About: women rights

‘This is war’, say anti-abortion protesters in Poland

Poles staged further protests in cities across the country ahead of the expected entry into force of a ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal that bans most abortions and that has prompted nearly two weeks of demonstrations and rallies.

Dalli: ‘There is structural racism also inside the Commission’

Helena Dalli is the first European Commissioner for Equality, an issue to which she dedicated a big part of her life. In an interview with EURACTIV, she said that racism is “alive” in Europe, and called for "thinking 'out of the box'" to address the structural biases inside the Commission.

US expands abortion ‘gag rule,’ cuts funding to the Organization of American States

The Trump administration on Tuesday (26 March) expanded its anti-abortion policies, cutting funding to the Organization of American States (OAS) and prohibiting the use of US tax dollars to lobby for or against abortion rights.

Erdogan accuses Women’s Day march of disrespecting Islam

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday (10 March) accused a women’s march in central Istanbul on Friday of disrespecting Islam by booing the Islamic call to prayer.

Beyond #metoo: We need to tackle violence against women and girls

Women and girls in South-Eastern and Eastern Europe live in danger. This is what a new survey published by the OSCE just ahead of this International Women’s Day tells us, says OSCE's Thomas Greminger upon publication of the new report.

Seeing leaders in young girls 

There is currently no country in the world where men and women are truly treated equally. At the current rate of progress, according to indicators from the World Economic Forum, it will take an estimated 217 years to achieve full gender parity. We cannot afford to wait that long, writes Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.

Sakharov Prize nominees include NGOs in the Mediterranean

The nominees for the 2018 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought have been announced on Thursday (27 September), including Oleg Sentsov, the Ukrainian film director imprisoned in Russia and NGOs saving lives of migrants in the Mediterranean. Since 1988, THE...

‘Water, women and waste’ are our development priorities, says Coca-Cola SVP

In an interview at the European Development Days in Brussels, Perez underlined Coca-Cola's hopes to work with the EU on its flagship External Investment Plan that seeks to build partnerships between local communities, governments, and the private sector.

Ireland overturns abortion ban in landslide vote

Ireland voted by a landslide to ditch its strict abortion laws in a landmark referendum that Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said had finally lifted decades of stigma and shame.

Spanish women stage unprecedented strike for rights

Spain marked International Women's Day yesterday (8 March) with an unprecedented strike in defence of their rights that saw hundreds of trains cancelled and massive protests held in Madrid and Barcelona.

Least developed countries benefited most from EU duty-rebate schemes

A report published today (19 January) by the European Commission and the European External Action Service shows the positive impact of the European Union's duty-rebate schemes on developing economies, including human rights improvements.

Greece limits power of sharia law for its Muslim minority

The Greek parliament yesterday (9 January) made the practice of Islamic sharia law in family disputes optional for the country's Muslim minority, changing a century-old legacy.

UNFPA: Inequality and lack of reproductive rights threaten development

Gender inequality, denial of reproductive rights and shortcomings in sexual education are becoming a possible threat to reach the UN development goals on ending poverty by 2030, a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) finds.

Africa forum embraces the ‘Spotlight initiative’

Violence against women and girls is the root cause of discrimination and disempowerment, and this is not only about Africa, speakers insisted yesterday (26 September) at a conference on “Political Empowerment of Women in Africa and in Europe”.

Dutch MPs approve partial ban on burka

Dutch MPs yesterday (29 November) voted overwhelmingly to ban the Islamic full-face burka from some public places such as schools and hospitals, the latest such move in a European country.

Turkey’s ruling party withdraws ‘rape law’

Turkey's ruling party said today (22 November) it will withdraw a marriage bill that the United Nations warned could legitimise child rape.

The EU must hold Pakistan to account for violence against women

Honour killings and domestic violence are constant worries for the women of Pakistan. The EU must use its influence to push the deep change Pakistani society desperately needs, writes Barbara Matera.

Breaking barriers for businesswomen: A resolution on female entrepreneurship

Despite existing equality legislation, women are massively underrepresented in business. Stronger implementation of EU directives and changes to national social policies can turn this around, writes Barbara Matera.

Mimica: ‘I will be the most vocal male feminist’

Development Commissioner Neven Mimica said that he would be the most vocal defender of gender equality in his work on Thursday (26 March), two days after he returned from a global forum in Addis Ababa dedicated to the role of women in politics.

It’s time to deal with gender inequality

Resilient women are agents of change today, but it’s time for European policy makers to counter the inequalities between men and women, writes Shannon Pfohman.

Open letter: Poverty is sexist

ONE, the campaigning and advocacy organisation co-founded by Bono, asked a group of business leaders, artists, and activists to send an open letter to two influential women.

Part-time jobs, enabling women’s ‘double-shift’?

SPECIAL REPORT / Many women in the EU who try to juggle both work and family life choose a part-time job. But these positions can have a negative impact on their health and widen the pay gap between men and women.