Internationale Vrouwendag vindt zijn oorsprong in de eerste arbeidersbewegingen van de jaren 1900. Het is en blijft een dag waarop zowel de strijd voor vrouwenrechten wordt herdacht als de vooruitgang op het gebied van gendergelijkheid wordt gevierd. Het Europees Parlement is een van de meest uitgesproken voorvechters van gendergelijkheid binnen de EU. Het heeft belangrijke resoluties en wetten aangenomen om de rechten van vrouwen te beschermen, gelijke kansen te bevorderen en discriminatie te bestrijden.

Internationale Vrouwendag

In het eerste halfjaar van 2024 zijn in de EU meer dan 513 000 asielaanvragen ingediend. Een op de drie asielzoekers is een vrouw of een meisje. De EU zet zich in om de mensenrechtenproblemen aan te pakken die deze vrouwen en meisjes tijdens asielprocedures ondervinden. Zo wordt in het asielstelsel van de EU rekening gehouden met gendergevoelige elementen en erkent het Hof van Justitie van de Europese Unie gendergerelateerd geweld als reden om asiel te verlenen. Maar ondanks deze verbeteringen, zijn er nog meer inspanningen nodig.

De genderdimensie van asielaanvragen in de EU

Gender-balanced representation among the decision-makers of the European Union is an important step towards full realisation of the principle of equality between women and men enshrined in the EU Treaties. The Union has made steady and significant progress, starting from a very low presence of women among EU Commissioners and Members of the European Parliament at the time when those institutions were created. The European Parliament is today one of the world's most gender-balanced representative assemblies, but there are still significant divergences between EU countries.

EPRS Policy Podcast - Towards gender balance in the European elections: Electoral quotas

Equal pay for equal work is one of the European Union's founding principles, enshrined in Article 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). However, the implementation and enforcement of this principle remain a challenge. Due to a lack of pay transparency, pay discrimination often goes undetected and victims face difficulties in making a claim for redress. On 4 March 2021, the European Commission adopted a legislative proposal on binding pay transparency measures. The proposed directive to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms focuses on measures to ensure pay transparency, and better access to justice for victims of pay discrimination.

EPRS policy podcast - Equal pay for equal work between men and women: Pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms

Statistics and research results show that in recent decades, before the coronavirus pandemic, the EU's labour market witnessed an increase in female employment rates. Women's employment seems to have been more resilient than men's to the economic and financial crisis in 2008. The coronavirus crisis, however, has had a harsher impact on women than on men when it comes to the labour market.

EPRS policy podcast - Recent trends in female employment

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International Women’s Day is held every year on 8 March. Equality between women and men is one of the objectives of the European Union.

Over time, legislation, case-law and changes to the Treates have helped shore up this principle and its implementation in the EU. The European Parliament has always been a fervent defender of the principle of equality between men and women.

On this occassion, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of Belarus’ democratic forces,&nbsp;Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, a Belarusian opposition activist,&nbsp;Leniie Umerova, a&nbsp;Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar activist&nbsp;and Tata Kepler, a Ukrainian volunteer in military medicine highlighted the ongoing struggles for freedom, justice, and democracy in Belarus and Ukraine, stressing the deep connection between both countries' fates. They called on the EU to maintain strong support for civil society, independent media, and political prisoners, particularly the many women still unjustly detained.Testimonies exposed the brutal realities of occupation, including torture, forced labour, and systematic repression in Russian-controlled territories. The message was clear: only a strong and united Europe can help secure freedom for Belarus and Ukraine, ensuring peace and stability for the entire region.

International Women’s Day

The United Nations defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women, also known as the Istanbul Convention, is the first legally binding international instrument on this issue. It establishes a comprehensive framework of measures for preventing such violence, supporting victims and punishing perpetrators.&nbsp;

MEPs have voted during May 2023 plenary to approve the European Union’s accession to the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women, concluding Parliament’s role in the process. Six years after the EU signed the Istanbul Convention - it has still not been ratified because of the refusal of a few member states, despite&nbsp;Parliament’s multiple calls to this end.

However, the EU&nbsp;Court of Justice’s opinion of 6 October 2021&nbsp;confirmed that the European Union can ratify the Istanbul Convention without having the agreement of all member states. The Court found that the appropriate scope for the EU’s accession is asylum, judicial cooperation in criminal matters, and obligations of the EU institutions and public administration.

The EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention does not exempt member states from ratifying it themselves, MEPs have repeatedly said, urging the remaining six countries - Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia - to ratify the Convention without delay, so that it can protect women to the full extent of the Convention’s intended scope

Violence against women

Full gender equality is far from being achieved, and this has implications for the lives and life chances of individual women, girls, boys and men, the communities they live in and the EU as a whole. The European Parliament has consistently taken a strong, proactive stance on advancing gender equality, stressing the need to deliver on EU commitments.

The EP´s Committee of Women´s rights and Gender equality (FEMM) is in the heart of these discussions.

Options for further EU involvement could include better implementation and enforcement of existing legislation, moves to modernise it, fill gaps in protection and address emerging issues, and non-legislative measures such as data collection and monitoring, awareness-raising, and support for national and grassroots initiatives.

Promoting equal economic independence for women and men, closing the gender pay gap, advancing gender balance in decision making, ending gender based violence and promoting gender equality beyond the EU are the concrete areas of interest for the EU.

Gender balance

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The right to health, including sexual and reproductive health, is protected internationally.&nbsp;Access to sexual and reproductive healthcare goods and services is a fundamental component of sexual and reproductive rights.

Under international human rights law and standards, European Union Member States should ensure access to safe and quality sexual and reproductive healthcare.

A range of United Nations (UN) treaties ban discrimination in general terms, effectively outlawing discrimination in sexual and reproductive health and rights. These rights include the right to health and the right to family planning, equal access to service, freedom from violence and the right to life. Specific international treaty protections exist to combat discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, disability but not sexual orientation or gender identity.

At European level, the Council of Europe protects sexual and reproductive health and rights through the European Convention on Human Rights and through the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention).

Sexual and reproductive health and rights

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women, also known as the Istanbul Convention, is the first legally binding international instrument on this issue. It establishes a comprehensive framework of measures for preventing such violence, supporting victims and punishing perpetrators.

The European Parliament first sounded the alarm about the problem of violence against women in a resolution of 11 June 1986. Since then, Parliament has played a particularly important role in the field, including through the work of its Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). As of October 2020, it has been signed by all EU Member States, and ratified by 21.

Violence against women (2019-2020)

The EU has adopted legislation, issues recommendations, exchanges and good practices and provides funding to support action by Member States. The concepts of EU gender equality policy were shaped by European Court of Justice rulings.

The European Parliament (EP) regularly adopts own initiative reports on gender issues, calling for more efforts to improve gender equality.

The EP has always been very active on achieving equality between men and women and has a standing committee dedicated to women’s rights and gender equality. Every year, Parliament marks International Women’s Day on 8 March and raises awareness by organising events.

Gender balance (2019-2020)

The European Parliament has adopted new rules to allow parents and carers to better reconcile their work and family lives.

The new rules for a better work-life balance, adopted on 4 April 2019, aim to increase the employment rate for women, create incentives for fathers to take family-related leave, and promote gender equality and equal opportunities. Parliament and Council agree on measures to reconcile career and private life:

- Ten working days paternity leave, paid at not less than the level of sick pay

- Two months of non-transferable paid parental leave

- Five days of annual carers’ leave

- Flexible working patterns, including remote working.

#EUelections2019 - Work-life balance

Women in defence, security and peace building. A special meeting of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality with members of national parliaments and invited panellists – including women in leadership roles in the military, academics, and activists – is scheduled in the run-up to the International Women's Day (8 March). The meeting will include introductory remarks by the European Commissioner for Equality, Hadja Lahbib, and will focus on 'Strengthening the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda – Upholding Women's Rights in Defence, Security, and Peacebuilding. (Thursday) A media seminar is organised on Wednesday afternoon, with EP President Roberta Metsola, MEPs, and guests from Ukraine, Israel, Palestine and international organisations.

Inter-parliamentary committee meeting on "Strengthening the Women on the occasion of the International Women's Day 2025

FEMM.- Presentation by EIGE (European Institute for Gender Equality) of the Gender Equality Index

Find out about the economic inequalities that continue to persist between women and men in the EU.

It has been more than 25 years since the adoption of the UN’s Beijing Declaration, which aims to promote equality between men and women. The same goal lies behind the creation of UN Women - dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women - and the inclusion of gender equality in the Sustainable Development Goals.
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So where do we stand? Progress has been made, but inequality between men and women persists, including on the labour market. On average, women in the EU are paid less than men.

Gender pay gap in Europe: facts and figures

SANT- Exchange of views with Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality on gender aspects of the health portfolio

AGRI - Exchange of Views on Gender equality and diversity : challenges for farming and food”, organised in the framework of the Gender Equality Week 2024

FEMM.- Securing Gender Equality and Women's Rights in the Digital Sphere

EMPL Meeting - Gender Equality Week: Ensuring gender equality in the labour market: addressing the gender pay gap and the ‘sticky floor’

EP Plenary session - Urgent need to tackle the gender pay gap

High Level Group on Gender Equality and Diversity Constitutive meeting

EP Plenary session - Oral question - The EU priorities for the 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women

EP Plenary session - Gender aspects of the rising cost of living and the impact of the energy crisis

Practicing What We Preach - Gender Equality in the EP management

TRAN - Exchange of views on ' Women in Transport '

FEMM Committee - Exchange of views on pay transparency, gender pay gap and pension gap with Commissioner Dalli

FEMM Committee - Presentation by EIGE (European Institute for Gender Equality) of the Gender Equality Index

ECON FEMM - Women in Economics and Finance: Debate on the next challenges in the EU

FEMM Committee - Situation of Women in Belarus

FEMM AFCO joint meeting : Elect her – how to support women's political participation

BUD CONT - Joint exchange of views on gender mainstreaming in the EU budget

EP Plenary session - Equal pay for equal work between men and women (pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms)

David SASSOLI, EP President, and Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, open the event marking the International Women’s day 2021 during an inter-parliamentary meeting organised by the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), in collaboration with the Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments. The event is hosted by Evelyn REGNER (S&D, AT), FEMM Chair. Extracts and/or statements.

International Women Day 2021 - We are strong: Women leading the fight against Covid-19: extracts and/or statements - FEMM Committee

David SASSOLI, EP President, and Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, open the event marking the International Women’s day during an inter-parliamentary meeting organised by the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), in collaboration with the Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments. The event is hosted by Evelyn REGNER (S&D, AT), FEMM Chair. Closing words by Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality and by Evelyn REGNER (S&D,AT), FEMM Chair

FEMM - International Women Day 2021 - We are strong: Women leading the fight against Covid-19: Closing words by Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality and by Evelyn REGNER (S&D, AT), FEMM Chair

David SASSOLI, EP President, and Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, open the event marking the International Women’s day during an inter-parliamentary meeting organised by the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), in collaboration with the Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments. Keynote speeche by Ekaterini SAKELAROPOULOU, President of Greece. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

FEMM - International Women Day 2021 - We are strong: Women leading the fight against Covid-19: Keynote speech by Ekaterini SAKELAROPOULOU, President of Greece

The European Parliament organizes an online press seminar celebrating the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 entitled "We are strong: Women leading the fight against Covid-19". Topic 4: Women at the frontline protecting society: opening speeches by Alda DALLA VALLE, Head nurse of Epicura Hornu’s emergency service and FNIB’s (Fédération Nationale des Infirmières en Belgique), President; Maria del Mar AMOEDO, member of 'Somos Tribu VK', a neighbourhood platform awarded with the European Citizen's Prize 2020 in Spain; Frances FITZGERALD (EPP, Ireland), Rapporteur on the gender perspective in the COVID-19 crisis and post-crisis period (FEMM Committee).

Online press seminar on the International Women’s Day - Women’s leadership in the fight against COVID-19. Topic 4: Women at the frontline protecting society: opening speeches

The European Parliament organizes an online press seminar celebrating the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 entitled "We are strong: Women leading the fight against Covid-19". The event is chaired by Evelyn REGNER (S&D, AT), Chair of FEMM. Questions and answers session

Online press seminar on the International Women’s Day - Women’s leadership in the fight against COVID-19. Topic 1: European Parliament’s priorities on Gender Balance: Q&A session

The European Parliament organizes an online press seminar celebrating the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 entitled "We are strong: Women leading the fight against Covid-19". Topic 4: Women at the frontline protecting society: questions and answers session.

Online press seminar on the International Women’s Day - Women’s leadership in the fight against COVID-19. Topic 4: Women at the frontline protecting society: Q&A session

The European Parliament organizes an online press seminar celebrating the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 entitled "We are strong: Women leading the fight against Covid-19". Opening speech by Evelyn REGNER (S&D, AT), Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM).

Online press seminar on the International Women’s Day - Women’s leadership in the fight against COVID-19. Topic 1: European Parliament’s priorities on Gender Balance: opening speech by Evelyn REGNER (S&D, AT), FEMM Chair

The European Parliament organizes an online press seminar celebrating the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 entitled "We are strong: Women leading the fight against Covid-19". Topic 3 :introduction by Avivah WITTENBERG-COX, CEO of 20-first (Study). Questions and answers session

Online press seminar on the International Women’s Day - Women’s leadership in the fight against COVID-19. Topic 3: introduction by Avivah WITTENBERG-COX, CEO of 20-first (Study) - Q&A session

The European Parliament organizes an online press seminar celebrating the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 entitled "We are strong: Women leading the fight against Covid-19". Topic 3 :introduction by Avivah WITTENBERG-COX, CEO of 20-first (Study).

Online press seminar on the International Women’s Day - Women’s leadership in the fight against COVID-19. Topic 3: introduction by Avivah WITTENBERG-COX, CEO of 20-first (Study)

The European Parliament organizes an online press seminar celebrating the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 entitled "We are strong: Women leading the fight against Covid-19". Topic 2: Women Scientist s leading the research on COVID-19: opening speeches by Katalin KARIKÓ, Researcher and Senior Vice-President of BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals; Maria Rosaria CAPOBIANCHI, researcher and Head of the Laboratory of Virology of Lazzaro Spallanzan; Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), Rapporteur on Promoting gender equality in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers (FEMM Committee). Questions and answers session

Online press seminar on the International Women’s Day - Women’s leadership in the fight against COVID-19. Topic 2: Women Scientist s leading the research on COVID-19: Q&A session

The European Parliament organizes an online press seminar celebrating the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 entitled "We are strong: Women leading the fight against Covid-19". Topic 2: Women Scientist s leading the research on COVID-19: opening speeches by Katalin KARIKÓ, Researcher and Senior Vice-President of BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals; Maria Rosaria CAPOBIANCHI, researcher and Head of the Laboratory of Virology of Lazzaro Spallanzan; Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), Rapporteur on Promoting gender equality in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers (FEMM Committee).

Online press seminar on the International Women’s Day - Women’s leadership in the fight against COVID-19. Topic 2: Women Scientist s leading the research on COVID-19: opening speeches

Members of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) have a joint hearing on "Attacks on abortion rights and breaches of the Rule of Law in Poland". Extracts and statements. Opening by Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), LIBE Chair, Evelyn REGNER (S&D, AT), FEMM Chair. With Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality and Andrzej Marek SADOS, Polish Ambassador Representative of the Polish Government. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Joint hearing of the LIBE and FEMM Committee on the Attacks on abortion rights and breaches of the rule of law in Poland: Opening by Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), LIBE Chair and Evelyn REGNER (S&D, AT), FEMM Chair

Members of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) have a joint hearing on "Attacks on abortion rights and breaches of the Rule of Law in Poland". Extracts of the hearing with Andrzej SADOS, Permanent Representative of Poland to the EU, Dorota BOJEMSKA, Chair Family Council, Marta LEMPART, Leader of the Polish Women's Strike Movement, Wojciech HERMELINSKI, Lawyer and statements by Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), Chair LIBE Committee and Evelyn REGNER (S&D, AT), Chair FEMM committee.

Joint hearing of the LIBE and FEMM Committee on the Attacks on abortion rights and breaches of the rule of law in Poland: extracts and statements

The Committee of Legal Affairs and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) discuss the joint draft own-initiative report on "The impact of intimate partner violence and custody rights on women and children". Statement by Luisa REGIMENTI (ID, IT), Elena KOUNTOURA (The Left, EL), co-rapporteur, Marion WALSMANN (EPP, DE), shadow-rapporteur and Chrysoula ZACHAROPOULOU (Renew, FR).

The impact of intimate partner violence and custody rights on women and children: extracts and statement by Luisa REGIMENTI (ID, IT) Co-rapporteur

Violence against women and girls is a widespread and devastating human rights violation that takes place across the globe. In the EU, one third of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence since the age of 15 and about 50 women lose their lives to domestic violence every week. The number of cases of domestic violence rised very rapidly because of the restrictive measures taken to combat COVID-19. This infoclip illustrates different places or organisations where women could ask help as victim of violence

Infoclip: Violence against women and domestic violence

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (08-11 February 2021), MEPs debate the challenges ahead for women’s rights more than 25 years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Continuation of the debate).

Challenges ahead for women’s rights: more than 25 years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Continuation of the debate

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (08-11 February 2021), MEPs debate the challenges ahead for women’s rights more than 25 years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Opening statements by Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs and Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality.

Challenges ahead for women’s rights: more than 25 years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: Opening statements by Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs and Helena DALLI, EU Commissioner for Equality

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (08-11 February 2021), MEPs debate the challenges ahead for women’s rights more than 25 years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

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