Today nine of the Commissioners are making a joint statement. Their key message is that the European Union has always been, and always will be, committed to fighting for gender equality. The principle of equality between women and men has been enshrined in the EU treaties right from the start. Sixty years on from the Treaty of Rome, the EU has made progress, but some countries still lag behind. There are worrying signs that intolerance, misogyny and attacks on women's rights are on the rise. More than ever, actions are needed

The European Commission is also publishing a number of reports on the topic of gender equality. Firstly, there is the 2017 edition of the 'Report on equality between women and men'. This report assesses how much progress the EU has made towards achieving equality between women and men over the past year. The report shows that, whilst there has been some progress, there is still much more to do. There are still gaps between women and men when it comes to employment, pay earnings and pensions, and these gaps need to be closed.

Links:

• Joint statement by the Commissioners
• 'Report on equality between women and men' 2017
• Focused actions to combat violence against women
• Study – Wealth and Gender in Europe
• Study – Violence Against Women and Economic Independence