EU Council calls for efforts for gender equality in the digital age of AI

The Council of the EU has called for targeted efforts to promote gender equality in the digital age, focusing in particular on the risks and opportunities that AI presents. In a document published a few days ago, the EU institution proposes several measures to address persistent gender inequalities, with a particular focus on discrimination, prejudice and violence against women and girls in the digital world.

“Promoting gender equality, especially in the context of modern digital society, has been a key priority for the Polish Presidency. We need to address gender inequalities fueled by technology,” said Katarzyna Kotula , Polish Minister for Equal Opportunities. “We need to take specific measures to address the risks and dangers posed by AI and the digital world, as well as seize the opportunities. All stakeholders must engage in building support systems that free us from violence in all its forms, including cyber violence.”

A 2025 report by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) highlighted that institutional mechanisms are essential to achieve gender equality in all areas. Following this, the Council conclusions urged Member States to pursue a dual approach to gender equality, including both mainstreaming a gender equality perspective in all policies and specific targeted gender equality measures, including strengthening the autonomy and effectiveness of government gender equality structures by providing them with a strong and clear mandate.

The conclusions paid particular attention to the issue of technology- facilitated gender-based violence , calling on Member States to ensure that national action plans against gender-based violence include targeted measures to address this form of violence, as online violence disproportionately affects women in positions of power, particularly young women and women belonging to groups facing discrimination, which has the effect of further limiting their representation and participation in public life.

Based on this feedback, the Council called on Member States to take measures to address this problem through the use of clear, representative and high-quality data, as well as to provide for human oversight and ensure that systems comply with non-discrimination rules and sector-specific AI legislation.

At the same time, the Council also recognised the potential of AI systems and encourages their positive use . With the use of clear, bias-free rules and high-quality data, AI could actually be less biased than human decision-making. It can actually facilitate the detection of bias thanks to its ability to collect and analyse large amounts of data. The Council also aimed to tackle the growing gap between young women's and men's views on gender equality and the spread of misogyny online and, to this end, supports research on misogynistic and sexist online content and networks and calls for the full involvement of men and boys in addressing the causes of gender inequality.

Finally, the Council invited the European Commission to continue to prioritise gender equality in its current mandate (2024-2029) and to build on the momentum from the Gender Equality Strategy, in particular by facilitating the creation of a framework for internet platforms to cooperate to protect the online safety of women and girls. The conclusions called for the integration of a gender perspective in all future EU policies, legislation and funding, in the implementation of the Digital Services Regulation and the AI ​​Regulation, as well as in the forthcoming Applied AI Strategy and the Strategic Plan for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics ( STEM ) Education. They also recommended a renewed focus on digital transformation in pursuing gender equality in external relations.