Gender equality in politics shows progress but persistent gaps remain across EU national and European levels.
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The Gender Equality Index shows that while progress has been made in political representation over the last decade, gender disparities remain significant across European Union member states. Although women’s representation in national parliaments has increased in most countries, with the exception of Germany and Slovenia, the overall representation of men remains higher. Sweden and Finland are currently the only EU countries with a political power indicator above 90, calculated based on the proportion of women in ministerial, parliamentary, or regional assemblies. In Lithuania, 27% of the Seimas members are women, and the specialist MintautÄ— JurkutÄ— notes that vertical segregation, where men hold more powerful positions, contributes to the gender pay gap. Horizontal segregation, driven by gender stereotypes leading to concentration in lower-paid sectors like healthcare for women and STEM for men, is also a major issue. JurkutÄ— stresses the lack of a clear national strategy for gender equality in Lithuania, noting that efforts are often scattered across various documents. Conversely, the European Parliament shows continuous growth in female representation, reaching nearly 40% after the 2019 elections, surpassing both global and national averages, although disparities persist among member states. Furthermore, public opinion suggests strong support for greater female representation in politics, with the European Parliament outlining arguments for gender balance, including the need to represent diverse experiences and promote democratic governance.
