CEN and CENELEC warmly welcome the European Commission’s Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030, published in March 2026. The Strategy reaffirms gender equality as a core value of the European Union and sets out a comprehensive framework of actions to advance equality between women and men in all their diversity.
We particularly welcome the fact that several key messages and recommendations put forward by CEN and CENELEC in our position paper responding to the public consultation are clearly reflected in the final strategy.
The strategy explicitly recognizes that policies shaping products, services, and systems must work for everyone. In this context, the Commission acknowledges the role of the European Standardization System in supporting gender equality, notably by encouraging inclusive standard-setting and ensuring that gender-specific impacts are adequately considered.
CEN and CENELEC strongly support the strategy’s emphasis on gender-responsive, evidence-based approaches, including the use of representative and gender-disaggregated data. This aligns closely with our call to ensure that standards are informed by data reflecting the full diversity of the EU population, for example in areas such as anthropometrics, product safety, and usability.
We also welcome the strategy’s clear commitment to ensuring that gender equality considerations are consistently reflected across all policy areas, combining targeted actions with a systematic approach throughout EU action. This aligns with our long-standing view that lasting progress depends on integrating gender considerations from the outset, rather than addressing them as an afterthought.
Finally, the strategy’s focus on inclusive governance and stakeholder participation resonates strongly with the values of the European standardization community. Diverse expertise and broad participation are essential to developing standards that are relevant, trusted, and truly inclusive.
CEN and CENELEC remain fully committed to supporting the objectives of the Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030. We look forward to continuing our close cooperation with EU institutions, Members, and stakeholders to ensure that European standards contribute to a safer, more inclusive, and more equal Europe for all.
