President Metsola thanked the players for shattering stereotypes and showing that gender does not have to hinder the road to success. However, inequality in sport persists in media coverage, sponsorship and pay, she added, part of a systemic problem that Parliament is working hard to uproot. President Metsola said it is up to each one of us to facilitate this paradigm shift, making it easier for women to remove unfair barriers, and a reminder of the work still to be done.
In their joint address, Alba Redondo and Ivana Andres said that a fairer, more equal society needs to be built through education. Sport is a unique tool that can change lives and educate, and girls around the globe must be given female role models to help them overcome obstacles. The next Alexia Putellas, they said, is out there somewhere and is waiting to be given an opportunity – let us make sure she gets it, they concluded.
Commission Vice-President Jourova spoke against the violence that women face in public life, such as journalists and politicians, which forces them to leave their public functions. She called on member states to punish perpetrators and for employers to actively defend women when they face harassment on- and offline.
Political group speakers raised the many achievements of this legislative term, such as the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention, and new EU rules on women on boards and pay transparency, with many pointing out that this was also due to strong female leadership at the EU level. But there is no room for complacency, many also pointed out, because harassment and sexual violence persist in the EU and around the world. Women in sport should be paid the same as men and participate equally in decision-making, they said.
Watch the statements by Commission Vice President Jourova and political groups’ reactions again.
The statements by Ivana Andrés and Alba Redondo are available to watch again.
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