To mark International Women’s Day, the European Commission and the High Representative/Vice-President make the following statement:

“Today, the percentage of women in politics is still far from being representative of our diverse societies. The overall proportion of female members in single or lower houses of parliament currently stands on average at 33% in EU Member States and 26.5% globally. We must continue to do more to inspire and promote the inclusion of women in politics.

2024 is a landmark year for elections throughout the world, with over 4 billion people being asked to cast their votes, including more than 400 million EU citizens who will vote in June in the European Parliament elections.  On this International Women’s Day, we recognise the courageous activism of European suffragettes who fought for the right to vote when it was the privilege of men, and to every woman in all their diversity who plays a part in shaping a fairer and more equal society.

In many parts of the world, regrettably women are still prevented from taking part in public life and in some contexts are entirely excluded from decision-making and public space. Across all societies, women continue to face discrimination and are at increased risk of online and offline violence. This is particularly acute for women politicians, journalists, and activists, in particular human rights defenders.

In this year of elections, we encourage all women, including young women, everywhere to exercise their right to vote, to claim their space in society and to feel empowered to participate in political life.”