ABSTRACT
Equality between women and men is a fundamental value of the European Union and is vital to its economic and social growth. Regarding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the fight against discrimination and gender inequality is set as a specific goal (Goal 5). The SDGs will sensitize global public opinion and practitioners about the need to deal with the pervasive gender inequality, but it is necessary to dig deeper into the causes and work harder to reduce gender gaps progressively. This chapter aims to check whether the gender equality index (GEI) proposed by the European Institute for Gender Equality is a correct index to measure inequalities. To do this, it analyzes differences across regions over time and tests North–South disparities. The results highlight two different situations and confirm that it is not possible to focus solely on the gender gap while ignoring the levels of achievement altogether. The index is created by taking into account the levels of achievement and not only the gender gap. Both components that contribute to the final value have been considered by providing relative classifications. While it is true that gender inequality cannot be resolved without promoting ad hoc measures, pursuing a more general development towards economic and social well-being is a necessary condition for embarking on the right path towards achieving equality. Education is not the only dimension that needs a change in this direction. The pursuit of equal opportunities for men and women must also be supported by the greater diffusion of women in positions of responsibility, encouraging their empowerment. The main findings of this chapter tell us the development of the female gender will depend to a large extent on the ability of institutions to promote an all-inclusive vision.
