Introduction: Gender Equality Policy in the European Union

Abstract

In the early 1990s, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) underwent a major transition, leaving behind the communist regime and setting out on a path towards democracy. In addition to the process of democratization, Central and Eastern European countries have also dealt with the pressure and desire to become members of the European Union (EU). While the EU started out as mainly an economic institution, its effect and scope of influence have become increasingly important for European political life. The EU set specific conditions for the new candidate countries to join at the Copenhagen European Council in 1993, the first one requiring the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities (Grabbe 2003). These particular conditions, established specifically for the Central and Eastern European candidate countries, introduce the idea that the EU, at least discursively, would only extend membership to countries that have a high quality of democracy. Additionally, human rights, including women’s rights, would also be guaranteed if countries were to join the EU. Both of these components indicate that once a country becomes an EU member, we must assume that it has consolidated democratic institutions and evolved to guarantee women’s rights in general.