Ahead of International Women’s Day, the European Commission has published the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030, reaffirming its commitment to advancing gender equality and recognising the growing backlash against women’s rights across Europe.
The Strategy builds on the EU Roadmap for Women’s Rights, adopted in March 2025, which IPPF EN previously welcomed. In the lead-up to the Strategy’s publication, we submitted recommendations on how to strengthen sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) across EU policies, funding instruments and institutional mechanisms.
While the Strategy contains several positive elements, it focuses largely on implementing existing measures and on conducting research. These commitments are important, but they cannot replace the new and urgent action needed to uphold and advance SRHR at a time when gender equality, bodily autonomy and democratic values are increasingly under attack.
1. Sexual and reproductive health and rights
We welcome the Strategy’s recognition that challenges to women’s SRHR persist. However, while certain health conditions and contraception — including male contraception — are mentioned, abortion is not explicitly addressed. Beyond reference to the European Citizens’ Initiative My Voice, My Choice, no new actions on abortion are proposed.
The announced initiative with the World Health Organization on improving women’s healthcare, as well as the planned mapping of practices and international frameworks on SRHR, are promising. But we call on the Commission to ensure these initiatives promote standards on the full spectrum of SRHR — including comprehensive sexuality education, abortion, fertility care, and provision of SRH to survivors — and lead to concrete actions to implement these standards, at least by issuing Recommendations to Member States.
2. Comprehensive sexuality education
We regret the absence of concrete measures to promote comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), despite its inclusion in the Roadmap for Women’s Rights. While we welcome support to Member States on consent education in line with the Directive on violence against women, CSE remains the most comprehensive and evidence-based framework for equipping young people with the knowledge and skills to build safe and respectful relationships.
3. Sexual and gender-based violence
The proposal to map national legislation on consent-based definitions of rape lacks ambition. We encourage the Commission to actively support national reforms in this area and hope the revision of the Child Sexual Abuse Directive will reinforce a consent-based legal definition of sexual abuse.
We are also concerned by the absence of measures addressing violations of SRHR as forms of gender-based violence. This includes all forms of obstetric and gynaecological violence, mistreatment or denial of abortion care, intersex genital mutilation, forced sterilisation and forced medicalisation of transgender people. We condemn the fact that the previously announced Recommendation on harmful practices was never published and that no new actions are announced in this area.
4. Men, boys and anti-gender narratives
We welcome the recognition that challenging harmful gender norms and engaging men and boys is essential to preventing gender-based violence. The Strategy also acknowledges the need to counter anti-gender narratives. The announced study should lead to concrete measures to counter the growing influence of the “manosphere”.
5. External action
We welcome the EU’s renewed commitment to promoting gender equality and eliminating gender-based violence in its external action, including through the upcoming Gender Action Plan IV (2028–2034). We hope to see a strong focus in the next GAP on SRHR as a standalone priority and as a mainstreamed topic. Political commitments must also be backed by ambitious funding, and we call on the European Commission to include targets for gender equality in the next GAP.
In particular, we welcome the new flagship initiative SHIELD (Sexual and Reproductive Health in Emergencies and Life in Dignity) aimed at improving access to SRHR and supporting survivors of gender-based violence in humanitarian settings. However, access to SRHR and support for survivors must also be guaranteed beyond crisis contexts, in line with the Directive on violence against women.
6. Funding and institutional mechanisms
Adequate and dedicated funding, alongside strong institutional coordination, will be essential to deliver on the Strategy’s objectives. We welcome the emphasis on gender mainstreaming, including within the EU budget – although beyond tracking, targets are needed. The recognition of civil society’s role, the ambition to widen civil society participation and to support CSOs financially are crucial.
Calls for Member States to adopt national gender equality strategies by 2027 and national action plans to combat violence against women by 2029 are also positive steps.
While the Strategy refers to an intersectional approach, this commitment is not reflected in targeted measures addressing the specific needs of marginalised groups.
IPPF EN will continue to engage constructively with the European Commission, the European Parliament and Member States to ensure effective implementation of the Strategy and to advocate for concrete progress over the next five years, building on the current commitments. We call on Member States to endorse the Strategy and translate its commitments into meaningful national action. Gender equality cannot be achieved without guaranteeing everyone’s right to make free and informed decisions about their bodies and their lives.
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