Abstract

Gender equality policy is often considered to be the most developed aspect of the European Union’s (EU) social dimension. Critical arguments have on the other hand argued that there is nothing in the EU gender equality policy that does not benefit the neo-liberal model of capitalism. From a justice perspective, gender equality can be viewed as an intrinsic value, but gender equality can also be viewed as an instrumental value, a tool for creating growth and prosperity. The aim of the chapter is to analyse Europe 2020 and related documents from a gender perspective. The chapter explores what kind of strategies the EU use to achieve the targets set out in Europe 2020. A main conclusion is that gender equality has come to play an important role in achieving the Europe 2020 goals through the increase of the number of women in the workforce.