“On this year’s International Women’s Day, I warmly welcome a legislative proposal for an EU directive which the European Commission just tabled a few days ago. After European Commission President von der Leyen had promised this proposal already last year, I now call on the European Parliament and on the Member States in the Council to move swiftly to adopt a strong legislative piece that will bring effective pay transparency to as many workers as possible. An EU directive can be a powerful tool to bring change, and a powerful tool is necessary to arrive at more pay transparency – which will have a direct effect on reduced gender wage gaps in Europe. This opportunity for more gender equality should not go wasted.

On this year’s International Women’s Day, we also look back to one year of Corona crisis – which has also become a crisis for women in many respects. Above all, lockdowns have led to an unacceptable surge of violence against women. This reminds us that decisive steps are now needed even more acutely than before to make the lives of women safer and more secure. The European Commission should swiftly come forward with a clear plan on how to have the Istanbul Convention adopted and ratified in all Member States, or alternatively propose a directive that will ensure that the essential provisions of the Convention become binding law in all Member States.”