The ranking was published on 7 October 2019 and concluded a score for Luxembourg that was 1.8 points above the EU.

However, its progress is growing at a slightly slower pace than other member states, the report found highlighting the fact that Luxembourg dropped two places since 2005.

The ranking is based on the idea that a score of 100 denotes a country with total real equality between genders.

Luxembourg’s score was higher than those of the EU in all domains with the exception of power where it had the lowest score, at 44.8 points, and this despite improving 8.6 points since 2015.

It scored highest in money (91.8 points), which topped the ranking for the EU. Greatest improvements were noted in power, as mentioned above, and in knowledge, a segment in which Luxembourg’s score rose 7.5 points.

Responding to a parliamentary question on the subject, equal opportunities minister Taina Bofferding (LSAP) wrote that the index was highly pertinent as a national mechanism for Luxembourg to track the evolution of equality between men and women, in comparison to neighbouring countries.

“With this result, Luxembourg is placed above the EU average and is evolving in a positive direction. The main challenge for the future will be accelerating the progress made,” Bofferding wrote in a response published on Tuesday.

Bofferding explained that the ranking for 2017 did not take into account recent changes in Luxembourg, such as the introduction of political quotas in national and the goal to achieve 40% representation of each sex on boards of public establishments.

Other measures being taking in Luxembourg include awareness-raising and information campaigns about sharing duties, the support and promotion of the female board pool, a database of women ready to take on board roles, and support of mentoring and coaching to redress the gender balance.

“The totality of these measures are featured in an equality plan between men and women which is in the process of being finalised,” Bofferding wrote, adding:

“The majority of inequalities between men and women, notably at decision-making level, are based on the kind of gender stereotyping which suggests to children from a young age, the roles and social behaviours linked to being a girl or boy, man or woman.

“Some of these norms are transmitted, often unconsciously, as being natural and can be a source of discrimination and inequality between sexes.

“That is why it is essential to fight against stereotypes of this sort at all levels, starting with children and young adults.”