Can the EU close the gender gap?

Why have I chosen my PhD-topic?

Gender equality issues attracted significant attention in the European public debate in the 2010s and early 2020s, amidheightened awareness of social injustices and associatedsocial movements. Societal concerns about persisting gender inequalities prompted political responses not only at the national level but also at the EU level. During these years, several EU directives were adopted with the aim of progressing towards gender equality. Yet, while equality between women and men is one of the EU's values and core aims anchored in the Treaty and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and an objective on which member states can easily agree in principle, the negotiations of these files werecharacterised by profound inter-state disagreements, which constrained policy change. This challenge nurtured my interest in the questions of the EU’s decision-making efficiency and capacity to legislate around gender equality. In my PhD research, I aim to contribute to our understanding of the extent to which the EU, as a collective, can address social inequalities through policymaking by examining the negotiation of the EU’s “gender equality policy”.

My central research question

This research provides insight into the potential and limits of the EU to address social challenges, particularly gender inequalities. The research revolves around the questions: What factors shape EU decision-making actors’ preferences on the main disputed issues around gender equality policy? And: How do these preferences translate into collective decision-making outcomes?

Focusing on the key role of member states within the Council of the European Union, and keeping in sight the agency of the European Parliament as a strong advocate of social justice, Ianalyse the negotiation of four cases of “gender equality” directives adopted in recent years: The “Violence against Women Directive” designed to prevent and combat violence against women, the “Pay Transparency Directive” reinforcing the respect for the principle of equal pay for equal work, the “Women on Boards Directive” promoting companies’ gender balanced decision-making, and the “Work-Life Balance Directive” aimed at improving the conciliation of work with caring responsibilities.