Gender Equality Index 2017 in brief: A snail’s pace towards gender equality
Gender equality is a fundamental value of the European Union and is essential for its development, growth and cohesion. As such, measuring progress in gender equality is an integral part of effective policymaking. Since its launch in 2013, the Gender Equality Index of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has been recognised for its notable contribution to policy debates and increased awareness about gender equality at the EU and national levels.
The Gender Equality Index is a composite indicator that measures the complex concept of gender equality. It is a comprehensive measure for assessing the state of art and monitoring progress in gender equality across the EU over time. The Index relies on a conceptual framework that embraces different theoretical approaches to gender equality and integrates key gender equality issues within the EU policy framework (EIGE, 2013). It offers an easy-to-interpret measure for gender equality, indicating how far (or close) the EU and its Member States are from achieving gender equality. To this end, it measures gender gaps and takes into account the context and different levels of achievement of Member States.