Gender Equality Index

The aim of the Index is to support evidence-based and informed decision-making in the EU and to track progress and setbacks in gender equality since 2005.

Additionally, it helps to understand where improvements are most needed and thus supports policymakers in designing more effective gender equality measures.

Apart from the Gender Equality Index report, EIGE also publishes country factsheets with dedicated analyses of scores and indicators for every EU Member State.

[4] The Gender Equality Index is calculated using the main EU-wide surveys and data collection covering all the EU Member States.

The domain of power measures gender equality in decision-making positions across the political, economic and social spheres.

The sub-domain of political power examines the representation of women and men in national parliaments, government and regional/local assemblies.

Access to health services is measured by the percentage of people who report unmet medical and/or dental needs.

Five social factors or ‘intersections’ were selected for further investigation: family type, age, country of birth, disability, and education.

[7] Based on EIGE's survey on the socioeconomic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender equality with over 40 000 respondents across the EU, the focus explores the division of informal childcare, long-term care (LTC) and housework between women and men.

[8][9] Conducted in June and July 2021, the survey also looks at the pandemic's impact on working arrangements, access to services, work-life balance and the well-being of carers.

For the first time since its inception, the Gender Equality Index is recording decreases in scores in the domains of work and knowledge with higher gender inequalities in employment (full-time equivalent employment rate (FTE) and duration of working life), education (tertiary graduation and participation in formal or informal education and training) as well as health status and access to health services.