European Commission presents
The new Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030
For a more equal, cohesive and successful Europe.
Today, the European Commission is presenting its new Gender Equality Strategy for 2026 to 2030. The Strategy embeds gender equality into every aspect of life, online and offline, from education and health to work and public life, and addresses modern threats such as cyberviolence and AI-related risks, which particularly affect women.
While progress has been made, estimations by the European Institute for Gender Equality suggest that, at the current pace of change, it would take 50 years for the EU to reach full gender equality. Disparities among Member States also persist. The new Strategy turns the objectives of the Roadmap for Women’s Rights, presented by the Commission and endorsed in 2025 by all Member States, into concrete actions to empower women and girls, engage men and boys, vigorously oppose any backtracking on fundamental rights, and accelerate progress towards a truly gender-equal Europe.
Presented ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, this Strategy builds on the milestone legislation adopted under the Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, including rules on Combating Violence against Women, on Pay Transparency and improving Gender Balance on Corporate Boards, and as well as the implementation of rules on Work Life Balance to promote equal sharing of care responsibilities.
A renewed Strategy for the next five years
The new Strategy will reinforce EU action in key areas, address emerging issues, and intensify the work on implementation of existing legislation and policies by:
Continuing the fight against gender-based violence with a strong emphasis on fighting cyberviolence, which disproportionately impacts women and girls. This includes measures to combat sexually explicit deepfakes and deepnudes, and improve the protection of women online. This will be done through a structured regulatory dialogue with very large online platforms based on the robust safeguards under the Digital Services Act. The Commission will also support full implementation of the Violence Against Women Directive and the new Action Plan on Cyberbullying presented in February 2026.
Engaging men and boys in the fight for gender equality, recognising its benefit for them, as well as their important role in bringing about societal change. The Strategy will focus on how to counter information manipulation and disinformation to avoid growing polarisation between women and men, particularly among young people. The Commission will carry out a study on online networks and narratives that target young men and boys and will engage men and boys in community building initiatives.
Promoting the highest standards of health and healthcare systems built for all. For the first time, healthcare is covered as a dedicated policy area in the Gender Equality Strategy, including a flagship initiative together with the World Health Organization to improve the quality and accessibility of women’s healthcare. The Strategy presents new measures to address the lack of gender-sensitive medical research, diagnostics and treatment, for example the Commission will work with the European Medicines Agency to investigate the feasibility of developing a gender-sensitive check when medicines are formulated, approved and given to patients. The proposed revision of the Clinical Trials Regulation under the EU Biotech Act will also require new trials to reflect population diversity, including women and vulnerable groups.