Gender equality index 2017 : measuring gender equality in the European Union 2005-2015

For a strong and democratic Europe, gender equality must go hand in hand with policy initiatives. The Europe 2020 strategy and the European Pillar of Social Rights both provide a good opportunity for the EU to consolidate its efforts in this area. The Gender Equality Index is a useful and robust measurement tool that can help monitor the impact of these policies over time. The Index gives more visibility to areas that need improvement and ultimately supports policymakers to design more effective gender equality measures. The third edition of the Gender Equality Index contains several new elements. Important methodological updates have strengthened the way of measuring gender equality and offered a more accurate picture of the situation in the EU. This edition looks beyond gender by putting a focus on intersecting inequalities. Such an approach provides a deeper analysis of the gender equality situation for specific groups of women and men, based on age, (dis)ability, country of birth, family status and education. The Index also provides a wider perspective on decision-making, by introducing gender gaps in the areas of research, media and sports. The domain of health contains new data on healthy and risk behaviours of women and men.