To mark this year’s International Women’s Day on 8 March, the European Parliament is underlining the crucial role of women during the COVID crisis. Women have been at the forefront in fighting the coronavirus pandemic not least because they predominate in the healthcare sector. Many have also been hard hit as they are in insecure or precarious jobs, which have disappeared or changed with the crisis. In addition, the continuing lock-downs have led to an increase in domestic violence. Parliament has called for these inequalities to be addressed.

Parliament will mark International Women’s Day during its plenary session on 8 March.

Read more about the Parliament’s fight for gender equality.

Women in the fight against COVID-19

To raise awareness of the situations faced by women during the crisis, Parliament's women's rights committee is marking this year's International Women’s day with an inter-parliamentary meeting: 'We are strong: Women leading the fight against COVID-19' on 4 March.

Parliament President David Sassoli and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will open the event, which will be hosted by women's rights committee chair Evelyn Regner. Other participants include Helena Dalli, the European commissioner for gender equality; and Greek President Ekaterini Sakelaropoulou.

In a panel on women on the frontlines and the lessons learnt from the crisis management, female political leaders, key health workers and experts in gender equality will exchange best practices and their personal experiences of women's empowerment during crises, with MEPs and members of national parliaments.

Watch live on 4 March from 9h CET.

On 3 March, a seminar focusing on female scientists and carers will bring together researchers from the pharmaceutical industry, gender equality experts, health and social workers and MEPs.

Watch the seminar on 3 March from 9h30 CET.

Join us on social media

On 8 March, women's rights committee chairwoman Evelyn Regner will be live on Facebook to answer your questions about the current state of play of gender equality in the EU and how the pandemic has worsened the plight of women.

Join live on 8 March at 11h CET.

Follow events on social media: 

• #IWD2021EP 
• #IWD2021 
• #InternationalWomensDay  

Find out more 

• Women's rights committee's events page 
• Women's rights commitee's events programme  
• Resolution: the gender perspective in the Covid-19 crisis and post-crisis period (21 January 2021)  
• Briefing: the gendered impact of the Covid-19 crisis and post-crisis period (September 2020)

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