Equality

Gender-based violence is a human rights violation. One in three women in Europe have experienced some form of physical and/or sexual violence since the age of 15. We call for the full implementation of the Istanbul Convention and the EU Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, to prevent gender-based violence, protect and support survivors and effectively prosecute perpetrators. We must also tackle emerging forms of digital and technology-facilitated gender-based violence, including cyberstalking, non-consensual intimate images, misogynistic hate speech and sexual deepfakes, and strengthen efforts to prevent and combat femicide. It is the only way forward for Europe to guarantee the protection and safety of all women, girls and vulnerable groups in Europe, including Roma women, women with disabilities as well as refugee women, migrants and LGBTIQ+ people arriving to Europe.

Protecting and advancing LGBTI rights is essential to building equal and inclusive societies. As anti-LGBTI rhetoric, discrimination and violence rise across Europe, we must stand firmly against hate and exclusion and ensure everyone can live freely, safely and with dignity. We are pushing for stronger equality and anti-discrimination measures and full protection of LGBTI rights.

We fight to close the gender pay, pension and care gaps through a feminist economy. Social and economic policies must properly acknowledge the contribution made by women. We advocate equal pay for work of equal value, the full and effective implementation of EU pay transparency legislation, and measures to improve women’s labour market participation and combat gender stereotypes. We need better work-life balance, an equal sharing of care responsibilities, and greater public investment in accessible and affordable care and strong public services, as well as more women in economic and political decision-making.

All women in Europe, in all their diversity, should have equal access to participation in decision-making, sexual and reproductive health and rights, including access to safe and legal abortion, contraception and comprehensive sexuality education, and gender-responsive and gender-mainstreamed political institutions. We support an EU-wide Women’s Rights Charter to establish strong minimum standards for women’s rights across Europe and safeguard hard-won achievements against political rollback. We value diversity, inclusion and an intersectional approach to equality.