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FEMM
Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
NEWSLETTER - MARCH 2021
women in the Union have been facing not only by
lockdowns (numbers of gender-based violence
NOTE FROM THE CHAIR went up by about 30% in the EU) but also on the
longer term by member states withdrawing, not
ratifying or deciding on law opposing the goals of
the Istanbul Convention. As FEMM Committee our
Dear Readers,
commitment to zero violence is clear and we will
continue our efforts in this area.
This month, which started Thank you for following us via webstreaming.
with a very successful
celebration of International
Women’s Day on March 8,
we have seen the backlash in women’s rights in FOLLOW US!
many ways again. Especially the undermining of
basic rights for women is becoming more and
more worrisome. After the Polish government
had announced its withdrawal from the Istanbul Twitter @EP_GenderEqual
Convention, which aims at protecting women
from all forms of violence, the first legal steps Facebook @FEMMCommittee
towards this withdrawal are taken in the national
Parliament. At the same time, Turkey, the Webstreaming
country in which the Convention was signed,
announced its withdrawal as well .
IN FOCUS:
In addition, the rights of women to decide over
their own bodies is also under attack with International Women’s Day
financial interference from outside the European
Union. Intransparent money flows to anti-choice Celebrations at the European Parliament
organisations affected democratic decisions
already in the past, for example in Ireland, and On 3 March 2021, a press webinar on “International
are getting more widespread. Together with the Women’s Day - Women’s leadership in the fight
INGE Special committee we invited renown against Covid-19" focused on scientists and carers.
experts to look into this.
On 4 March 2021, FEMM, in collaboration with the
Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments,
At the same time, the Commission finally organized an Inter-parliamentary Committee Mee-
published its proposal for a Directive to close the ting entitled "We are strong: Women leading the
gender pay and pension gaps. We are already fight against Covid-19".
working on this proposal and together with EMPL On 8 March 2021, US Vice-President Kamala Harris
will hold a hearing in April. Also the celebrations and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
of International Women’s Day were well took part in the EP plenary session.
attended and the commitment of our President
as well as the Commission’s President to the The events were covered by more than 2,000 re-
Women on Boards Directive was reiterated. We ports across all Member States. The Facebook live
also expect the Commission to quickly present interview with Evelyn Regner, FEMM Chair, had a
the promised package to fight violence against reach of almost 3 million people.
women and the backlash women in the Union
have been facing not only by lockdowns
(numbers of gender-based violence went up by
Inter-parliamentary In her concluding remarks, Commissioner Helena
Committee Meeting "We Dalli talked about gender sensitive recovery plans,
are strong: Women domestic violence, Women on Boards and argued
leading the fight against for an increase in the number of female leaders
Covid-19" and female candidates in the European elections.
Approximately 60
Members from 26 national Parliaments and
Norway and 41 officials registered their
participation at the event. The programme of the event, together with
other relevant details, are available on the re-
David Sassoli, President of the European
lated event page.
Parliament, opened the event and presented
the work of the European Parliament to
advance the gender equality agenda at the
administrative and political levels.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the first
gender-balanced European Commission, LAST COMMITTEE MEETINGS
dedicated the International Women’s Day to
women on the frontline. She mentioned new
proposals, such as the European Pillar of Social
Rights Action Plan, the Pay Transparency
Directive, as well as the European Child
Guarantee and gender budgeting in the 15/16 MARCH
European funds.
In her keynote speech, Katerina
Sakellaropoulou, first female President of the
Hellenic Republic, focused on the impact that
Gender Mainstreaming
the pandemic has had on different vulnerable
Networks meeting -
groups of women: single mothers, migrants,
Exchange of views
elderly women and women victims of domestic
violence under lockdown.
On Monday 15 March 2021,
The panel discussion "Women on the frontlines: the two Networks of Members in charge of
lessons learnt from the crisis management" was Gender Mainstreaming in the Committees and in
moderated by MEP Frances Fitzgerald. Five the standing Delegations of the European
panellists presented their views: Khadija Arib, Parliament held a first joint meeting.
(President of the House of Representatives of
Members exchanged views on gender
the Netherlands), Dr Isabelle Loeb (Medical
mainstreaming in the EU external policies and
director at CHU St Pierre, Brussels), Kristel Krustuuk
heard presentations on this topic by Ms Charlotte
(Founder and Chief Testing Officer, Testlio),
Isaksson, Senior Gender Advisor at the European
Carlien Scheele (Director of EIGE), Concha External Action Service (EEAS), Ms Barbara
Andreu (Rapporteur of the European Limanowska, Gender Mainstreaming team leader
Committee of the Regions on the Gender of the European Institute on Gender Equality and
Equality Strategy). Ms Brigitte Luggin, Gender Policy Officer, DG
INTPA, European Commission.
.The exchange of views with Members of
National Parliaments and Members of the
Further information:
European Parliament brought into discussion the
situation of women with a diverse background, Gender Mainstreaming in the European Parlia-
women in leadership, the pay, pension and ment
care gaps, the need for a European Care
Strategy, gender mainstreaming, gender
budgeting, gender-based violence.Proposal for a Directive on
Equal Pay - Exchange of
views 23/25 MARCH
On Monday 15 March 2021,
FEMM Members held an exchange of views with
Gender equality in the Covid-
Vice-President of the Commission for Values and
19 recovery - UN CSW 65 Side
Transparency Věra Jourová and with
event
Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli with
regards to the recently published proposal for a
directive on pay transparency. On 23 March 2021, FEMM, in
association with DEVE, organized the side event on
In her political guidelines, the European "Enhancing gender equality and women's
Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, empowerment in the Covid-19 recovery”. The side
had announced that she would table measures event took place in the context of the United
to introduce binding pay transparency Nations sixty-fifth session of the Commission on the
measures in the first 100 days of her mandate. Status of Women (CSW 65) and UN delegates took
The proposed directive establishes pay part in it.
transparency within organisations, by facilitating The keynote speech was delivered by Ms Leonore
the application of the key concepts relating to Gewessler, Minister of Climate Action, Environment,
equal pay, including ‘pay’ and ‘work of equal Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology in
value’ and by strengthening enforcement Austria. The panellists were MEP Maria Manuel
mechanisms. Leitão Marques and MEP Samira Rafaela.
The side event presented priorities and initiatives of
the European Parliament as regards gender
Further information: equality and the empowerment of women in crises
such as the one triggered by COVID-19.
Procedure file
Further information:
Gender mainstreaming in Event page
the recovery - Workshop
On 16 March 2021, Policy
Financing of anti-choice
Department C, at the re-
organisations - Joint FEMM-
quest of the FEMM Com-
INGE Public Hearing
mittee, organized a workshop on “Applying
gender mainstreaming in the EU recovery pack-
age”.
The new EU's long-term budget is coupled with a FEMM, jointly with INGE
temporary instrument designed to boost the re- (Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all
covery (NextGenerationEU). The EU has recently Democratic Processes in the European Union,
adopted a Regulation establishing the Recovery including Disinformation) held a joint hearing on
and Resilience Facility (RRF), worth €672.5 billion, "Foreign interference on the financing of anti-
which is at the heart of the EU's recovery effort choice organisations in the EU" on 25 March 2021.
to rebuild a post-COVID-19 Europe. A clause has
The hearing looked into the issue of foreign
been introduced which requires the member
interference on the financing of anti-abortion/anti-
states to gender mainstream all their proposals.
choice organisations in the EU that
undermine Sexual and Reproductive Health and
Rights (SRHR) of women.
Experts provided information and data about
possible foreign interference in the funding of anti-
Further information:
choice movements in some specific Member
Event page
States and in the EU, in general.
Further information:
Event pageIntimate partner violence
and custody rights -
Exchange of views NEXT COMMITTEE MEETINGS
On 25 March 2021, the
JURI Committee and the
FEMM Committee considered the amendments
to the joint draft own-initiative report on "The Our next committee meetings will take place on 19
impact of intimate partner violence and and 22 April 2021. We will deal with the following
custody rights on women and children". topics, among others:
Votes on Reports: “The situation of sexual
In the draft report, the co-rapporteurs strongly and reproductive health and rights in the EU,
condemn all forms of violence against women in the frame of women’s health” and
and deplore the fact that women continue to “Promoting gender equality in science, tech-
be exposed to intimate partner violence. The nology, engineering and mathematics
draft report stresses that the protection of (STEM) education and careers”
women and children from violence and the
best interests of the child must be paramount. Public hearings: “Empowering EU supports for
women entrepreneurs and investors, inclu-
369 amendments have been tabled. ding through MFF 2021-2027” and “Pay trans-
parency” (Jointly with EMPL)
Further information:
Procedure file
BULLETIN - EIGE
Shaping the digital future Covid-19 derails gender equality gains
of Europe - Vote on draft
EIGE’s latest findings on the impact of the corona-
opinion
virus in Europe show that the effects of the pande-
mic have hit women hardest.
On 25 March 2021, FEMM
voted on the draft
opinion on “Shaping the digital future of
During the first lockdowns, women lost 2.2 million
Europe : removing barriers to the functioning of
jobs across the EU. Despite rising employment in
the digital single market and
the summer, women only gained half as many jobs
improving the use of AI for European
back as men. This shows that the economic im-
consumers”.
pact of the pandemic is having longer lasting ef-
The opinion was adopted by 28 votes in favour,
fects for women.
2 votes against and 4 abstentions.
Teleworking arrangements combined with closed
childcare facilities have also heightened work-life
balance conflicts, especially for women with chil-
dren under the age of five. Despite men taking on
Procedure file: 2020/2216(INI)
more care responsibilities than before, women’s
share of unpaid work has increased.
Lockdowns to contain the coronavirus also led to a
rise in domestic violence reports. While all EU coun-
tries introduced special measures to protect wo-
men, support services still need more funding, and
should be declared “essential” to guarantee that
victims always have access to support.Disclaimer: The items contained herein are drafted by the Secretariat of the
Find out more from EIGE Committee of Women’s Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parlia-
ment and are provided for general information purposes only. The opinions
Read the press release expressed in this document are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and
do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Parlia-
View the updated webpage on Covid-19 ment. This document may contain links to websites that are created and
maintained by other organisations. The FEMM Secretariat does not neces-
and gender equality sarily endorse the view(s) expressed on these websites.
Download the report on the Covid-19 pande- Images Copyright:
mic and intimate partner violence in the EU MEP Regner: © European Union 2020/Daina LE LARDIC
EN BANNER_IWD_2021 © European Union 2021 - EP
Gender equality © image used under licence from shutterstock.com
EC Vice-President Věra Jourová © European Union 2019 - EP
EU Gender budgeting © European Union 2020 - European Parliament
LATEST BRIEFINGS
CSW side event 2021 © Image used under the license from Adobe Stock
Hearing FEMM-INGE © Foreign interference on the financing of anti-
abortion
Child custody rights © Image used under the license from shutterstock.com
MEP Maria da Graça Carvalho © European Union 2020 - Source : EP/
At the request of the FEMM Mathieu CUGNOT
Committee, the European
Policy Department image: Publications © European Union
Parliament’s Policy De-
partment for Citizens’ Rights
and Constitutional Affairs
has commissioned the following briefings and
studies:
“Women's rights and well-being in a post-
Covid world: Internet of things (IoT) and
related abuses, new ways of working, te-
leworking, tele-learning, unpaid care and
housework, women in leadership and de-
cision-making process” - Briefing
“The Gender Gap in the EU’s Public Em-
ployment and Leadership” - Study
The European Parliament Research Service
(EPRS) produced the following briefings:
Briefing: Covid-19: The need for a gen-
dered response
Briefing: Women in politics in the EU: State
of play
Infographic: The coronavirus crisis: An
emerging gender divide?
At a glance: Women in arts and culture −
Artists, not muses
Briefing: Women in foreign affairs and in-
ternational security: Still far from gender
equality
Further information:
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