facing gender inequality: A close look at the European Strategy for Social Protection and Social Inclusion and its Gender Equality Challenges after 2010

The aim of this paper is to sum up the main issues at stake in the European Union, concerning gender equality in social inclusion and social protection policies. As is well known “Equality between women and men” is one of the founding principles of the Treaty of the European Union. However, despite progress made over past decades, gender inequalities are still persistent in a number of spheres. Poverty is increasingly feminised and especially affects single mothers and elderly women. Gender inequalities, however, are also persistent among other groups facing social exclusion, for example immigrants, ethnic minorities and the disabled. This means that there are differences in the causes, extent, and form of social exclusion experienced by women and men. The paper, introduced by an overview of primary gender gaps, focuses on specific issues in the three policy areas where the promotion of gender equality would be particularly important: social inclusion, pensions, health and long-term care. Special attention is devoted to empowerment policies, integrating several welfare domains and distinctive approaches.