To mark the 2025 International Women’s Day (8 March), the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality is organizing an interparliamentary committee meeting on “Strengthening the Women, Peace and Security Agenda – Upholding Women’s Rights in Defence, Security and Peace Building”. Representatives of member states, EU institutions, the European Parliament and EU national parliaments will discuss the need to ensure the full participation of women in decision-making processes, particularly in defence, security, and peacebuilding, where their leadership can lead to more inclusive and lasting peaceful outcomes.
The event will be opened by committee chair, Lina Gálvez (S&D, ES), followed by a video message by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
The introductory remarks will be delivered by Polish Minister of Equality Katarzyna Kotula (by remote connection) and by Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness, and Crisis Management.
The meeting will include two sessions, each comprising presentations and a Q&A session.
Please find here the full programme of the event.
Background
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on 19 December 2024 stressing the importance of the Women Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and the 25th anniversary of the UN landmark resolution that set up the WSP. In the adopted text, MEPs called for a renewal of the Agenda and for an EU action plan to combat pushbacks against it.
Parliament also committed to developing a foreign, security and development policy that prioritises gender equality, protects and promotes the human rights of traditionally marginalised groups, such as transgender people, and takes into account the voices of women and LGBTIQ+ human rights defenders and civil society.
Further information
- Draft list of participants from national parliaments
- Poster of the event
- Strengthening the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (IPOL Briefing, February 2025)
- Women in foreign affairs and international security: An increasingly salient debate (EPRS Briefing)
- MEPs call on the EU to champion women’s rights against global backlash
- Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
