How to stop the backlash against women's rights? Members come to DC to discuss it

Hello,??

welcome to this first LinkedIn newsletter of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington, DC. My name is Karolina Wozniak, and I'm in charge of press and media relations for the office. I'm trying this new way of communicating with you to see if this could be a way to share more in-depth news. Please don't hesitate to let me know what you would like to read about.??

As I'm writing to you on March 8, International Women's Day, this edition will be focused on women's issues.??

Tomorrow, on March 9, the delegation of EU legislators from the Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights is coming to Washington to discuss the backlash against women's rights in the US and Europe, particularly the erosion of abortion rights.???

The chair of the committee, Robert Biedroń underlines the gravity of the situation. "Over the last years, we have observed the backlash against women's rights both in Europe and the United States. This worrisome phenomenon puts many of the gains that women have achieved in jeopardy, particularly in the area of sexual reproductive health rights" - he says.??

He adds that the decision of the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe versus Wade and consequently renounce the federal constitutional right to abortion and open up the possibility of a complete abortion ban has transformed the lives of women and girls across the US, disproportionately affecting women in vulnerable situations. Watch his full video statement: https://youtu.be/op_xUkUvF5A

I also encourage you to check the latest EU-US explainer, which focuses on gender equality. Our team of researchers has looked at the situation on both sides of the Atlantic. What did they find out? "While the European Union and the United States rank highly on global indexes that measure progress towards gender equality, neither has fully achieved it. The World Economic Forum estimates that, at the current pace, it will take North America 59 years and Europe 60 years to close their gender gaps. Moreover, progress can slow, stall or even go into reverse, particularly if gender equality is not integral to responses to new developments."??

The full brief, explaining what the EU and US are currently doing to improve the situation, can be read here: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2023/739391/EPRS_ATA(2023)739391_EN.pdf??

To close, I will quote the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, who said today: "To all women who came before us and made it easier. To all leaders - in politics and society - role models to many young girls. To Ukrainian women who have shown unprecedented bravery. To the women on the streets of Iran. On #IWD2023 we thank you for being an inspiration".??

Thank you for reading!?