Ahead of the International Women’s Day on 8 March the S&D Group promotes a step forward in women’s rights and gender equality to counter the backlash promoted by right-wing conservatives. The S&D Group celebrates women’s rights day throughout the week with debates and protests #All4Equality.
“Women’s right is suffering a serious setback in Europe. We must not tolerate that our daughters have less rights than our mothers! Poland, with its restrictive abortion law; Hungary, eliminating gender studies in universities; Bulgaria, refusing to ratify the Istanbul Convention; Spain and Portugal with plans from conservatives forces to repeal measures fighting gender-based violence; and France and Germany with heated debates around sexual and reproductive health and rights which had been considered achieved since long,” said Iratxe García-Perez, S&D spokesperson on women’s rights and gender equality.
“Women are paid less, their pensions are much lower, they have to face more difficulties to enter the labour market and they are still the main caretakers of dependent family members. Even worse, every day there are women that suffer violence and are murdered by sexist violence. Women are afraid of going home alone or doing sports alone. We cannot remain impassive. There are more than a thousand reasons to support the feminist strive to build a more equalitarian Europe. This is not just a women’s issue as the right wing parties say, but this is about fundamental human rights! A struggle for a feminist Europe that advances, that does not surrender and that works,” she added.
Upcoming events of the week:
5-8 March: “Step it up for Gender Equality in a Progressive Society” – Youth for Gender Equality Forum with more than 50 young people from all over Europe sharing their views on a progressive Europe (S&Ds Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality together with PES Women, Young European Socialists (YES), Global Progressive Forum (GPF) and Rainbow Rose)
6 March, 13.30-15.00: Debate on “Fighting sexist advertisement in public spaces” – European Parliament, A3G-2
6 March, 15.15-17.15: Global Progressive Forum (GPF) on “Women for the planet!” Synergies between the fights for gender equality and sustainable development – European Parliament, A3G-3
6 March, 18.00-20.00: WEUCO – Women’s European Council (European Women’s Alliance) – European Parliament, PHS 6B 001
7 March, 9.00-12.30: Inter-parliamentary Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee Meeting: “Women’s Power in Politics” – European Parliament, JAN 4Q2
7 March, 14.00-17.30: Public Conference on “Overcoming regression in women’s rights and gender equality: What are the progressive answers?” (S&Ds Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee together with the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and Fondation Jean Jaurès) in European Parliament, A3G-3 – with webstreaming on S&D website www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu
8 March: International Women’s Day. From 14 h onwards “Women’s Strike & March” in Brussels (organised by Collective 8 March Belgium and Marche Mondiale des Femmes with participation of S&D) – meeting point Gare Centrale
