PES Women President Zita Gurmai said:
“The European Pillar of Social Rights and the new European Commission Social Pillar Action Plan are big milestones for our progressive family. It is thanks to the leadership of our progressive governments and commissioners like Nicolas Schmit and Helena Dalli that we are moving closer to realising a Union which puts equality and wellbeing, at the centre of European integration.
“The importance of a strong gender equality perspective in the implementation of the Social Pillar cannot be overstated. Women’s rights matter and women must count in all their diversity. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women’s social and economic situation. The last year taught us that all those rights which generations of women have fought for are fragile, and decades of progress on gender equality can be undermined in a few months, specifically when we look at the rising backlash from conservatives across Europe.
“This Social Summit must seize the opportunity to show that everyone, women on an equal footing with men, will be taken into account in the process to build back better for a Social Europe.”
PES Women has repeatedly called for gender equality to be embedded into the European recovery process, as part of a long-term shift to a feminist economy for Europe, where women are treated as economic actors on an equal footing with men and macroeconomic, employment and social policies are thoroughly gender mainstreamed.
The PES Women Statutory agreed that gender mainstreaming as well as adequate financing and targeted measures to close gender gaps in employment, income, work-life-balance, care and social services at both national and European levels are urgently needed. Ahead of Europe Day on 9 May and in preparation for the upcoming Conference on the Future of Europe, it is time to show that Europe’s future is feminist and will include all the diverse voices of our citizens, more than half of them women, whose perspectives, opinions and participation are neglected far too often.
The Statutory also commended the Portuguese government under Antonio Costa’s leadership for its strong focus on social and gender equality issues during its Council Presidency.
Together with today’s message towards the Porto Social Summit, PES Women publishes its briefing on the European Pillar of Social Rights and its chances to advance gender equality.
