Virginja Langbakk, Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and Eva Fabry, Director of the European Centre for Women and Technology (ECWT) met 29 June 2011 in Vilnius, Lithuania to discuss areas of collaboration between the two organizations, in particular, in the collection of data in the area of women and technology and in the upcoming research of the Institute on the Women and the Environment.

The directors discussed the importance of an integrated approach regarding gender gaps at the EU level and pointed out the strong interlink between EU policies on gender equality and  women empowerment.

The Institute for Gender Equality, established in May 2007 based on Regulation (EC) No 1922/2006 of the European Parliament and the Council functions as a knowledge centre on gender equality issues.

Equality between women and men is both a fundamental right and a common principle of the European Union. Making equality between women and men a reality for all Europeans and beyond is the vision of the European Institute for Gender Equality.

EIGE wants to become the competence centre in the area of gender equality in Europe, by collecting knowledge, sharing experience and hosting expertise on equality between women and men.

The aim of the European Centre for Women and Technology is to measurably and significantly increase the number of girls and women in the ICT in Europe. The center desires to act as agent for the implementation of a Gender Action Plan for the Digital Agenda.