Civil society organisations unite today to put forward our shared vision for the future of gender equality in the European Union (EU). We call on the EU to work over the next five years towards the practical realisation of a Union where everyone can live in safety, free from discrimination and violence, and where gender equality is not just an aspiration but a lived reality for all - regardless of their gender, ethnicity, race, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, sex characteristics, disability, residence status, social class, age, among others.

The last mandate saw notable initiatives to advance gender equality. However, despite these achievements,
striking inequalities remain. As the new European Commission is taking office, we request the EU institutions
and Member States to redouble their efforts and to ensure that advancing gender equality remains a key priority
mainstreamed throughout EU laws and policies for the next 5 years, with the necessary resources allocated.

In particular, we call on the EU to ensure the highest level of ambition is reflected in the upcoming Roadmap
for Women’s Rights and the Gender Equality Strategy post-2025, particularly geared towards achieving the
following objectives (download the joint statement below for our detailed asks):

• Realising the full range of women’s rights:
  • Upholding sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
  • Combating the backlash against gender equality
  • Protecting Women Human Rights Defenders and their organisations
• Ending sexual and gender-based violence:
  • Implementing the EU Directive combating violence against women and domestic violence (VAW) 
  • Going beyond the Directive on VAW
• Responding to intersectional discrimination and oppression
• Ensuring sufficient funding for these objectives

Our call to action: We urge the EU institutions and Member States to join us in building a more just and equal society. Gender equality must remain a top priority in all EU policy processes over the next five years. Let us work together to ensure that women and girls in all their diversity in the EU can live free from violence, discrimination, and oppression. 

Signatories:
AGE Platform Europe
Amnesty International
Center for Reproductive Rights
EL*C - Eurocentralasian Lesbian* Community
End FGM European Network
European Sex Workers Rights Alliance
IGLYO
ILGA-Europe
International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN)
La Strada International - European NGO Platform against Human Trafficking
Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)
Protection International
Organisation Intersex International Europe - OII Europe