Metsola reaffirms commitment to advancing gender equality in Europe and globally

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola spoke at a gathering of female leaders in business, politics, civil society and charity organisations, as well as female educators, students, artists, media professionals, and athletes, at Europe House in Valletta on Friday.

Interviewed live by Clare Agius Ordway on International Women’s Day, Metsola reaffirmed her personal commitment to advancing gender equality in Europe and around the world. “Today and every day. Because a woman’s place is truly, wherever she wants it to be. Be that standing up in Parliament, heading a company or leading a nation to prosperity,” Metsola said.

The EP president said she was proud that after 10 years of constant pressure from the European Parliament, MEPs had finally agreed on legislation to promote the inclusion of women in decision-making positions.

“The Women on Boards directive will require open and transparent recruitment procedures from companies across Europe to push towards greater presence of women on boards. In addition to this, and to combat the gender pay gap in the EU that still hovers at around 13%, we have introduced measures that will require employers to be open and transparent about the pay gap between female and male workers. To close it once and for all.”

Metsola toasted what she considered to be the most historic agreement of this mandate: the Directive on combatting violence against women. “For the first time ever, there will be EU-wide rules on the criminalisation of certain forms of gender-based violence and better access to justice, protection and prevention. Victims need support. Aggressors must face punishment. Women deserve protection. And our ambition is to keep striving to make life better, safer, fairer and more equal. We will not waver. Of this I am sure,” Metsola said, shedding light on the European Union’s transformative impact on women’s lives and gender equality.

While engaging with the women present, she also highlighted the importance of women’s active involvement in influencing EU policies by casting their votes for direct representatives in the European Parliament elections in June this year.

Metsola also opened an art exhibition by Iranian-Maltese artist and human rights advocate Lida Sherafatmand, highlighting gender equality. “We talked here about the importance of voting. In Iran women don’t have such luxury as voting freely: women are persecuted for being women,” Metsola said. Iranian women Jina Mahsa Amini, and the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran were honoured with the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2023.