The Covid pandemic has disproportionately affected women and girls in a myriad ways.

Indeed, at the start of the pandemic, the late President Sassoli recognized that lockdowns would worsen gender-based violence and offered Parliament’s buildings for victims of such violence. Beyond increased gender-based violence, the pandemic also brought with it an increased burden of care, an economic impact on certain sectors largely populated by women, while it also led to insecurity of work contracts. It is therefore logical to expect that the recovery should put women at the heart of the solutions.

The European Parliament actively promotes and defends the principle of equality between men and women. Legislation, case law and changes to the Treaties have helped to implement this objective in the EU, but ensuring there is indeed a factual reflection of this in daily life, including in the working environment, remains an ongoing task, which this democratically elected legislator takes very seriously.

The European Union has a Gender Equality Strategy for 2020 - 2025. The Strategy presents policy objectives and actions to make significant progress by 2025 towards a gender-equal Europe. The key objectives are ending gender-based violence, challenging gender stereotypes, closing gender gaps in the labour market, achieving equal participation across different sectors of the economy, addressing the gender pay and pension gaps, closing the gender care gap and achieving gender balance in decision-making and in politics. As one of the first deliverables of the Strategy, the Commission, in March 2021, proposed legislation that would make pay transparency measures binding.

On its part, the European Parliament holds within it a Standing Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), whose aim is the definition, promotion and protection of women’s rights in the Union. The Committee also promotes women’s rights in third countries, advocates for an equal opportunities policy, including the promotion of equality between men and women with regard to labour market opportunities and treatment at work and strives for the removal of all forms of violence and discrimination based on sex. Moreover, it monitors the implementation and further development of gender mainstreaming in all policy sectors, follows-up on the implementation of international agreements and conventions involving the rights of women and encourages the awareness of women’s rights.

Like every other year, the FEMM Committee will hold an Inter-parliamentary committee meeting celebrating International Women’s Day. The theme this year is: ‘’An ambitious future for Europe’s women after COVID-19: mental load, gender equality in teleworking and unpaid care work after the pandemic’’. The inter-parliamentary committee meeting will take place on Thursday 3 March and will include an online exhibition by cartoonist Emma Clit, while speakers and guests will include EP President Roberta Metsola, French Minister for Equality Elisabeth Moreno, Commissioners Helena Dalli and Vera Jourova, and Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir .

An event will also be held between the Economic and Financial Affairs Committee (ECON) and the FEMM Committee on 28 February. This event will provide a global forum for an exchange of experiences and best practices in advancing women’s empowerment during and after crises such as the one triggered by COVID-19. Entitled “Women in Economics and Finance: debate on next challenges in the EU”, participants will include EP President Roberta Metsola, ECB President Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the IMF Kristalina Georgeva, US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, EC Executive Vice-President Vestager and Commissioners Gentiloni and McGuinness.

A Special Eurobarometer survey on women’s situation during the pandemic will be released on Friday 4 March, while a debate on International Women’s Day is expected to be held on 8 March at the plenary session in Strasbourg.

The European Parliament Liaison Office in Malta, in conjunction with the European Commission Representation in Malta will also be organizing an event in relation to Women’s Day. “Looking Forward - postpandemic reality for women,” will be held on Friday 4 March at the Phoenicia Hotel. The event will seek to raise awareness about gender equality, while an exchange of ideas and best practices will take place on themes such as tele-work, mental load and unpaid care work.

The public is cordially invited to register and attend the event in person, or to follow it live on The Malta Independent’s online portal.

Dr Mario Sammut is Head of European Parliament Office in Malta