The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) held a debate on Thursday 18 April in the presence of the Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli. This last session of the legislature provided an opportunity to take stock of legislative progress and remaining problems in promoting gender equality within the European Union.
As its Chair, Robert Biedroń (S&D, Polish), pointed out, during the last legislature, the FEMM Committee was particularly active, tackling numerous directives and establishing solid frameworks for strengthening gender equality in Europe.
Key achievements include the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention, directives aimed at increasing the representation of women on boards of directors, improving the transparency of remuneration and strengthening measures against gender-based violence.
In her speech to MEPs, Helena Dalli highlighted the substantial progress made. “We have achieved remarkable results on gender issues”, she said, acknowledging the pivotal role of the European Parliament in these advances. She described the key pillars of the gender equality strategy: ensuring freedom from violence, empowering women in the labour market and strengthening their leadership role in society.
The directives discussed were transformative, with the one on gender-based violence in particular marking the first comprehensive legal instrument at this level in the EU. Commissioner Dalli noted the directive’s potential to significantly change societal and cultural attitudes, thereby reducing the prevalence of violence against women and domestic violence in the EU.
Frances Fitzgerald (EPP, Irish), for her part, welcomed the collaborative effort needed to reach these milestones. “It is a miracle that we have managed to agree on so many issues across different political orientations”, she commented, stressing the importance of focusing on implementation to ensure the effective transposition of these directives.
As the Commission looks to the future, the general feeling among MEPs, enthusiastic about the Commissioner’s work, is one of cautious optimism. While celebrating past achievements, there is a strong recognition of the issues that remain. The next legislature will have to continue the work on pay inequality, gender-based violence and the under-representation of women in leadership positions. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)