At a time when the U.S. and several Western countries are retrenching from longstanding equality frameworks, the European Union stands as a critical guarantor of gender equality principles grounded in international law.
Recent global rollbacks of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies — a trend largely propelled by Washington — demonstrate that progress cannot be taken for granted.
As such, the EU's commitment to what the European Commission described as a Union of Equality remains essential — not as an ideological stance, but as a foundation for social cohesion, economic development and democratic resilience.
According to the World Bank, equal participation in the labor market could raise global gross domestic product by 20%. The European Institute for Gender Equality estimates that by 2050, greater gender equality could increase EU GDP per capita by €1.95 trillion to €3.15 trillion, equivalent to a rise of 6.1% to 9.6%.
Road to a Union of equality
The EU has established comprehensive instruments that translate this commitment into measurable action. Following the 2020-2025 Gender Equality Strategy, the new 2026-2030 strategy has set out targeted measures to close gender gaps, combat violence, strengthen participation and ensure equal opportunities across all policy domains.
Last year, the Commission adopted the Roadmap for Women's Rights. It addresses emerging challenges such as technology-facilitated discrimination and encourages member states to adopt harmonized standards aligned with international commitments — including those promoted by the United Nations, such as the 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women and the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
A decisive step was the EU's accession to the Istanbul Convention in 2023, which provides a binding legal framework for preventing and combating violence against women, including in domestic settings.
The Convention strengthens victim protection, criminalization of multiple forms of abuse — including cyber harassment — and data-driven policymaking across the Union.
This multilayered approach positions the EU as an international reference point for rights-based frameworks at a time when such norms are under pressure elsewhere.
Equally significant is the EU's directive on pay transparency, now entering national transposition phases.
By requiring employers to disclose structured pay information, prohibiting requests for salary history and mandating corrective measures when unjustified gender pay gaps exceed 5%, the EU is consolidating equality as an economic as well as social imperative.
Three priorities ahead
Yet, the EU must not let its guard down, as sustaining leadership requires continued attention to three priority areas.
The first relates to enforcement and monitoring. Comparable data, accurate reporting on how the gender pay gap affects women, and timely corrective measures are indispensable to ensure that EU directives on gender equality achieve tangible impact.
The second area concerns investment in care and prevention infrastructure. The success of EU strategies depends on robust childcare and eldercare systems, as well as coordinated prevention of gender-based violence, both offline and online.
The Istanbul Convention and the new directive on combating violence against women should be complemented by sustainable funding streams and member state coordination.
Finally, the EU should integrate gender equality into digital governance.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly pervasive, standards for covering training data, impact assessments and accountability mechanisms are needed to prevent algorithmic bias and ensure women and girls benefit from technological advancement. This priority is consistent with the EU's Union of Equality agenda.
EU-U.N. cooperation
The U.N. is working closely with the EU under the shared conviction that gender equality is integral to Europe's democratic values, economic performance and global credibility.
As president of U.N. Women Italy, I work to implement EU standards at the national level. Our organization strengthens multi-stakeholder engagement through policy recommendations and tailored campaigns endorsed by the EU.
A few relevant examples incudes Orange the World — an initiative aimed at increasing prevention and survivor support — the HeForShe campaign, which encourages male leadership in promoting equality, and the Women's Empowerment Principles, a set of seven guidelines established by U.N. Women and the U.N. Global Compact to foster good practices in workplaces, including pay equality and career advancement.
These efforts should go hand in hand with awareness campaigns in partnership with national media. Through the U.N. Women Italy Media Board, we cooperate with leading journalists from prominent news outlets to promote balanced, evidence-based narratives on gender equality, reinforcing the EU's efforts to tackle stereotypes.
Such joint projects help strengthen enforcement, invest in care and safety systems and embed inclusion in technological and economic transitions. This is how the EU and its member states can continue to set the benchmark for rights-based governance worldwide.
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