By Christa Schweng, EESC Employers’ Group member, former EESC president

At a time of demographic decline, skills shortages and rapid economic transformation, Europe cannot afford to underuse its human capital. Women’s full participation in the economy and in the labour market contributes significantly to productivity, innovation and long‑term growth. This is why promoting gender equality is not a social add‑on, but a core economic concern.

Europe has made progress on gender equality, but the picture remains uneven. Economic participation still lags behind educational parity, and women remain under‑represented as entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders. Women account for only a minority of self‑employed people and an even smaller share of company founders and top decision‑makers. 

This represents a missed economic opportunity as many obstacles remain, one of which is access to finance: too many viable women‑led projects still struggle to obtain credit or investment, despite their economic potential. We need practical solutions to improve women’s access to financing, foster entrepreneurship and strengthen women’s role across the business ecosystem – as founders, managers and investors. Another obstacle is care for children or older family members, which is still mainly seen as a woman’s duty. Sharing care work more equally between women and men and providing public care-facilities will support women’s economic participation. 

Education, skills and career choices also matter. Gender gaps often emerge early, driven by stereotypes and lower numbers of women in technical and future‑oriented sectors. Encouraging girls and women to pursue diverse educational and professional paths, and supporting lifelong learning and access to training, is essential both to close these gaps and to meet labour market needs. At the same time, gender equality policies must be compatible with business reality. Measures should be effective, proportionate and workable for companies of all sizes, especially SMEs. 

By combining economic ambition with practical solutions, we will continue to support women’s empowerment as a strategic investment in Europe’s competitiveness, prosperity and resilience.