Italy's gender equality fails as it ranks 14th in Europe

Slovakia is notable for its ongoing struggle with gender equality, ranking 23rd in the latest European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) Gender Equality Index released on December 10, 2024. With a score of 59.9 out of 100, the country remains significantly below the EU average of 71. This index reflects a marginal improvement of 0.7 points compared to the previous year, primarily attributed to Croatia’s decline in the rankings rather than Slovakia’s own proactive measures. Despite achieving an admirable 11th place in education access and participation, where higher education attainment among women surpasses that of men, Slovakia struggles greatly in the realm of women’s representation in decision-making processes, placing third from the bottom behind Hungary and Cyprus. The low percentage of women in leadership roles highlights a paradox that undercuts the nation's educational gains for women. Slovakia's MEP Lucia Yar has pointed out that the lack of women in public affairs decision-making conveys a disconnect between educational advancements and political empowerment. Women, despite outperforming men in education, continue to encounter barriers that prevent them from ascending to leadership positions. Yar emphasized that women's increased representation is crucial for adequately addressing issues like socio-economic challenges that affect Slovaks the most, like working poverty and healthcare concerns, which have been brought to attention by prominent female politicians, including Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová. The absence of women from key decision-making areas signifies the need for significant structural reforms in political parties to facilitate women's ascendance to leadership roles. The pessimistic outlook suggests that without proactive measures to focus on economic and social decision-making, Slovak women will remain marginalized. Currently, only 23.3 percent of the National Council of the Slovak Republic comprises women. Although recent parliamentary changes saw an increase of ten women in the government, structural barriers still hinder women's political power. Furthermore, the Gender Equality Index serves as a wake-up call, indicating that without aggressive reforms, the progressive agenda for women in Slovakia will remain hindered as they grapple with systemic inequalities. In a parallel discussion, the situation in Italy also draws attention as the European equality index shows Italy struggling despite having a female Prime Minister. Italy's Gender Equality Index score stands at 69.2, falling short of the EU average. The lack of full-time employment opportunities for women, combined with their under-representation in political positions, paints a similar picture of stagnation in gender equality throughout Europe, necessitating collective efforts across member states to address these disparities effectively.