"2024 was an important year for gender equality in the EU. In May, the first-ever Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence as well as two Directives on strengthening the role of equality bodies were adopted. The former introduced inter alia EU-level definitions of a number of crimes, in particular regarding cyberviolence. The Directive implements, reinforces and complements the ratification of the Istanbul Convention by the EU in 2023. This is much needed: the EU-wide survey on gender-based violence, carried out by Eurostat, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights and the European Institute for Gender Equality and published in November 2024, shows that violence against women is still pervasive: one in three women have experienced physical (including threats) or sexual violence in adulthood, one in six have experienced sexual violence, including rape and one in five women have faced domestic violence – specifically physical or sexual violence from their partner, a relative, or another member of their household. The report focuses on the key actions and achievements of EU institutions and Member States in this area over the past year. It also provides encouraging examples of national initiatives on gender equality and of EU-funded projects aimed at gender equality (in boxes). This edition of the report is the fifth one covering the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025. It mostly looks back at the last year of the first Commission headed by President Von der Leyen, though it also covers the first months of her second mandate, which started on 1 December 2024, with a new college of Commissioners, including a Commissioner for Equality, Ms Lahbib. On 5 March 2025, the Commission plans to adopt a Roadmap for women's rights a key deliverable of President von der Leyen's political guidelines. The Roadmap will set out the key gender equality principles for the years ahead. It will help frame the work for a new Gender Equality Strategy and serve as a compass towards greater gender equality in the EU. Progress made will be reflected in the future editions of the Gender Equality Report. A new Gender Equality Strategy post 2025 will present the concrete actions, measures and initiatives that the EU intends to undertake over the next several years. Both, the roadmap and the strategy will be the opportunity to keep momentum on still much needed policy changes that will eventually allow the long-term vision for full gender equality set out in the roadmap to become a reality."

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ISBN (PDF) : 978-92-68-24739-6