EU Statement marking the International Women’s Day

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

1. Marking the International Women’s Day, we reiterate our strong commitment towards gender equality. While progress has been made, achieving gender equality globally remains an unmet challenge. The growing impact of information technologies on gender equality, as well as the interrelation between offline and online or technology facilitated gender-based violence, cannot be overlooked.

2. The EU will continue to support women’s and youth’ equal, full, effective and meaningful participation, in all their diversity and in all spheres of public and political life, as per the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2027.

3. This year marks the creation, 20 years ago, of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), the EU agency that produces independent research and shares best practices to promote gender equality and eliminate discrimination based on gender. We stress the importance of gender research and analysis with data disaggregated by sex, age and other characteristics for making visible gender inequalities, providing evidence for decision-making, measuring change and ensuring accountability. 

4. We recall the high-level guidance received from the Reykjavik Declaration 2023 and the strategic objectives of the Gender Equality Strategy of the Council of Europe 2024-2029. 

5. The EU will continue cooperating with the CoE in combating discrimination with attention to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, including on grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, property, birth, disability, age, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Read more on the original article : https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/council-europe/eu-statement-marking-international-women%E2%80%99s-day_en?s=51