Dear readers,

This month, each year, we celebrate International Women's Day, but this year 8 March is once again a sad reminder of how much work still needs to be done to ensure that women are able to participate fully in society.

Women are under-represented in political and economic decision-making bodies, have lower rates of employment and earn less than men.

Moreover, the current pandemic and the global economic crisis have clearly demonstrated that women, together with young people, are the groups paying the highest price and that many of the hard-won gains made over the past few decades are in danger of being undone. Lastly, women bear the burden of unpaid domestic and care work, and forced cohabitation in times of lockdown often leads to an increase in cases of gender-based violence.

This is why the inequalities and discrimination that still exist must be tackled urgently and decisively. We cannot waste any more time and we must ensure that the gender dimension is mainstreamed into all policies through specific measures.

The European Commission, led for the first time by a woman, Ursula von der Leyen, has promised to address gender equality immediately and to adopt measures to close the gaps that still exist between men and women in the labour market, in salaries and wages, in top positions in business and in political representation. The proposal for a directive on wage transparency, published on 4 March, is therefore an important first step in the right direction.

Above all, however, a far-reaching cultural change is needed to break down gender stereotypes and achieve full equality. The EESC is committed to this battle and will contribute to improving the situation through its opinions, with the aim of influencing both the European institutions and the organisations it represents. This is a battle we must all wage together, men and women, to make society truly equal and to pass on a better world to our children.

Giulia Barbucci

EESC Vice-president for budget