International Women’s Day is held every year on 8 March. To mark International Women’s Day, Ukrainian writer Oksana Zaboujko adressed MEPs, followed by debates on the EU’s Gender Action Plan and gender mainstreaming.

Also, in the context of International Women’s Day, the European Parliament commissioned a dedicated survey among European women only, to better gauge the views of women across generations, countries, and different socio-demographic characteristics in times of COVID-19. The survey results show the significant impact of the pandemic at both personal and professional levels, including a severe increase in the levels of violence against women.

The European Parliament actively promotes and defends the principle of equality between men and women. Legislation, case law and changes to the Treaties have helped to implement this objective in the EU. The priorities set out in the EU’s current five-year gender equality strategy include taking account of the gender dimension in major climate change and digitalisation initiatives, and in specific sectors such as transport, energy and agriculture. The aim is to introduce an intersectional approach across EU policies and earmark dedicated funding for a gender equal future.