The European Committee of the Regions invites you to debate the role of women in politics

‘For more women in politics’ will be an online conference discussing gender equality in decision-making positions on International Women's Day

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is pleased to announce an event to celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March 2021. Entitled “For more women in politics”, an online conference will discuss women’s participation in local, regional and European politics.

The matter of gender equality in politics has not been discussed enough and the progress is happening relatively slow. At the same time, the role of regional and local governments is essential to women in politics and serves as a stepping stone for their political careers.

Who will participate?

The conference will bring together members of the CoR, the leading organisation of the event, members of the European Parliament and participants in the CoR Young Elected Politicians Programme (YEPs) to discuss the need to address the democratic discrepancy established by the under-representation of women in the field of politics.

Experts in countering misinformation and online hate speech will illustrate how women politicians can react effectively and in a structured way to online gender-based violence. The event will end with a MEP and a CoR member encouraging women to run for political office and be engaged in politics. ​

Introducing the Gender Equality Index 2020

Best practices from local, regional and European levels will be presented to encourage other politicians to actively participate. During the conference, the European Institute for Gender Equality will introduce the main conclusions of the Gender Equality Index 2020. The institute will focus on power in the political sphere on a local and regional level.

The event is part of an initiative launched in 2020 by the European Committee of the Regions to support gender equality in local and regional politics and decision-making, raise awareness and promote the exchange of best practices.

To participate you can register on the European Committee of the Regions' website.