The EU is considered to have been a key actor in molding women’s social, political, and economic equality in Europe. There is, however, a divided opinion among researchers about which way the EU is going when it comes to gender equality. Scholars also claim that what takes place in practice frequently fails to fulfill defined ambitions, meaning that the gender equality policies do not always generate change amongst EU citizens.

The study aims to understand what type of gender equality the EU is presenting through its strategies and how its ambitions have developed from 2016 to 2025, applying ideal type analysis. Moreover, it aims to investigate if indications can be seen that the EU's work on gender equality has affected gender equality in EU member states. Feminist theory lies as the basis of the study. The result of the analysis was based on the EU Gender Equality Index and EUs gender equality strategies between the periods of 2016-2019 and 2020-2025. A qualitative text analysis is the chosen method, specifically the method of ideal types.

The study has demonstrated that the EU has a composite perception of gender equality, with solid connections to several feminist orientations. Furthermore, an expansion and a radicalization of the gender equality strategies have taken place over the years. It is also possible to see that there is a strong signal that the EU’s work around gender equality has affected member states’ levels of gender equality.