On Wednesday, the European Commission published its first EU Regional Equality Monitor. It provides an accurate picture of where women achieve the most at regional level in Europe and where they face the largest disadvantages.

“The report demonstrates that there is still a lot to do to help women achieve the same opportunities as men. The Commission will continue working hard towards a gender-equal Europe”, said Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reform.

The report “Mapping the glass ceiling: The EU regions where women thrive and where they are held back” is based on two specially developed indices: the ‘Female Achievement Index’ and the ‘Female Disadvantage Index’. They reveal both the regions where women are achieving more and where they are at a disadvantage compared to men.

Women in Northern Europe, France and Spain face the least disadvantages, while women in Greece and Romania have the greatest disadvantages.

On average, women in more developed regions are able to achieve more and are at less of a disadvantage, while most women in less developed regions face big challenges. Within countries, women in capital regions tend to achieve more and are at less of a disadvantage. In general, regions with a lower female achievement index have a lower gross domestic product per capita, while regions with a higher level of female achievement have a higher level of human development. Finally, the quality of government is higher in regions where women achieve more.

The full report, underlying data and interactive tools are available at the European Commission website.