Open letter to EU Heads of State: Funding the fight to end violence against women and girls

July 16, 2020

[Brussels, 16 July] Today, End FGM European Network, the European Women’s Lobby, IPPF-European Network and Women against Violence Europe, members of the European Coalition to end violence against women and girls, have written an open letter to President of the European Council, Charles Michel, Head of Presidency of the Council, Chancellor Angela Merkel, and EU Heads of State, regarding the MFF 2021-2027 and the EU’s recovery plans. We are calling for their urgent commitment to ensure increased and adequate EU funds to gender equality and the fight to end violence against women and girls. Last week we welcomed the European Commission’s decision to reverse the 20% cuts to the Justice, Rights and Values Fund. In the spirit of solidarity, we are urging the European Council to echo these commitments to gender equality and eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls. We have seen how the COVID-19 crisis has worsened persistent forms of gender inequalities and increased discrimination against women, particularly through increased cases of violence against women and disruptions to accessing essential sexual and reproductive health services . We are now turning to the Council to ensure the EU’s long-term budget and recovery plans match their political commitments to promoting and protecting the fundamental rights of women and girls across the EU, ensuring a life free from all forms of violence. Our recommendations include:

Increasing funds to advancing gender equality and eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls, which has been made worse during the COVID-19 crisis.
Increase investments to the European Institute of Gender Equality to sustain their work on advancing these objectives.
Apply gender mainstreaming and a gender budgeting lens across all funding areas of the EU’s recovery plans and MFF.

Read our letter and demands here!