International Women’s Day 2025 (FEMM ICM) on “Strengthening the Women, Peace and Security Agenda – Upholding Women’s Rights in Defence, Security and Peace Building”, 6 March 2025, Brussels
Organised in collaboration with the Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments (DG PART) on the occasion of International Women's Day 2025, the meeting addressed the topical subject of "Strengthening the Women, Peace and Security Agenda - Upholding Women's Rights in Defence, Security and Peace Building".
This year's theme highlights several priorities starting with the need to ensure women's full participation in decision-making processes, particularly in defence, security, and peacebuilding, where their leadership leads to more inclusive and lasting peace. Furthermore, it is crucial to protect women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings from trafficking, exploitation, and the use of rape as a weapon of war, while preventing gendered impacts of conflict, including violence against women and domestic violence. Gender-responsive relief and recovery efforts must prioritize women's access to justice, healthcare, and psychosocial support. Mainstreaming gender in security institutions is also a priority because it fosters accountability, equity, and resilience, creating a more effective and inclusive peace process.
This interparliamentary committee meeting heard from exceptional women, including women in leadership roles in the military, academics and researchers, activists and civil society regarding their experiences, the hurdles they overcame and those yet to be overcome. Each of the two sessions was followed by an exchange of views with the Members of the European Parliament and of national Parliaments.
The event took place on Thursday, 6 March 2025, from 9.00 to 12.30 in the European Parliament in Brussels and was webstreamed.