Both the European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe promote the realization of gender equality. Under various articles of the Treaty on the European Union, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union as well as under the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the European Union is legally obligated to promote equality of women and men. For many years, its institutions (Commission, Council and Parliament) have been working towards achieving equality of men and women before the law and in everyday life both at European level and in the member states.
The Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth supports this both in the relevant Council bodies and in all other expert groups and committees relevant to gender equality policy at EU level, for example in the Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men of the EU Commission.
Gender equality policy in the European Commission
With the new Roadmap for Women's Rights, adopted in March 2025, the European Commission plans to further pave the way towards:
- freedom from gender-based violence
- the highest standards of health
- equal pay and economic empowerment
- work-life balance and care
- equal employment opportunities and adequate working conditions
- quality and inclusive education
- political participation and equal representation
- institutional mechanisms that deliver on women's rights
The Roadmap aims to build on the significant progress achieved under the Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025. Thanks to this strategy, historic progress has been made in the EU over the past five years, with rules on pay transparency, gender balance on company boards, and on combating violence against women.
With the Roadmap, the Commission is reaffirming and reinforcing its commitment to empower women and girls and fully realise a gender-equal society across Europe and the world. The Roadmap provides guidance for the future measures in the next Gender Equality Strategy.
CERV
The 2021-2027 funding period of the European Union also includes the EU programme "Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values" (CERV). It is endowed with more than 1.5 billion euros and offers funding opportunities for civil society organisations, local authorities and other stakeholders working in the areas of EU values, equality, civic participation and the prevention of violence. The ministry supports the "Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft e. V." as the national contact point for CERV in Germany. The task of the national contact point is to provide impartial advice, practical information and support on all aspects of the programme to applicants, stakeholders and beneficiaries of the 'Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values' programme.
European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)
The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) supports the gender equality policy of the institutions of the European Union and the member states by collecting, analyzing and processing data. In addition, the institute maintains a documentation centre which collects and makes available data, examples of best practice and materials for the promotion of gender equality from all European member states.
Since 2013, EIGE has been publishing the European Gender Equality Index. It is based on six core domains - work, money, knowledge, power, time and health - and two additional domains: violence against women and intersecting inequalities. Its foundation lies in the political priorities of the EU and it assesses the impact of political gender equality strategies within the European Union and the member states over time.
Gender Equality Policy of the Council of Europe
Since 2012, the Gender Equality Commission (GEC) has been working on the topic of equality of women and men within the Council of Europe. At the same time as establishing the GEC, the Council of Europe started the Transversal Programme on Gender Equality. The programme aims at ensuring that all institutions and bodies of the Council of Europe pursue the equality of women and men in the same way.
In March 2024, the Committee of Ministers adopted the "Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy 2024 to 2029". The strategy's key points are:
- Preventing and combating gender stereotypes and sexism
- Preventing and combating violence against women and girls and domestic violence
- Ensuring equal access to justice for women and girls
- Achieving balanced participation of women and men in political, public, social and economic life
- Ensuring women’s empowerment and gender equality in relation to global and geopolitical challenges
- Achieving gender mainstreaming and including an intersectional approach in all policies and measures
In April 2011, the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, the so-called Istanbul Convention, was adopted by the Committee of Ministers. Germany ratified the Convention in 2017. It came into force in Germany in February 2018. The Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings came into force in Germany in 2013.