Gender Equality Index 2021: Big losses for gender equality in Europe
The EU has made “fragile gains” towards gender equality, but big losses are emerging as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Gender Equality Index 2021, released by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).
EIGE has been monitoring the advancement of gender equality throughout the European Union since 2013, measuring progress through six core domains: work, money, knowledge, time, power, and health.
In this year’s Gender Equality Index, the EU scores 68 points out of 100, which is a microscopic increase of 0.6 points since last year’s edition.
“Europe has made fragile gains in gender equality. But big losses are emerging as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Carlien Scheele, EIGE’s Director.
Which EU countries are leading the way on gender equality?
Top performers in this year’s Index are again Sweden and Denmark, followed by the Netherlands, which jumped over Finland and France to claim third place.
Luxembourg, Lithuania, and the Netherlands have improved the most since last year’s edition, while Slovenia was the only country that went backwards. Greece and Hungary are at the bottom of EIGE’s Index.
How has COVID-19 impacted gender equality?
This year’s Index focused on the links between health and gender equality – an area which the pandemic has exposed more than ever.
EIGE notes that women are overrepresented in the healthcare sector and therefore face a higher risk of contracting the virus. Healthcare workers also face acute mental distress during the pandemic from being overworked and seeing patients suffer and die.
Meanwhile, men with COVID-19 are at higher risk of hospitalisation than women. This is linked to their health behaviours and pre-existing conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which are more common among men.
The pandemic also impacted gender inequalities at home, with women bearing the brunt of unpaid care work during repeated lockdowns. Experts have also observed a “pandemic within the pandemic” of domestic violence.
“Cohabitation brought about by lockdowns and economic and labour instability are considered stressors associated with an increase in intimate partner violence,” the report notes, citing previous studies.
The economic fallout of the pandemic is also “lasting longer for women”, said Scheele. “Our index findings can help Europe’s leaders tackle the different effects of the pandemic on women and men and alleviate the unequal short and long-term impact,” the EIGE director added.
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