A quarter of a century on the frontlines of fairness and justice. What an achievement! I am honoured to celebrate it with you.
Today womens hard-won rights are under attack — here in Europe, and around the world. That is why your work at the European Women Lawyers Association matters more than ever. Through your network, you do the hard work every day to make equality real.
You meet the women who are afraid to speak out, the girls who have lost trust, the survivors who still carry the scars.
You see the real-life impact of discrimination and violence, and you help shape the laws that protect women.
You also keep us accountable. When the law on paper does not match the reality on the ground, you tell us and we work to close the gaps. I want to thank you for that.
Today I am joined by two remarkable young women who remind us why this work matters. Fátima Amina from Portugal and Louli from France, two young advocates spending the day with me as part of the International Day of the Girl.
Fátima teaches religious education, studies nursing, and leads awareness campaigns against female genital mutilation in her community. Louli is a feminist advocate, working on equality, sexual and reproductive health, and womens rights on the international stage. Their energy and courage are inspiring, and they are already making a real difference in their communities.
Earlier this year the European Commission adopted our Roadmap for Womens Rights. It is our long-term vision for gender equality in Europe. It comes at a critical time, as womens rights are being rolled back in many parts of the world.
We want this Roadmap to be a guiding light to build a Europe where every woman and girl can live in dignity, free from violence and discrimination. It is our guide for action, for everyone working together to make equality real, everywhere in Europe, from Brussels to the smallest village.
Let me focus on five key priorities of this Roadmap.
First, every woman and girl has the right to be safe, online and offline, at home, at work, and in public life. One in three women in the EU has experienced physical or sexual violence. One in five has suffered abuse from a partner or relative. This violence is a poison. It must stop.
Second, every woman has the right to the highest standards of physical and mental health, yet women are still underrepresented in medical research and clinical studies. Still today, women are more likely to die from a heart attack, not because they are weaker, but because medicine has been built around men. Womens health is not a niche issue, it is central to their well-being. We must close this gap.
Third, every woman has the right to equal pay and economic independence. Across the EU, women still earn on average 12% less per hour than men. Women are also overrepresented in low-paying jobs, face barriers to entrepreneurship, and are more likely to live in poverty in old age. Equal work deserves equal pay. Thats why equality at work — and in pay — is a top priority.
A fourth focus of the Roadmap is a womans right to balance work and family life. Across Europe, women still shoulder most of the unpaid care — for children, parents, and relatives. We need more flexible workplaces, better childcare, and more fathers taking family leave.
And finally, every woman has the right to participate fully and safely in public life. Today women make up just one-third of national parliaments and local councils in Europe. Too many face online and offline harassment, simply for speaking up. Democracy cannot thrive when half the population is under-represented or silenced.
Our Roadmap for Womens Rights needs everyone on board — Member States, local governments, social partners, civil society — and everyone in this room. Because this is a shared vision for Europes future. Over the past seven months, almost all EU countries, our institutions, and many civil society organisations have endorsed the Roadmap. Thank you for your strong support and partnership.
But our work doesnt stop here. Our next Gender Equality Strategy will turn this vision into concrete action for the next five years. We have already launched broad consultations — with the public, social partners, equality bodies, international organisations, and many of you here today.
Your message was clear: we need better access to justice. Because rights only matter when they can be enforced — whether it is the right to live free from violence, or the right to equal pay, or the right to be treated with dignity and fairness.
As we celebrate 25 years of EWLA, lets remember every generation has a part to play. Women like you, who fight every day to make the law work for justice, and young women like Fátima and Louli who are carrying the torch forward.
The Roadmap for Womens Rights is our promise to them — and to all girls — that we will never go back. We will keep moving forward. Together, lets make Europe a place where equality is not just written in our laws, but lived in our daily actions.
Tomorrow, we will celebrate the endorsement of this Roadmap together. I want it to be a true celebration, full of joy, energy, passion, and music. Because this is just the beginning, the start of a big, ambitious road trip for equality that we are all taking together. I look forward to being on this journey with you.
