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The purpose of this study is to increase knowledge about gender differences in ideological orientations in Europe. We use quantitative methods and survey data from European Social Survey (ESS) to examine 25 countries in Europe over time and investigate if there is a correlation between gender equality and the gender gap in self-placement on the political left-right scale. The study examines how the political gender gap has developed through time, and how the trends differ between men and women. The study also examines how gender equality has evolved over time in comparison to the gender gap in political ideology. Furthermore, it examines whether different ideological dimensions might affect self-placement on the left-right scale for men and women. The results show that the gender gap has increased in general across Europe. However, there is substantial variation across the countries. In several countries, the gender gap in ideological orientations decreases over time. The study found different tendencies in how the gender gap has been changing through time in relation to how gender equality has developed. We also found that some ideological factors have a greater effect on women’s self-placement compared to men’s and vice versa.