European Commission unveils Roadmap for Women's Rights
On the eve of International Women’s Day, the European Commission has set out its Roadmap for Women’s Rights and presented the 2025 Report on Gender Equality, reaffirming its commitment to advancing gender equality across the European Union and beyond.
This initiative builds on the achievements of the Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 and provides a long-term vision for ensuring women’s rights and equal opportunities in all aspects of society.
Progress and achievements
The European Union has made historic strides toward gender equality over the past five years, introducing crucial policies such as:
- Pay transparency rules to bridge the gender pay gap;
- Work-life balance measures that encourage shared caregiving responsibilities;
- Gender balance mandates for corporate boards;
- Legislation to combat violence against women, ensuring better protection for victims.
Despite these achievements, the 2025 Gender Equality Report highlights that progress remains uneven, with persistent challenges such as gender-based violence, pay disparities, and underrepresentation of women in decision-making roles.
A guiding compass for gender equality
The Roadmap for Women’s Rights seeks to accelerate progress and address structural discrimination through key objectives, including freedom from gender-based violence, work-life balance and caregiving, equal employment opportunities, political representation, and others.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasised the importance of continued efforts, stating:
'There is no reason why a woman should be paid less than a man or face violence because of her gender. Societies that treat women and men equally are better, fairer, and more successful. Our Roadmap underscores our commitment to a European Union where gender equality and women’s rights are a reality.'
The Commission urges the European Parliament, Council, Member States, and civil society to join forces in implementing actions aligned with the Roadmap.
What does it mean for transport?
Safe, accessible, and gender-sensitive transport is essential for achieving true gender equality. Women and men experience mobility differently due to employment patterns, caregiving responsibilities, and safety concerns—factors that must be addressed through inclusive urban planning and transport policies.
While the EU’s Roadmap does not explicitly focus on gender and mobility, its overarching objectives align with key priorities that can drive more equitable transport solutions, including:
- Enhancing safety in public transport: Implementing stronger measures to prevent harassment and violence, such as improved lighting, surveillance, and rapid response mechanisms;
- Ensuring affordable and accessible transport: Expanding flexible, well-connected, and cost-effective mobility options, particularly for women in low-income roles or those with caregiving responsibilities;
- Integrating gender-sensitive urban planning: Designing transport systems that reflect women’s greater reliance on walking, cycling, and public transit, as well as their more complex travel patterns;
- Promoting gender equality in the transport sector: Encouraging women’s participation in transport-related careers, particularly in leadership roles within urban planning, engineering, and public transit management.
By embedding these measures into future initiatives, the EU can create a mobility system that is not only safer and more inclusive but also a powerful enabler of gender equality.
Background and future steps
Gender equality has been a fundamental EU value since the 1957 Treaty of Rome, and this initiative coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, a global commitment to advancing women's rights. The 2025 Gender Equality Report highlights that, while legislative advancements have been made—such as the first-ever EU Directive on combating violence against women—there is still much work to be done. According to the 2024 Gender Equality Index by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), the EU scored 71 out of 100, reflecting persistent gaps in various sectors.
To further promote gender equality, the European Commission is funding projects through the Citizens, Equality, Rights, and Values Programme. A new call for proposals, launched on 20 February 2025, will finance initiatives aimed at preventing gender-based violence and supporting survivors. The deadline for submissions is 7 May 2025.
