International Women's Day 2011: "Let's make things happen"

The European Parliament celebrated International Women's Day 2011 with a series of events held between the 3-8 March in Brussels and in Strasbourg. While celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women so far, the events also drew attention to the inequalities still to be redressed, including female poverty, differences in pay and access to jobs as well as maternity issues.

To mark the occasion we spoke to six leading Members of Parliament's all party Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee;

Portuguese MEP Edite Estrela (S&D) was rapporteur on extending paid maternity leave for men and women.

Greek MEP Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (EPP): Parliament's Vice President and member of the Women's Rights Committee who is preparing a report on "Women and Business Leadership".

Barbara Matera (Italian, EPP): Vice-Chair of the Women's Rights Committee who is preparing a report on the situation of single mothers in the European Union.

Bulgarian Mariya Nedelcheva (EPP): Member of the Women's Rights Committee responsible for this year's report on equality between women and men in the EU 2010.

Rovana Plumb (S&D) is a Romanian MEP preparing a report on "the face of female poverty in the European Union".

Swedish MEP Eva-Britt Svensson (GUE/NGL): The Chair of the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee. She is behind a non-legislative report with suggestions on how to protect women against crime directed against them simply because they are women.

As well as women on the Women's Rights Committee there are some male Members who offer their views. We spoke to French MEP Philippe Juvin, Spanish Member Raül Romeva i Rueda (Greens/EFA) and Belgian Socialist Marc Tarabella. Speaking to us he said that "the fight for equality between women and men, rightfully claimed by many women, is also a men's business".

We also spoke to former Irish President Mary Robinson.

3 March: Women in politics in the European Union

On 3 March, the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee held an interparliamentary meeting on "Women in politics in the European Union", which will focus on how to enhance women's participation in politics.

Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament opened the event, which included the participation of Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and President of the Mary Robinson Foundation on Climate Justice. Nicole Fontaine, former President of the European Parliament, MEPs and members of national parliaments also participated.

One of the issues that was under discussion will be on elected assemblies around the world can bear more relation to the composition of society.

8 March: Parliamentary Session

On 8 March the European Parliament debated the reports by Mariya Nedelcheva MEP (Equality between women and men — 2010) and Rovana Plumb MEP ("Face of female poverty in the European Union") as well as formally marking International Women's Day. Prior to the debate Ms Nedelcheva told us: "Despite all the efforts outlined, the numbers speak for themselves: women - often with diplomas - fail in practice to overcome the glass ceiling that prevents them from attaining positions of responsibility ".