A new roadmap outlining eight long-term goals is set to steer European policy towards achieving gender equality. This document builds on the European Commission’s strategy for 2020-2025 and lays the groundwork for a future strategy anticipated to be in place by 2026.
The first goal focuses on eradicating gender-based violence, which includes domestic violence and femicide. According to Lahbib, by 2025, it is estimated that one in three women in the EU will have faced physical or sexual violence. She describes gender-based violence as a “poison,” noting that it carries a societal cost of approximately 290 billion euros annually.
The roadmap also highlights healthcare disparities, emphasizing that women still experience higher mortality rates from heart attacks compared to men. Lahbib points out, “It’s not because their bodies are weaker, but because research has historically favored men.”
Another key objective is achieving pay equality. Women continue to earn less than men for performing the same jobs, with the current average earnings for women being 12 percent lower than their male counterparts. While this is an improvement from the previous year, the European Commissioner insists it remains “unfair.”
Lahbib also addressed women’s representation in politics, revealing that as of 2025, only 28 out of 200 global heads of state are women. At the current pace, she predicts it could take another century to achieve balance in political leadership.
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