Women’s empowerment in the EU

We had to wait until 2019 to see for the first time a woman at the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, or at the head of the European Central Bank (Christine Lagarde, also in 2019). But there is still a long way to go in the European Union in terms of women’s empowerment, as shown by the under-representation of women in leadership or decision-making positions and the fact that on average women earn 16% less than men for the same work.

The good news is that gender equality has become one of the EU’s priorities. Since the first Action Plan on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Development was launched back in 2010, several roadmaps have been set out to set Europe, and the world at large, on the path towards a landscape where discrimination is neither existent nor in the news.

The European Union is currently working with the Gender Action Plan III 2021-2025, which makes gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls a cross-cutting priority of its external action. In fact, by 2025, 85% of EU actions should contribute to achieving this objective.

Women’s empowerment in technology

One of the fields in which the gap between men and women is most evident is the labour market, and the EU has launched several initiatives to correct this inequality. One of the most important platforms to promote women’s empowerment in the workplace is WeGate. This project is a meeting point for working women in the EU, and every year it publishes a barometer on the female employment landscape. The 2021 edition reflected some alarming data, such as the fact that women make up 52% of the EU population, yet only 34% of the self-employed and 30% of entrepreneurs are women.

These difficulties are also reflected in the world of technology start-ups, which show low female participation. These are companies that often need more time and capital to sustain themselves, as their research and innovation cycles can be longer. In addition, women working in this field often face yet another obstacle – the gender biases and stereotypes present in the tech world.

The great work of the European Innovation Council

One of the institutions working hardest to eradicate these gender inequalities in the world of work is the European Innovation Council, which has three very interesting initiatives for women:

· The Women TechEU programme: launched by the Council in 2021, it offers mentoring to women founders of tech start-ups and an individual grant of €75,000 to support the growth of the company.

· The Women’s Leadership Programme: this is an initiative aimed at women working in innovation and technology companies, with the aim of improving their skills and providing them with a network of contact with other women entrepreneurs and researchers.·

· The European Women Innovators Award: recognises the work of successful women entrepreneurs from across Europe and Horizon Europe partner countries.

And despite these initiatives, it seems clear that the demands of 8 March are still more necessary than ever.