Sun. Feb 9th, 2025

Brussels, 10 December 2024

Today, Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, will participate in the 2024 Gender Equality Forum (10-11 December). On the same day, the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) releases the 2024 Gender Equality Index.

This year’s Index reveals the state of play of gender equality in the EU. Scored out of 100, the EU achieved 71 points in this year’s report, a modest improvement of 0.8 percentage points since 2023. While progress continues,  this is unequally felt across EU Member States, with eight Member States progressing more slowly than the rest. The index accounts for six key aspects of daily life – work, money, knowledge, time, power and health – and reveals a complex picture. For example, while there has been some progress in female representation in decision-making, power is also the lowest scoring domain of the index.

The Commission is acting to ensure further progress , for instance through the implementation of the Pay Transparency Directive, the gender balance on boards Directive and the Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. These new rules promote pay transparency and help listed companies achieve gender balance on their boards, and also set new standards for protection, support and access to justice for victims of violence against women.

At today’s Gender Equality Forum, Commissioner Lahbib will deliver a keynote speech reflecting on the results of the Index and highlighting future plans and key initiatives for advancing gender equality in this mandate.

Commissioner Lahbib said: “I welcome today’s Index publication, which is a powerful tool to ensure we stay the course in building our Union of Equality. While important strides have been made, we must not be complacent or let gender gaps persist. The Gender Equality Index data will inform my work to prepare our Roadmap for Women’s Rights and the Gender Equality Strategy post-2025. We will continue to tackle the remaining inequalities and combat the violence against women present in our society. Europeans should be equal and be able to thrive, regardless of their gender.”

The annual Gender Equality Index, published by the European Institute for Gender Equality, provides real-life insights to inform policymaking on gender gaps and their impact on our day-to-day life. The Forum, in its second edition, brings together diverse stakeholders to enrich the important discussions on how to make gender equality a reality across the EU.

 

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