Women have been on the frontline of the pandemic as carers and health workers. They have been impacted not only by burnouts and higher rates of COVID-19 contraction in the health sector, but also by other societal shifts due to corona measures, such as the closing of schools and other activity centres. In 2021, women still don’t have equal pay for equally valuable work. And the pandemic has also worsened gender inequality in terms of inadequate wages, unpaid care work and labour in the home, and rising gender-based violence.
Women, whose competences are undervalued and therefore underpaid, are most often the workers in essential professions. Even as women deal with unequal wages for equal work, they are also most affected by the greater family and care burden, leading to even more unpaid and unrecognised work. An increase of domestic violence reports has also been reported during lockdowns.
The Recovery Plan that’s supposed to tackle the impact of COVID-19 is pouring money into male-dominated sectors. What now? How can we ensure that the gender dimension of this crisis is addressed?
As the Greens, we have been calling for EU and all the Member States ratify and effectively implement the Istanbul Convention. We also believe that the European Commission cannot delay the adoption of the Directive on gender pay gap and upgrading its provisions on parental leave. We have also been working to ensure equal pay for equally valuable work, address growing gender-based violence during the pandemic, and ensure access to reproductive health care and abortion.
Film: Woman
16 February at 00:00 CET – 17 February at 23:59 CET
Woman is a worldwide project giving a voice to 2,000 women across 50 different countries. Despite its very large scale, the film offers an intimate portrait of those who constitute half of humanity.
It is an opportunity to shed light on the injustices women are subjected to all over the world, but what Woman would like to underline most is the inner strength of women and their capacity to change the world despite all the difficulties they are facing. In this new era where women’s voices resonate more and more, the aim of the film is not only to call for rights or focus on problems, but to find solutions and try to reconcile the two genders.
The project deals with topics such as motherhood, education, marriage and financial independence but also menstruation and sexuality.
Director: Yann Arthus-Bertrand and Anasatasia Mikova
Country: France
Duration: 108 minutes
Debate: Thriving as a woman: yesterday, today, tomorrow
17 February at 19:30 CET
Women contribute immensely to society. When women have the space to thrive, they are excellent communicators, healers, and community leaders. Yet in a world designed by men for men they are often unheard, unrecognised, and under-valued. In the EU, the gender pay gap has only slightly reduced over the last decade, with women earning 14.1% less on average. Inequality is also present at home – where women often take more of the load when it comes to domestic work and care work. The pandemic has highlighted the over-burdened health and care sectors, where women make up most of the workforce globally. According to the UN, gender equality is critical in addressing poverty, disease, and armed conflict. But because of the pandemic, gains made in the past decades toward gender equality are at risk of being rolled back. Following the screening of the documentary ‘Woman’, we will host a debate on Thursday 17 February at 19:30 CET. We will discuss the progress that has been made concerning women’s rights, its impact on women and girls today, and the challenges we have yet to face. How has the pandemic re-shaped our understanding of gender equity? And how can a Green Recovery advance women’s rights and opportunities?
About the Green Screen
Through a series of online film screenings, the Green Screen project invites you to engage with contemporary debates on the future of Europe, post-COVID recovery and making our societies more resilient and sustainable. Created by the European Greens, it will explore topics such as the climate crisis, environmental and social justice, and democracy.
Each month, the Green Screen is dedicated to a key theme to build a better future for Europe. On the third week of each month, a film screening will be made available for free on our platform for 48 hours, on Wednesday and Thursday. Then, you can follow a live debate on an issue inspired by the film, which will take place on Thursdays at 19:00 CEST.
📜 Learn more about our Coronavirus Recovery: Let’s build a better tomorrow!
Adopted during the 31st Council June 2020
Upcoming events
Past events
We are delighted to invite you to join us in Copenhagen, Denmark on 2–4 December 2022 for the 6th European Green Party Congress.
