Ahead of International Women’s Day, members of Renew Europe in the Committee of the Regions (CoR) highlighted the crucial role of subnational authorities in implementing the Roadmap for Women’s Rights and advocating for more women in politics.
In February, Hungary’s Kata Tüttő became the second woman to be appointed President of the European Committee of the Regions, marking a significant step toward greater gender representation in the institution’s leadership.
Renew Europe CoR has been at the forefront of efforts to achieve gender parity within European institutions, championing the Simone Veil Action Plan since 2022 which includes a key commitment to ensure a minimum of 40% female representation in the CoR’s composition from 2025.
Sari Rautio, CoR’s special Bureau rapporteur on the CoR Gender Equality Action Plan, met with members of the CoR’s Social Policy Commission (SEDEC) to discuss the European Commission’s newly announced Roadmap for Women’s Rights.
During the meeting, local and regional leaders took the floor to share their perspectives, emphasising the urgent need for structural reforms to achieve true gender balance in both politics and society.
“Without quotas, women will remain a minority in national and international representation. Many of us within CoR have benefitted from quotas, and the reality remains that 80% of women in politics have experienced abuse and discrimination,” said Anne Rudisuhli, Renew Europe CoR’s SEDEC Coordinator.
“Many women are still hesitant to enter politics due to systemic obstacles. We need to address these hurdles by engaging more with men, tackling issues such as childcare concerns, and breaking down male-dominated networks that persist in political spheres. If we do not stay vigilant, we risk moving backward on this issue,” added Paul de Bruijn, Alderman of Voorschoten, Netherlands.