Securing gender equality and women’s rights must be priorities for the European elections. That was the call from PES Women today at a series of meetings and activities held in the framework of the PES Congress in Malaga.
PES Women held its last statutory meeting of 2023 in Malaga where statutory members discussed the upcoming 2024 EU Elections as well as notable global situations and policy developments affecting gender equality and women’s rights. PES Women Members elected a new Vice President for the South, Rosário Gamboa from the Partido Socialista women’s organisation, Mulheres Socialistas – Igualdade e Direitos.
This year’s PES Women Annual Conference, ‘EU Elections Through a Gendered Lens’, examined the gendered aspects of the upcoming 2024 European Elections. The Annual Conference addressed the impact of the EU Elections on gender equality and women’s rights through an EU, national, regional and local perspective.
PES Women President, Zita Gurmai, said:
“We must remain firm in our goal to create a feminist Europe, a Europe for people in which women are at the centre. One that does not waver on integrating gender equality in every decision, law, and policy. It is up to us to do the work and insist on a feminist and socialist Europe next year.”
On Friday, the PES Congress will vote on a resolution which places a strong emphasis on gender equality, women’s rights and LGBTI rights. In this regard, the PES resolution focuses on tackling gender-based violence, defending sexual and reproductive health and rights, tackling anti-gender movements, and the importance of the care economy.
Throughout the PES Congress and at the PES Women Annual Conference, PES Women is promoting its latest campaign, ‘Hate Speech Silences Women’ to raise awareness of hate speech women face, and in particular women in politics.
PES Women President, Zita Gurmai, said:
“Gender-based violence is one of the greatest threats to achieving gender equality. Hate speech is one of the many forms of violence that stops women from exercising their rights and leads to the chilling effect of silencing women. We must do more to amplify women’s voices.”
PES Women will also join the S&D Group for an Enlarged Bureau meeting which will focus on gender-based violence. Progressive female leaders of PES parties and organisations and EU Commissioners will join the S&D Group to discuss the Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, notably the issue of consent-based definitions.
