Audieri

Domestic violence is a violation of children's rights whether they are victims themselves or witnesses of violence in the family. Domestic violence has a harmful effect on the development of children. The exposure to gender-based violence denies children their right to a safe and stable home environment. Domestic violence against children has many different manifestations and can be in the form of sexual violence, physical and/or psychological violence.

With the right information and tools, prevention is the best weapon against radicalisation, in which women are so fundamental. This, however, is often missed by legislators. This hearing will discuss how with proper collaboration, information and experience sharing, women can become agents of change and a centrepiece of the prevention strategy.

The purpose of the hearing is to identify and share the best practices for enhancing equality between women and men in the workplace as implemented by employers (big companies) as well as to discuss the practical implications of a developed network of care services for women's participation at the labour market.

The hearing aimed at analysing the proposals included in the EU Action Plan 2017-2019 on Tackling the Gender Pay Gap presented by the Commission in November 2017. The event counted the participation of the Director General of Justice and Consumers as well as representatives from both employers and employees and academia. The Action Plan presents ongoing and upcoming measures taken by the Commission to combat the gender pay gap.

The Council of Europe defines gender budgeting as a 'gender based assessment of budgets incorporating a gender perspective at all levels of the budgetary process and restructuring revenues and expenditures in order to promote gender equality'. The FEMM Committee discussed this sensitive issue especially in the framework of the future MFF and in relation to the implementation of the Daphne program.

The FEMM committee held an event on the situation of women migrant workers in rural areas and farms in the EU. The aim of the hearing was to look into the working and living conditions of these women and to investigate how their abuse can be prevented and how they could be better protected.

The Hearing aimed at exploring in which ways women are and can be agents of change in the Southern Partnership States. It also looked into the specific difficulties that women face in these countries and how root-based organisations tackle them.

One in three Europeans develops cancer during his or her lifetime, which is an immense social and economic cost for the EU. Certain forms of cancer, such as breast, uterus and cervical and other cancers affecting female reproductive tract, exist predominantly among or are exclusive to women. Although widespread, these types of cancers do not receive the necessary attention from the general public and from policy makers.

The Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality organized a hearing on "The Situation and Rights of Women with disabilities" on 10 October 2017. The hearing will serve as an opportunity to provide input for the own initiative report on the same topic, on which the Committee will work in 2018 (Rapporteur: Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, EPP, Spain).

The Committee organised an exchange of views on "Contraception and family planning", ahead of the World Contraception Day, which is celebrated every year on 26 September.