How gender equality achievements relate to life satisfaction across the EU

What is it about?

This study explores how different aspects of gender equality are associated with life satisfaction across the 27 EU countries. We examine achievements in areas such as women’s education, gender pay and employment gaps, caring responsibilities, and women’s representation in political and managerial leadership. Rather than looking at each factor separately, we identify different combinations of gender equality achievements that are associated with higher or lower levels of life satisfaction. Our findings show that there is no single pathway: different countries can reach similar levels of well-being through different combinations of gender equality conditions.

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Gender equality policies are often assessed one indicator at a time, but our findings show that their effects need to be considered as part of a broader policy mix. Women’s tertiary education is a particularly prominent element in the pathways associated with high life satisfaction, while political and managerial representation and smaller gender gaps can play complementary or alternative roles. Conversely, low life satisfaction is often associated with combinations of persistent gender gaps, weaker educational outcomes, and limited representation of women in leadership. These findings can help governments and public administrations use EU SDG 5 indicators more effectively when prioritizing policies, allocating resources, and designing coordinated strategies for gender equality and societal well-being.

Perspectives