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Press Statement by Dr. Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, Member of the European Parliament, on the first European Gender Equality Week, which was marked on 26-29 October 2020:
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On the initiative of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), the European Parliament marked its first “European Gender Equality Week” from 26 to 29 October 2020 – 25 years after the Women’s Summit in Beijing, China.
I am delighted with the initiative taken by the Committee on Women’s Rights in cooperation with our Development Committee (DEVE), of which I am Vice-President, the Committee on Human Rights (DROI) and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).
My comments: “It is my special wish that the voice of women, of the most vulnerable persons of society, such as women of African descent or Black and People of Colour (PoC) women, will be heard wherever prejudice and discrimination hinder their development, so that our planet becomes a place where we can develop our competence, talents and vision“.
I hope that these debates will open the eyes of as many people as possible to the problems affecting women and that they will enable us to discuss the problems of women’s issues in general, such as the pay gap between men and women, the lack of women in leadership positions.
All European Parliament committees have been invited to hold a debate on issues affecting women and many of them have responded positively.
This “European Week for Gender Equality” is very important for me as an alternate member of the FEMM Committee, because it highlights issues of gender inequality in different dimensions.
As a committed woman, I have been dealing with the following issues for years: violence against girls and women, such as female genital mutilation, forced marriage and feminicide, so-called “honour killings”, discrimination against women, senior citizens and women with disabilities
I am in favour of the empowerment of all girls and women, especially those with culturally different backgrounds such as migrant women and Black women.
It would be desirable if we could sensitise and educate all people about the issue of violence and female genital mutilation, which is also taking place in Europe, with the aim of abolishing this custom with zero tolerance by 2030.
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Dr. Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, MEP
Vice-President of EU-ARDI (Antiracism and Diversity Intergroup)
Member of Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM)
