'Gender equality is one of the fundamental principles of the European Union (EU), with its founding Treaty of Rome (1957) already including an article on equal pay for men and women. Since then, the EU has aimed at equal opportunities and treatment for both sexes adopting a dual approach of gender mainstreaming and specific measures, such as legislation, awareness-raising campaigns or financial programmes. Nevertheless, a recent monitoring report shows that the EU’s strong commitment to gender equality remains largely rhetorical, with implementation records varying heavily among Member States.'