In May 2025, the European Commission launched a public consultation to shape its upcoming Gender Equality Strategy for 2026–2030. The initiative builds on the roadmap for women’s rights adopted in March 2025, which sets out a long-term vision for achieving gender equality across Europe.
We believe that equality between women and men is a cornerstone for the reconciliation of the family and professional life, with an equal sharing of family care responsibilities between men and women.
COFACE has responded to the consultation, and the key messages are the following:
- Prevent online gender-based violence
Online gender-based violence remains a widespread and deeply harmful issue affecting the lives of women and girls throughout the EU, including online harassment, sexual violence, sexism, cyberbullying and AI generated deep nudes. The Strategy must prioritise the prevention of all forms of online violence against women and girls, including through awareness campaigns, the full implementation of the Directive on Combating Violence Against Women, strong enforcement of the Digital Services Act, and including a gender perspective in the upcoming European Union Action plan against cyberbullying.
- Approach gender equality through a multi-generation lens
PATHS2INCLUDE research highlights the increased risk of financial insecurity in older age for women. The Gender Equality Strategy should approach gender equality through a multi-generation lens and consider measures targeting different generations from children to older persons.
- Ensure equal employment opportunities and adequate working conditions
Gender gaps in labour market outcomes persist across Europe, including in hiring, wages, working hours, career advancement and pensions. The Gender Equality Strategy should promote measures to increase women’s labour market participation and build family-supportive workplaces, by combating discrimination in hiring, effectively implementing the EU Directives on Pay Transparency and Gender-balance on Company Boards, implementing Corporate Sustainability Reporting monitoring of gender equality indicators, and shifting workplace culture to better support the reconciliation of professional and caregiving responsibilities for both men and women.
- Close the gender care gap
One of the biggest obstacles to gender equality in the EU is the unequal distribution of care. The Strategy must ensure the effective implementation of the EU Work-life Balance Directive, expand access to high-quality affordable care services and create synergies with the European Care Strategy, recognising and supporting long-term informal caregivers, and the European Child Guarantee, as well as monitor the Barcelona 2030 targets on early childhood education and care.
- Ensure quality and inclusive education
Inclusive and democratic societies require a strongly inclusive education system to ensure all children get a fair start in life, as a basis to build fully inclusive societies respectful of families in all their diversity. EU initiatives like Girls Go Circular are welcome as we need to provide girls and women with more opportunities to develop critical digital and entrepreneurial competences.
- Build intersectionality into the design of the Gender Equality Strategy
Women represent a diverse group, facing various forms of intersectional discrimination arising from multiple situations. For example, women with disabilities are increasingly at risk of poverty or social exclusion compared to men with disabilities and persons without disabilities. Advancing women’s rights requires effective gender mainstreaming, financing and institutional infrastructure, as well as gender-sensitive research, data collection, design and planning that address women’s needs with an intersectional approach.
- Establish a Gender Equality Strategy Platform
Gather Member State representatives and EU-level Civil Society Organisations working to advance gender equality in different fields (work, family, childhood, business, advertising, etc.) in the format of an enhanced formal dialogue to monitor the progress made on implementation of the new Strategy.
The Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030 will outline the concrete measures that the European Commission intends to carry out over the next five years to advance gender equality in Europe, an opportunity to set new priorities and intensify efforts towards inclusion, equity, and support for all.
