The Commission is expected to present, on 4 March, a new Gender Equality Strategy for 2026–2030, setting out concrete measures to promote gender equality in Europe.

Gender equality is a core value of the EU: the Charter of Fundamental Rights prohibits discrimination on grounds of sex. The priority given to delivering a “Union of Equality” was reaffirmed in the political guidelines for 2024–2029 of President Ursula von der Leyen and in the mission letter addressed to the Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management.

According to information published by the Commission, gender inequality continues to manifest itself particularly acutely in gender-based violence, which affects around one in three women in the European Union, as well as in persistent disparities in the labour market, wages and pensions. The Commission also highlights the under-representation of women in political and economic decision-making positions and the specific challenges they face in accessing healthcare.

The Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030 aims to set out strategic priorities, objectives and concrete measures for the next five years, covering areas such as combating gender-based violence, women’s economic empowerment, equality in the labour market, political participation and tackling discrimination in access to goods and services. The Commission indicates that the strategy will continue to be based on a dual approach, combining targeted gender equality measures with the mainstreaming of this dimension across all European Union policies, in coherence with other initiatives under the so-called “Union of Equality”.