EU warns women face 50-year wait for equality as Brussels targets deepfakes, pay gaps and political exclusion

Women in the EU face a 50-year wait for full equality unless progress accelerates, according to Brussels, which has launched a new strategy targeting deepfakes, pay gaps, healthcare bias and exclusion from public life

The EU has warned that women will still be waiting 50 years for full equality unless progress accelerates, as Brussels unveils a new strategy targeting online abuse, pay gaps, political exclusion and the growing threat of AI-driven harms such as sexually explicit deepfakes.

The European Commission’s 2026-2030 Gender Equality Strategy, launched ahead of International Women’s Day last Sunday, is intended to turn broad commitments already endorsed by member states into a more detailed programme of action across healthcare, education, work, public life and the digital sphere.

The starkest figure in the package comes from the European Institute for Gender Equality, whose estimates suggest that, at the current pace of change, the bloc is still half a century away from achieving full equality between women and men. 

The Commission said disparities between member states remain wide and argued that recent progress now needs tougher implementation and a response to newer forms of discrimination and violence.

A central part of the strategy is a sharper focus on gender-based abuse online. The Commission said it would pursue measures against cyberviolence that disproportionately affects women and girls, including sexually explicit deepfakes and deepnudes, through a structured regulatory dialogue with very large online platforms under the Digital Services Act. It also tied the strategy to implementation of the Violence Against Women Directive and a cyberbullying action plan unveiled in February 2026.

Healthcare has also been brought formally into the strategy for the first time, reflecting concern over what Brussels described as a lack of gender-sensitive medical research, diagnosis and treatment. 

The Commission said it would work with the World Health Organization on a flagship initiative to improve the quality and accessibility of women’s healthcare, while also exploring with the European Medicines Agency whether medicines could be assessed through a gender-sensitive check during development, approval and use.

The economic measures are aimed at persistent structural gaps. The Commission said it would support member states in implementing the Pay Transparency Directive, work with the European Investment Bank to improve access to finance for women entrepreneurs, and launch a new action plan on women in research, innovation and start-ups.

It also set out plans to encourage more women into science and technology, alongside a “Boys in HEAL” initiative intended to draw more men into health, education, administration and literacy.

Political participation forms another strand of the strategy, with the Commission promising updated mapping of national measures aimed at increasing the number of women in politics, parliaments and public administration. 

A recommendation on safety in politics is also due, with particular attention to risks faced by women, alongside further work on the online manipulation and interference that can intensify hostility and polarisation.

The strategy builds on legislation adopted under the EU’s previous 2020-2025 programme, including measures on violence against women, pay transparency, corporate boardroom balance and work-life balance. Brussels said the latest package was designed to translate that legislative base into wider practical change.

“I cannot accept in 2026 that school results, career chances, medical treatments and political participation still depend on gender,” Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, said.

Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, added: “While others turn back the clock on gender equality, the European Union is moving forward.”

Outside the bloc, the Commission said it would also prepare a new Gender Action Plan IV for 2028-2034, a fresh Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security, and a new initiative called SHIELD focused on sexual and reproductive health and support for survivors of gender-based violence.

READ MORE: ‘The new gender divide is already reshaping Europe’s future leaders‘. Across the developed world, women are overtaking men in higher education. The long-term consequences will reach far beyond universities, reshaping leadership pipelines, workplace culture and the next generation of decision-makers, says Dr Stephen Whitehead.

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