Digitalization and gender equality in the European Union: A comparative analysis of Eastern and Western member states

Digitalization is reshaping labour markets, social structures, and economic opportunities, raising important questions about its relationship with gender equality. This paper examines how key dimensions of digitalization relate to gender equality outcomes across EU member states, with particular attention to regional differences between Eastern and Western Europe. Using panel data for EU member states over the period 2013-2023, we estimate country- and year-fixed-effects models alongside regional subsample analyses to assess the associations between women’s digital skills, internet use, digitally enabled work arrangements, and the Gender Equality Index (GEI). The results reveal clear region-specific patterns. In Eastern Europe, women’s digital skills and remote work among employees are positively associated with gender equality. In contrast, in Western Europe, women’s digital skills are negatively associated with gender equality, while female internet use and women’s labour force participation show strong positive associations. Given the macro-level design and the composite nature of the GEI, the findings should be interpreted as associational rather than causal. Overall, the results suggest that the relationship between digitalization and gender equality is context-dependent, varying across regions and dimensions of digitalization, and underscore the importance of institutional and socio-economic conditions when assessing the social implications of digital transformation. • Associations between digitalization and gender equality vary across EU regions • Women’s digital skills are positively associated with gender equality in Eastern Europe • In Western Europe, women’s digital skills show a negative association with gender equality • Female internet use is positively associated with gender equality in Western Europe • The digitalization-gender equality relationship is context-dependent rather than uniform