In a report published on gender equality, findings show that the
European Commission has continued to take action to improve equality between
women and men, including to close the gender gaps in employment, pay and
pensions gaps, to combat violence and to promote equality in decision-making.
The report reveals that gender gaps have significantly shrunk in recent years
but that progress is uneven among the Member States and gender gaps continue to
exist in different areas – to the detriment of Europe's economy. Vice-President
Reding said: "Europe has been promoting gender equality since 1957 – it is
part of the European Union's ‘DNA’. And the economic crisis has not changed our
DNA. For us Europeans gender quality is not an 'option', it is not a 'luxury',
it is an imperative. I am convinced that together we can also close the
remaining gaps in pay, employment and decision-making jobs."