The European Women’s Lobby endorses the Roadmap on Women’s Rights and congratulates the EU for confirming its commitment to women’s rights in these times of backlash and turmoil
Today, the European Commission unveiled its long-awaited Roadmap on Women’s Rights, marking a crucial step towards gender equality and the protection of women’s rights across the European Union (EU). The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) welcomes this development, which lays out an ambitious vision, at a time when women’s rights gender equality are facing significant challenges around the world. This initiative sends a strong political message of an unwavering commitment to keeping women’s rights at the core of the EU.
While welcoming the Roadmap, it will require sustained political will, adequate funding, and the full engagement of all EU institutions, all Member States, and civil society to make real progress. This initiative comes at a critical moment, as recent political and social developments have exposed the fragility of progress in and the backlash of women’s rights across the EU and in the world.
Key areas of focus include combatting violence against women and girls, ensuring access to quality healthcare —including sexual and reproductive health — closing the gender pay gap, promoting work-life balance, and improving employment conditions for women. Additionally, the roadmap emphasises inclusive education, gender-balanced political representation, and strengthening institutional mechanisms to uphold women’s rights.
“The launch of this Roadmap is a positive step in the right direction; words must now be followed by actions,” said Iliana Balabanova, EWL President. “We need bold policies, firm commitments, and strong leadership to turn this vision into reality. Women’s rights cannot be an afterthought; they must be at the core of Europe’s agenda. We believe that this Roadmap has the ambition to make this happen.”
“This political message comes at the right time in a world in turmoil where women’s rights and the achievements to date are being seriously challenged everywhere. This promising step, must be followed-up by the enforcement of these commitments. The EU must ensure that this Roadmap does not remain a symbolic gesture but becomes a catalyst for tangible improvements in the real lives of women and girls across Europe. Structural change requires not only political declarations but also real investments in gender equality measures, stronger institutional frameworks, and meaningful participation of women in decision-making processes,” said Mary Collins, EWL Secretary General.
As the European Parliament and Member States review and discuss this Roadmap, EWL urges policymakers to take decisive action to uphold women’s rights and push for stronger commitments. This Roadmap must be the beginning of a new era of concrete progress towards the achievement of gender equality in the EU.
We call on all stakeholders — policymakers, civil society, and the private sector — to work together to ensure that this Roadmap delivers real change. The time for action is now! Europe must show that it stands firmly for the rights and dignity of all women.
At the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, adopted at the 4th World Conference of Women in 1995, it is more urgent than ever to send a strong message to the world that women’s rights are human rights.
The EWL endorses the Roadmap on Women’s Rights.
For further information, contact:
Mary Collins, Secretary General: collins@womenlobby.org
Laura Kaun, Director of Policy and Campaigns: kaun@womenlobby.org
Gaïa Dufour, Communications Officer: dufour@womenlobby.org
