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Gender equality in every aspect of life, online and offline, from education to health to work and public life, also taking action against modern threats such as cyber violence and the risks associated with artificial intelligence, which particularly affect women. This is the new Gender Equality Strategy for 2026-2030 presented by European Commission on the occasion of International Women's Day, March 8th.

The project builds on the regulatory framework adopted as part of the Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025. Although significant progress has been made, estimates from the European Institute for Gender Equality suggest that disparities between Member States persist and that at the current rate, it would take half a century to achieve full gender equality in the European Union. The new strategy thus also incorporates the objectives of the Roadmap for Women's Rights, presented by the Commission and approved by all Member States in 2025, another important step towards building a truly gender-equal Europe, committed to combating any potential decline in fundamental rights.

The new strategy strengthens existing tools and introduces new ones, with a particular focus on the digital world, health, and the involvement of men and boys. Inspired by principles such as:

• Freedom from violence: Combat gender-based violence (physical and cyber, such as pornographic deepfakes) through rigorous enforcement of existing laws and legislative interventions to harmonize the definition of rape across Europe.
• Health: Reduce the gender gap in research and access to care, with initiatives on women's health (such as menopause, endometriosis) and sexual and reproductive rights (mapping practices and supporting access to contraception).
• Economic independence: implement the Pay Transparency Directive, promote female entrepreneurship (including through gender-smart financing), and address the gender pension gap.
• Work-life balance and care: promote more gender-balanced parental leave and present a European Care Deal for accessible, high-quality care services.
• Employment: Recognizing and combating workplace harassment, promoting women's representation in fields such as STEM and defense, ensuring products are safe for all body types.
• Education: Challenge stereotypes, attract more girls into STEM subjects (target 1 million by 2028), and promote a Boys in HEAL approach to attract men into sectors such as education and healthcare.
• Political Participation: Protecting Women in Politics from Online Violence and Combating Misogynistic Disinformation.
• Institutional mechanisms: Integrate a gender perspective into all EU policies (budget, funds, crisis preparedness) and require Member States to submit national action plans by 2027.

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