Progress towards equality between women and men in decision-making positions in the EU and its neighbouring countries

Progress towards equality between women and men in decision-making positions in the EU and its neighbouring countries

On 5 April, the European Institute for Gender Equality highlighted the latest figures on the number of women in decision-making positions in the EU Member States, candidate countries and potential candidate countries.
The EU Gender Balance in Corporate Boards Directive adopted in 2022 has encouraged the implementation of good practices in some EU Member States with the introduction of legislative quotas in business and finance. By 2026, companies must have 40% of the under-represented gender among non-executive directors or 33% among all directors. The rate of women on boards reached 36 % in October 2021.
Additionally, the number of women in national governments of EU Member States has increased in recent years to 32% of senior ministers being women. However, the area of business and finance are still very male-dominated, in particular in the Western Balkans and Turkey with only 19% of women on the boards of the largest listed companies in 2021.

Since 2021, the number of European NOCs with a female President increased by two, reaching 7 European NOCs out of 50 in 2023. Over the same period, the number of European NOCs with a female Secretary General increased by two as well, reaching 13 in 2023.
Aligned with the EU and Olympic targets for gender equality, the EOC EU Office is coordinating the GAMES Project (Guidance to Achieve More Equal Leadership in Sport) to promote integrity and good governance in sports by advocating for structural and cultural changes regarding gender equality in leadership and decision-making positions among NOCs and their member federations. The EOC EU Office is implementing GAMES together with 8 NOCs (Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, North Macedonia and Turkey) and renowned experts in the field of gender equality and good governance, including Professor Emerita Kari Fasting from Equal Rights in Sports and I TRUST Sport. Furthermore, the GAMES project is supported by the International Olympic Committee.

Recent Posts

10 years of #BeActive celebrated at European Week of Sport opening in Copenhagen

September marked the 10th anniversary of the European Week of Sport and its #BeActive campaign, inspiring over 353,000 events and 103 million participants across 42 countries. At the opening in Copenhagen, Commissioner Glenn Micallef urged Europeans to “scroll less and move more” and called for more Erasmus+ opportunities for sport organisations to tackle inactivity. The […]

Read More
Panel discussion by MEP Carberry demonstrates the necessity of EU funding for local sport initiatives

Marking the European Week of Sport, MEP Nina Carberry (EPP, Ireland) hosted a debate on how to address barriers to physical activity on 23 September. With nearly half of European adults not engaging in regular exercise, the discussion underlined the urgent need for stronger EU action. Giorgio Guazzugli Marini, Head of the European Commission’s Sport […]

Read More
Sport organisations active for sustainability called to sign Green Sport Manifesto

The Green Sport Manifesto was officially launched on 11 September. Developed by the Green Sport Community of Practice of the European Commission’s “SHARE 2.0 Initiative”, this document aims to help sport organisations highlight their commitment to sustainability and foster a community of engaged sports actors. The Manifesto encourages sport organisations to establish sustainability governance structures, create strategies […]

Read More

Related Posts

September 26, 2025
10 years of #BeActive celebrated at European Week of Sport opening in Copenhagen

September marked the 10th anniversary of the European Week of Sport and its #BeActive campaign, inspiring over 353,000 events and 103 million participants across 42 countries. At the opening in Copenhagen, Commissioner Glenn Micallef urged Europeans to “scroll less and move more” and called for more Erasmus+ opportunities for sport organisations to tackle inactivity. The […]

September 26, 2025
Panel discussion by MEP Carberry demonstrates the necessity of EU funding for local sport initiatives

Marking the European Week of Sport, MEP Nina Carberry (EPP, Ireland) hosted a debate on how to address barriers to physical activity on 23 September. With nearly half of European adults not engaging in regular exercise, the discussion underlined the urgent need for stronger EU action. Giorgio Guazzugli Marini, Head of the European Commission’s Sport […]

September 19, 2025
Sport organisations active for sustainability called to sign Green Sport Manifesto

The Green Sport Manifesto was officially launched on 11 September. Developed by the Green Sport Community of Practice of the European Commission’s “SHARE 2.0 Initiative”, this document aims to help sport organisations highlight their commitment to sustainability and foster a community of engaged sports actors. The Manifesto encourages sport organisations to establish sustainability governance structures, create strategies […]

About us

The EOC EU Office is the House of European Sport, representing the European Olympic Committees (EOC), the IOC and other major sport organisations to the European institutions in Brussels.
CONTACT
crossmenu linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram