THEORETICAL DEBATES ON THE CONCEPT OF "GENDER EQUALITY"

This paper analyses the three types of gender equality and the political strategies adopted by the European Union. The paper presents the theoretical debates on the concept of gender equality and the efficiency of the strategies designed for each individual type of equality. The European Union preferred to substitute the use of the initially adopted strategies (equal opportunities and positive action), with the strategy of gender mainstreaming. However, this article brings arguments that all three types of strategies must be adopted simultaneously, as prerequisite for reaching a proper level of gender equality in all fields (economic, social, political).