As I am writing this article my sister, Carolina, is 15 years old, a confident and ambitious student, graduating from elementary school this spring. In 2030, she will be 31, most likely educated with different goals and dreams compared to the ones she has today.

It could be argued that in 2030, the European society surrounding my sister also will look different compared to the one we live in today. Issues concerning the environment, the economy and equality will all have different agendas. As a 31-year-old woman, how will my sister be refuted by future Europe? Will she have the same opportunities to succeed, the same acceptance in society and the same appreciation for her achievements as men? In my eyes, I hope and I think that she will. In 2030, our society will look different and most certainly for the better. Gender equality will no longer be an issue in most countries, solved by the strive for economic growth and collaboration between countries.

In 2014, women constitute the majority of the world population. It could therefore be argued that more than half of the population on our planet is disadvantaged. In the European Union close to 60 % of all university graduates are women. Nevertheless, the unemployment is lower among men. If we take a look at the distribution of power, only 10 % of all company board members and 24 % of all members of various parliaments are women. From an economic perspective, the salary gap is still around 18% and much higher in several countries. However, the economists ought to be worried since the most highly educated group – the women – are not getting the jobs and the compensation that they deserve. This “brain in vain” will hamper the economic development of Europe if things do not change. The competitive pressure from countries like India and China will hopefully put enough pressure on decision makers to pave the way so that individuals will receive the jobs, regardless of gender, that they are skilled and suited for. In addition, the proportion of women as a percentage of the work force can substantially increase in Europe. A study from the University of Umeå shows that the GDP of Europe can increase by a staggering 27 % if the proportion of women would be as high as it is for men. This could certainly be needed given the debt problem that Europe currently is facing.

The responsibility to improve the equally between genders is a national one. The role of EU is unclear even though EU has an important role as regards the structural development of Europe. Given the fast globalization, the competiveness of Europe can only be strengthened if structural reforms are implemented. Improvement of equality between genders can give Europe advantages. The “brain in vain” situation described above is not something we can accept from either a moral or economic standpoint.

The EU Commission undertakes an annual investigation on how the member states follow the 2020 strategy towards a sustainable growth for everyone. During this year, the Commission took several steps in the right direction. Many of the member states were recommended to improve the equality between genders by implementing policies and tax incentives.

As I am writing this article my sister, Carolina, is 15 years old, a confident and ambitious student, graduating from elementary school this spring. In 2030, she will be 31 and most hopefully and probably, my sister will be part of a society where she will have the same opportunities to succeed, the same acceptance in society and the same appreciation for her achievements as men. Europe has a great opportunity in order to stay competitive and that is to allow women the same rights and opportunities as men. Change is needed because if we sit still and watch how the rest of the world transforms, Europe will soon be a loser. We simply cannot afford to have the most highly educated housewives in the world.

When I ask my sister what she thinks of this issue, it takes a while before I get an answer. She takes a sip of tea before giving a mature response as we sit in the living room. In her eyes, equality is a certainty, a human right and something we all agree on. However the question is hidden in the dark, against our own intuition. Something concrete has to be done, a referendum perhaps leading to laws benefiting equality. Since everybody seems to have the same opinion concerning equality, why not use our democratic virtues and create an equal society we all emphasise. I strongly agree with my sister and in 2030, I hope and think that we will not have the same type of discussion concerning equality in Europe.