Gender Equality Index. How does Romania rank compared to other European Union countries?

Romania has a total gender equality score of only 57.5 out of 100, ranking last alongside Central and Southern European countries Hungary (57.8), Greece (59.3), Croatia (59.7), the Czech Republic, and Slovakia (both with a total score of 59.9), according to the latest infographic published by the Social Monitor, a project of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Romania.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Sweden (82), the Netherlands (78.8), and Denmark (78.8) occupy the top spots in the gender equality ranking, alongside France, Spain, and Belgium, each with a total score of 76.1.

The Gender Equality Index is developed by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and is the only tool for measuring gender equality, calculated on the following dimensions: work, money, knowledge, time, power, and health. Each dimension analyses how men and women are positioned on a scale from 1, which means total inequality, to 100, which means total equality. In this infographic, we present the total index and the following sub-dimensions of gender equality: participation in the labor market, participation in care work, and participation in political life.

In terms of labor market participation, Romania ranks third from the bottom, with a score of 75.7, ahead of only Italy (70) and Greece (74.9). The countries of Central and Eastern Europe rank close to the top of the table, at considerable distances from Romania, as follows: Hungary (87.5), the Czech Republic (84.5), Slovakia (88.6), Estonia (94.2), Poland (93.6), and Slovenia (88.5). The gender equality index in labor market participation consists of two indicators calculated by EIGE, the employment rate and the length of working life. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Romania showed in a previous press release of the Social Monitor statistics related to gender inequalities in labor market participation. Despite the increase in women's participation in the labor market, gender inequalities continue to exist in the European Union. Women participate less than men in the labor market and tend to be involved in part-time jobs, with atypical and precarious employment contracts, and are also underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and politics.

In terms of care activities, our country scores 80.7 out of 100, close to the European Union average (78.7). Women's participation in the labor market has not led to an equal division of time spent on domestic work and caring for dependents. In many countries, women are left out of the labor market because of their active involvement in domestic and care responsibilities. This score is calculated by EIGE based on indicators of the percentage of people participating in care work and people participating in domestic work. The highest gender inequalities in this sub-dimension are found in countries such as the Czech Republic (62.8), Hungary (68.7), Slovakia (69.3), Lithuania (68.2), Croatia (72.7), and Cyprus (73.3). At the top of the ranking, with the highest scores, are Sweden (93.1), Finland (89.9), and Estonia (92.2).

Romania ranks second to last in the European Union in terms of gender equality in political participation, with a score of 32.6 out of 100, surpassing only Hungary (24.9). Romania is far behind the EU average (62.6) as well as the Nordic and Western countries. The index of participation in political life is analyzed by EIGE using indicators related to the proportion of ministers, the proportion of members of parliament, and the proportion of members in regional and national assemblies. Although women's participation in politics has gradually increased in the EU, many women are still discouraged from pursuing political careers. The data show that, alongside Romania, the countries of Southern Europe have the lowest scores, Greece (37.7) and Cyprus (34.9). Progress in gender equality in political participation has been achieved by northern and western countries such as Sweden (96.3), Finland (91.1), Belgium (88.6), France (86.8), and Austria (80.4).

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Data source: https://eige.europa.eu/gender-equality-index

Data processing and text design: Delia Bădoi

Infographic: Pascalone Media SRL