New report highlights national actions to support women in digital across the EU

• August 6, 2025
• admin

A new report published under the Connecting Women in Digital (WIDCON) project, titled “Overview of national actions”, sheds light on how EU Member States are promoting gender equality in the digital sector. Now available via Zenodo, the report presents an overview of national initiatives, funding mechanisms, and programmatic gaps related to the Women in Digital (WiD) agenda.

Uneven progress and critical gaps

Based on the “leaky pipeline” model, the report maps how women’s participation declines at each stage of the digital journey—from education to employment to leadership. Most initiatives are concentrated in ICT and digital employment, while fewer focus on STEM education or leadership development. Programs supporting women’s access to executive or decision-making roles are especially rare.

The analysis also reveals major funding disparities. Of the €655 billion allocated through the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), just 3.4% supports gender equality, with wide variation among countries. Austria, Germany, and Sweden rank highest on a composite index of initiative visibility and funding, while 11 Member States show no identifiable national-level WiD initiatives.

Moving toward more inclusive policies

The report notes that while many global initiatives adopt an intersectional lens—considering factors like race, migration status, or socio-economic background—most EU programs remain narrowly focused on gender alone. This limits their reach and effectiveness, particularly for women from underrepresented communities.

Call for contributions by 29 August

As a living document, the report will be updated based on input from Member States and stakeholders. Two questionnaires are open until 29 August 2025:

• Submit additional initiatives
• Describe your national WiD landscape

These contributions will help shape the upcoming Women in Digital Report, to be presented at the WiD Summit in November 2025.