The meaning of gender equality in the European Employment Strategy

The paper presents a critical analysis of the European Employment Strategy (EES), considering the evolution of its formulation since its launch in 1997. The purpose is to verify whether the pursuit of the quantitative target in terms of an increase in the female employment rate has been matched by the pursuit of gender equality. The question investigated is whether the emphasis on gender equality and equal opportunities between women and men in the labour market - quite visible in the early formulation of the EES - refects a concern with the pursuit of gender equality as a goal in itself, or whether gender equality in the labour market is conceived as a tool necessary for the achievement of the overall employment targets agreed at the EU level.