Women at the Top of the European Commission – Drivers and Barriers [Elektronisk resurs]

• To date there have been more than 60 women working in the top-level positions in the European Commission. This paper provides an overview of women’s representation in the European Commission. It uses descriptive analysis of original data to show that women’s leadership in the Commission developed late – with virtually no women at its apex in the first thirty-five years of integration – and ascended to roughly 40% of top positions today. Horizontal gender divides show that women in the Commission lead not only classical ‘feminine’ portfolios but also economic and foreign policy portfolios. The procedures and policies of the Commission provide an administrative and a political path to leadership. Along these paths, individual factors like nationality and former qualifications explain observable patterns of women’s positional leadership. We conclude with examples and suggestions of how central actors could achieve more gender balance and diversity in the future: the Commission could work with its personnel policy, with a special focus on horizontal gender divides and national backgrounds; the European Union (EU) institutions could join efforts by linking the demand for women candidates from member states to the EP right of scrutiny and consent in the appointment process; national governments could target societal norms and attitudes towards women in top political positions and establish a pool of experienced female politicians; and women’s networks across the EU institutions could assure that equality principles are not traded off against partisan interests. 

Genre

government publication  (marcgt)