{"id":121305,"date":"2022-10-27T03:00:01","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T01:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/?p=121305"},"modified":"2022-10-26T09:36:50","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T07:36:50","slug":"the-parliaments-fight-for-gender-equality-in-the-eu-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/en\/the-parliaments-fight-for-gender-equality-in-the-eu-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Parliament\u2019s fight for gender equality in the EU"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

Find out how the EU and the European Parliament fight to protect women’s rights and to improve gender equality at work, in politics and other areas.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

\"woman<\/a><\/h2>\n

What does the EU do to tackle gender inequalities?<\/h2>\n

From the beginning the European Union has promoted\u00a0gender equality<\/a>\u00a0and a more\u00a0social Europe<\/a><\/p>\n

The EU has adopted legislation<\/a>, 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 regularly adopts own initiative reports on gender issues, calling for more efforts to\u00a0improve gender equality<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The European Parliament has always been very active on achieving equality between men and women and has a\u00a0standing committee dedicated to women’s rights and gender equality<\/a>. Every year, Parliament marks\u00a0International Women\u2019s Day<\/a> on 8 March and raises awareness by organising events.<\/p>\n

In January 2022, MEPs renewed their demand for the establishment of a new Council format where ministers and secretaries of state in charge of gender equality would meet. MEPs hope that such a new Council configuration would help advance important gender equality initiatives, such as the ratification of the Istanbul convention on combating violence against women.<\/p>\n

Parliament adopted a\u00a0resolution to assess the progress made in women\u2019s rights over the past 25 years<\/a>\u00a0and the many challenges still ahead in February 2021. MEPs expressed concern with the backlash in some EU countries and the risk that gender equality could further slip down their agenda. Parliament also called on the European Commission to ensure that women\u2019s rights are taken into account in all its proposals, to develop concrete plans to improve women\u2019s poverty rates and to strengthen efforts to close the gender pay gap.<\/p>\n

Check out our\u00a0timeline of the EU’s fight for women’s rights<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

Gender equality week at the Parliament<\/h3>\n

Marking the importance it puts on gender equality, the European Parliament instituted an annual\u00a0European Gender Equality Week<\/a>\u00a0in 2020. It provides an opportunity for Parliament\u2019s committees to consider the issues they deal with from the perspective of gender. You can see the issues under discussion in October 2022 on the\u00a0Parliament’s multimedia centre<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s sexual and reproductive rights<\/h3>\n

In June 2021 Parliament adopted a report urging EU countries to protect and improve women\u2019s sexual and reproductive health<\/a>. MEPs want universal access to safe and legal abortion, high-quality contraception and sex education in primary and secondary schools. They also called for a VAT exemption on menstrual products.
\nIn March 2022, Parliament adopted the EU Gender Action Plan III aimed at promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights outside the EU and ensuring universal access in EU countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Include the right to abortion in EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, demand MEPs
\n<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Gender equality at work<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

Maternity, paternity and parental leave<\/h3>\n

In 2019, the EU approved new rules on\u00a0 family and care-related leave<\/a>\u00a0and more adaptable working conditions, to create more incentives for fathers to take family-related leave and to increase women\u2019s employment rate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
EU legislation on gender equality in the work place:<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n