On March 8th, 2024, the Politico.eu website published an article entitled: “If far right surges in EU election, women’s rights could be imperiled”. The first part of the article from politico.eu presents theoretical analysis of how the upcoming elections for the European Parliament can affect women’s rights, especially in light of the growth of far- right parties throughout the EU. As a result, it appears uncheckable based on the fact-checking principles established in Factcheck. EU’s flowchart. The claims in this section of the article are essentially predictions for the future and cannot be proven true or false.
The following part of the article focuses on the European Union’s legislative efforts on gender equality and how it is related to the upcoming European elections. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen claims that The European Union has made significant progress on gender equality during the recent legislative term.
The primary source that proves the claim is European Commission. In Article 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFUE) one of the founding principles is equal pay for equal work. On their website, they encourage EU countries to eliminate discrimination on grounds of sex with regard to all aspects and conditions of remuneration for the same work or for work of equal value.
The European Commission presented its strategy for equality between women and men in Europe on 5 March 2020. The Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 sets out key actions for the next 5 years and commits to ensure that the Commission will include an equality perspective in all EU policy areas. The EU Gender Equality Strategy delivers on the von der Leyen Commission’s commitment to achieving a Union of Equality. The Strategy presents policy objectives and actions to make significant progress by 2025 towards a gender-equal Europe. The goal is a Union where women and men, girls and boys, in all their diversity, are free to pursue their chosen path in life, have equal opportunities to thrive, and can equally participate in and lead our European society.
Also on May 10, 2023, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted Directive 2023/970 to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms.
In the next part of the article, Marine-Colline Leroy, Belgium’s secretary of state for gender equality, claims that the European Union is working hard to adopt gender equality legislation before the June election. On 6 February 2024, the Belgian presidency and European Parliament agreed on a first-ever EU law on violence against women and domestic violence. The new law lays down minimum rules concerning the definition of specific criminal offences and penalties to address this form of violence. It also sets out rights of victims of all forms of violence against women or domestic violence, and provides for their protection. This move by the EU is the primary proof for Marine-Colline Leroy’s claim.
The following evidence demonstrates that, in recent years, the European Union has implemented legislative efforts on gender equality. On 6 March 2024 The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has adopted a new Gender Equality Strategy for 2024-2029. This strategy for the next five years was adopted three months before the approaching European elections. This validates both claims: the European Union is focusing on gender equality, and the Belgian secretary’s claim that they are hurrying to pass new gender equality legislation before the upcoming elections.
Conclusion
After an in-depth study of directives and strategies undertaken by the European Union related to gender equality, the claim that The European Union has made significant progress on gender equality during the recent legislative term is true. After analyzing the EU’s actions on gender equality, the Marine-Colline Leroy’s claim is true.
RESEARCH I ARTICLE © Lara Vladimirova, Mariyana Blagoeva, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski
