Women’s rights are facing unprecedented challenges as hard-won freedoms are being rolled back, reproductive rights are being challenged, and financial commitments to gender equality are being slashed. Misogyny is making a political comeback, and gender-based violence remains a brutal reality. The warning signs are everywhere—we are witnessing a relentless assault on women’s rights.
Renew Europe stands firm in the fight for gender equality. During the last mandate, we were at the forefront of pushing for legislation protecting women's rights, including the EU Directive on Combating Violence Against Women and the EU’s ratification of the Istanbul Convention. Despite these wins, it remains crucial to raise awareness of the ongoing threats to women’s rights and to ensure that these rights are preserved and protected.
With global leadership on gender equality weakening, commitments being scaled back, and funding for women's rights organizations being cut, the EU is now one of the last global actors with the power to protect and advance the rights and lives of women and girls. This is especially critical when it comes to securing legal and accessible reproductive healthcare, protecting women from all forms of violence—including cyber violence—and tackling gendered disinformation campaigns designed to silence and discredit women.
That is why Renew Europe remains committed to pushing forward ambitious policies that safeguard women’s rights and gender equality across the EU, internationally, in its neighbourhood and beyond. From enforcing equal pay measures to ensuring access to justice for survivors of gender-based violence, our work is far from over.
We will continue to fight against regressive policies that seek to undermine progress.