European Economic
and Social Committee
From words to action: EESC sets priorities to combat gender inequality and violence against women
Despite progress in gender equality, millions of women across Europe still face violence, discrimination and barriers to equal opportunities. From under-representation in leadership to the alarming rise in gender-based violence, urgent action is needed. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) High-Level Forum on Women’s Rights brought together leading voices to address these pressing issues and outline key priorities ahead of the upcoming UN Commission on the Status of Women session.
The message from the EESC High-Level Forum on Women’s Rights was clear: progress has been made, but that is not enough. While the EU has taken steps to protect women and girls, structural forms of inequality, gender stereotypes and backlashes against women’s rights continue to threaten hard-won gains in Europe. Women remain under-represented in the public sphere, in politics and in STEM education, limiting their voices in shaping the future. As long as structural barriers persist, women’s full participation in society will be limited. Addressing these issues is not just about fairness: it is about creating a stronger, more inclusive Europe.
Training and education are key to help protect women against violence and fight gender inequality: steps must be taken to boost women’s skills for the digital and green just transition, among other challenges, while educating children from a young age on the topic of violence against women will help reduce the number of cases of these types of crime in the future. Participants also called on the EU Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence to address all forms of violence against women, and for sexual violence and rape to be included as a form of violence and criminalised based on the absence of consent.
In her opening statement, the President of the Ad hoc Group on Equality, Sif Holst, highlighted the backlash facing women’s rights: ‘Women’s rights and the rights of so many other groups are under enormous pressure. In Europe we need to step up, not back down. We, the European Economic and Social Committee will continue to work for equality for all.’
EESC president Oliver Röpke stressed that ‘Gender equality is not just a priority of my mandate; it is a cornerstone of a fairer and stronger Europe. Today, we stand united in our fierce commitment to advance women’s rights, combat gender-based violence and empower women and girls across the globe.’ He then added that ‘Together, we must dismantle systemic inequalities, challenge harmful gender roles and ensure that no woman or girl feels threatened or discriminated against. The road to equality is long, but by working in partnership, we can make real progress and ensure that women’s rights remain a global priority in 2025 and beyond.’
Delivering a keynote speech, the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said that ‘In today’s chaotic world, we are seeing a global backlash against gender equality. On this 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, recognising women’s rights as human rights, it is time to restore clarity. Questioning equality is questioning progress. I welcome the European Economic and Social Committee’s strong action and commitment to gender equality. The adoption of the two opinions on violence against women and the Commission on the Status of Women are clear proof of this commitment.’
Two panels and two key opinions adopted
The forum featured two dynamic panels addressing urgent gender equality challenges, each tied to key EESC opinions adopted during the session. Experts, advocates and policymakers came together to share insights, propose solutions and reinforce commitments to advancing women’s rights in Europe and beyond. The first panel focused on the upcoming 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW69), which will be held in New York in March and focus partly on the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA). Panel participants were Carlien Scheele (Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality), Florence Raes (Director of the UN Women Brussels Office) and Ayşe Yürekli (EU Representative at KAGIDER – Women Entrepreneurs of Türkiye).
Also taking part in the panel was the rapporteur for the opinion EESC contribution to the EU's priorities at the UNCSW69, Maria Nikolopoulou, who said that ‘Women face higher levels of poverty, lower levels of employment and pay, lack of access to resources and capital, under-representation in decision-making and insufficient STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] education, all of which prevents equal opportunities in the labour market, and exposes them to gender-based violence.’
The second panel centred around violence against women and girls as a human rights issue and brought together Mary Collins (Secretary-General of the European Women’s Lobby), Cianán Russell (Senior Policy Officer at ILGA Europa) and the two rapporteurs for the EESC opinion Violence against women as a human rights issue, José Antonio Moreno Díaz and Dovilė Juodkaitė.
Mr Moreno Díaz focused on the issue of broadening the definition of violence against women, stressing that ‘Any kind of violence against women, including sexual violence and particularly in domestic or spousal relationships, is a severe violation of women’s human rights. The EESC believes that sexual violence and rape should be included in the EU Directive as a form of violence, and criminalised based on the absence of consent.’
Ms Juodkaitė highlighted the issue of women’s rights and disabilities, pointing out that ‘Women and girls with disabilities face discrimination based on gender and disability. They are two to five times more likely to experience domestic violence than those without disabilities. Despite this, the Directive lacks a requirement to disaggregate statistics by disability. Women with disabilities encounter specific forms of violence, such as forced sterilisation, which the Directive unfortunately does not criminalise.’
With both opinions adopted, the EESC has sent a strong message: the fight for gender equality must remain a priority. As the discussions at the UN Commission on the Status of Women approach, policymakers, civil society and institutions must work together to turn these commitments into real, lasting change. The time for action is now.