Europe has a proud history of women standing up for their rights

For this year's International Women's Day the European Parliament is highlighting the importance of women’s participation in politics

Gender equality is one of the fundamental principles of the European Union. Even if women have already conquered the polling booth and the workplace as well as some of highest political posts in today’s Europe, the fight for equality continues. This year, to celebrate Women's Day, the European Parliament highlights the importance of women's participation in politics and pays tribute to Simone Veil and Nicole Fontaine.

• Simone Veil, a noted feminist, was the first president of the directly-elected European Parliament. She devoted herself to defending women’s rights, both in France and across the EU.
• Nicole Fontaine became the second female president in 1999. She also participated in the Parliament’s Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee, promoting equal representation, equal pay and women’s financial independence.

But there is more work to be done. Women only make up 36% of members of the European Parliament, and that’s still more than in many national parliaments across Europe. The Parliament has consistently called for balances electoral lists in European elections. It’s also pushing for political groups to adopt gender-mainstreaming strategies.

Source: europarl.europa.eu