The EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, published by the European Commission on 6 May 2026, acknowledges that women face a disproportionate risk of poverty across the life course. The Strategy recognises that caring responsibilities, lack of affordable childcare and lower employment rates are structural drivers of this gap, and announces a first-stage consultation on labour market activation and equality between women and men planned for 2026. The European Care Deal, planned for 2027, also explicitly recognises that caregiving responsibilities — borne predominantly by women — curtail labour market participation, reduce pension accrual and limit income security.
Social Platform calls for paid leave for caregivers, pension crediting for care periods, and improved pension adequacy for women — including compensation for periods of unpaid work during which caregivers make limited or no pension contributions — as essential measures to prevent women from falling into poverty across the life course.
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The Strategy’s recognition of discrimination and stigma as barriers to employment, education, housing, and services is significant and long overdue, and mentions LGBTI people as a vulnerable group.
MMM welcomes the strategy’s recognition that child poverty cannot be addressed in isolation from the economic realities families face. Poverty is shaped by inadequate incomes, insecure work, unequal care responsibilities, barriers to accessing services, and systems that too often fail to reach those most in need.
EU anti-poverty strategy analysis
Explore Social Platform’s analysis and reaction to the anti-poverty strategy as a whole on our main overview page.
