Concrete action needed to ensure Gender Equality

"The EPP Group welcomes the Gender Equality Strategy announced by the European Commission today (Thursday) and its positive ambition to do more for gender equality across Europe, but we need to ensure that concrete action follows", said Frances Fitzgerald, EPP Group Coordinator of the Women's Rights and Equality Committee in the European Parliament.

"With women in Europe still earning only 84 cents for every euro that a man earns, I am delighted to see real action being taken on pay transparency, as promised by President Ursula von der Leyen within her first 100 days in office, with a Directive promised later this year. The EPP Group looks forward to working with the European Commission on this directive to ensure that men and women across Europe are paid equally for the same work.

"In addition, we look forward to further engaging on EU ratification of the Istanbul Convention, making sure that the EU as a whole will stand up and say no to violence against women", said MEP Fitzgerald in highlighting key aspects of the new strategy.

"Indeed, there are many important topics covered in this very comprehensive strategy, and I’m pleased to see a coordinated approach to gender equality being taken by the European Commission. We look forward to working with the Commission and with all the Member States, in particular, in implementing this Strategy, in order to ensure that equality becomes a reality for all of our citizens", Fitzgerald added.