The European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, travelled to Matera (Italy) on the weekend of 5 and 6 October to take part in the G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. This meeting, under the Italian Presidency of the G7, is part of a drive to promote gender equality and strengthen work-life balance policies, particularly in the face of falling birth rates in the G7 countries.
According to the Italian Presidency, strategies must be implemented to encourage the full participation of women in all sectors of society, particularly in employment, business and public life, in order to build a more inclusive society. Two areas have been identified as priorities: ending gender-based violence and strengthening support for victims, and empowering women to increase gender equality worldwide.
At the meeting, Commissioner Dalli recalled the European Union’s efforts to combat violence against women and girls by implementing key measures, including the directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence (see EUROPE 13431/33), the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 and the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention.
On the first day, Commissioner Dalli took part in a number of working sessions and met the Deputy Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Ulrik Knudsen, to discuss common priorities in the area of equality. She also addressed issues relating to work-life balance, pay transparency and gender balance on company boards.
Helena Dalli gave a speech on Sunday 6 October at the ‘Women7’ event, a forum bringing together gender equality ministers from the G7 countries and civil society.
In her speech, she welcomed the Italian Presidency’s commitment and reiterated the need to continue to take action against gender-based violence, particularly at a time of conflict when such violence is used as a weapon of war.
She explained that the EU’s approach is twofold: on the one hand, to put in place legislative measures to guarantee equal rights and greater protection for victims, and, on the other, to initiate cultural change to eradicate stereotypes.
The Commissioner also spoke of new forms of online violence, such as harassment and cyberbullying, which are not yet adequately covered by current legislation. Ms Dalli called for legal frameworks to be strengthened in response to these emerging threats.
However, despite these advances, the Commissioner said: “Our work is far from finished”. And rightly so, as she warned against the constant emergence of new forms of resistance that are hampering progress towards gender equality, and against which it is essential to relentlessly continue the fight. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)