, and more prosperous Europe. Now is the time to act, and together, we can make equality a reality for all.”
Why does this matter?
Despite progress, gender inequality still affects millions of women across Europe as well as having a significant impact on men, too. Gender stereotypes, roles and expectations still stand in the way of opportunities for everyone. Without stronger action, full gender equality in the EU would take another 60 years to achieve.
The roadmap outlines clear objectives to accelerate this progress and make equality a reality.
What are the key objectives?
The roadmap is built around eight core principles that aim to create a fairer and more equal society.
For each of these objectives, EIGE provides insights, data, and practical tools to help policymakers take meaningful action.
Here’s how EIGE can support your work:
- Freedom from gender-based violence
- Every woman and girl should be safe, both online and offline.
- Example: The EU will strengthen laws against domestic violence and cyber harassment to better protect victims.
- Find out more: EIGE’s work on gender-based violence
- The highest standards of health
- Women deserve access to quality healthcare, including reproductive health services.
- Example: The roadmap calls for gender-sensitive medical research and improved access to contraception.
- Find out more: EIGE’s data on the domain of health
- Equal pay and economic empowerment
- Closing the gender pay gap and ensuring economic independence for women.
- Example: New measures will increase pay transparency and support women entrepreneurs.
- Find out more: EIGE’s data on the domain of work
- Work-life balance and care
- Supporting equal caregiving responsibilities for men and women.
- Example: Expanding paternity leave and childcare support to help working parents.
- Find out more: EIGE’s thematic focus on work-life balance
- Equal employment opportunities and fair working conditions
- Ensuring women have equal job opportunities and workplace protections.
- Example: Policies to end workplace harassment and promote career growth for women.
- Find out more: EIGE’s resources on gender and employment
- Quality and inclusive education
- Encouraging gender-balanced education and career choices.
- Example: Initiatives to increase women in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and maths).
- Find out more: EIGE’s work on education and gender equality
- Political participation and equal representation
- More women in leadership positions and public office.
- Example: The roadmap promotes gender quotas to ensure fair representation in politics.
- Find out more: EIGE’s data on the domain of power
- Strong institutions for gender equality
- Strengthening national equality bodies and funding gender equality initiatives.
- Example: Ensuring gender-responsive budgeting at the EU level.
- Find out more: EIGE’s toolkit on gender budgeting and institutional mechanisms
"Without adequate resources for institutions and bodies that champion gender equality at every level we cannot turn policies into tangible actions. We need a mindset shift. It’s time to recognise gender equality as a vital investment. In fact, improvements in gender equality can create sustainable growth, social development, and prosperity and contribute to the EU’s competitiveness – landing in €3.15 trillion EU Gross Domestic Product by 2050.”
“And as we face multiple crises, now is not the time to ease our commitment to advancing equality, human rights, and freedom as our core values. If we abandon these principles, we must ask ourselves: what are we truly fighting for?”, says EIGE Director Carlien Scheele.
How can policymakers work with EIGE?
As the EU agency for gender equality, EIGE is here to support policymakers in implementing the roadmap. Here’s how:
- Data & Research: EIGE provides gender statistics and policy analysis to guide evidence-based decision-making.
- Best Practices: EIGE shares successful gender equality policies from across Europe.
- Training & Tools: EIGE offers gender impact assessments to help policymakers ensure their work is inclusive.
- EIGE’s tool - The Gender Equality Index measures the state of gender equality across the EU identifying gaps and areas for improvement.
What comes next?
The EU Roadmap for Women’s Rights is a stepping stone to a new Gender Equality Strategy beyond 2025. This will be informed by a public consultation.
“We need to see both the roadmap and the strategy as two sides of the same coin. A unique partnership towards a stronger EU which stands up for our values and the rule of law,” concludes EIGE Director Carlien Scheele.
So, now is the time to act. With collaboration and commitment, we can make gender equality a reality in Europe. Let’s work together to bring this roadmap to life.