On Tuesday, 17th of September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the candidates for the new College of Commissioners. This announcement signals a worrying shift in the priorities of the European Commission with regard to gender equality. The newly proposed portfolios exclude a dedicated Commissioner for Gender Equality—a glaring omission that undermines the Commission’s stated commitment to women’s rights. Moreover, the College itself is not gender-equal, despite von der Leyen’s calls for Member States to nominate both a woman and a man as candidates.
While the Commission President may not control the nominations from Member States, she holds decisive power in setting the priorities and defining the key policies to be advanced over the next five years. The decision to eliminate the Commissioner for Gender Equality reflects a troubling lack of commitment to advancing women’s rights and preventing the reverting of hard-won gains for women and girls in Europe, which are currently threatened in many Member States.
Gender equality is not merely a matter of representation; it is integral to preventing and addressing violence against women and girls (VAWG). Effective prevention and response to VAWG rely on a systemic approach that ensures gender equality is embedded in all policies and actions. By downgrading gender equality to a secondary concern within the “Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management; Equality” portfolio, the Commission risks undermining efforts to tackle VAWG comprehensively. Gender-based violence against women and girls is both a cause and consequence of inequality, and prioritising gender equality is essential for creating an environment where women’s safety and human rights are protected.
While the previous term saw groundbreaking legislative progress—including the EU Directive on Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, the EU accession to the Istanbul Convention, the Pay Transparency Directive, the Care Strategy, and the Women on Boards Directive—these frameworks require sustained political will, resources, and leadership to be implemented effectively. The removal of a dedicated gender equality portfolio raises serious concerns about whether these laws will be backed by the necessary political and financial resources to achieve their intended impact.
The current letter of appointment letter for the Preparedness and Crisis Management; Equality portfolio, make it clear that gender equality is no longer a priority and that it will be subordinated to crisis management and preparedness, and not even explicitly mentioned. Yet Europe cannot achieve resilience or be adequately prepared for future challenges if the intersecting inequalities that shape people’s lived experiences, particularly women’s, are ignored. Excluding gender equality from the Commission’s leadership positions sends a harmful message about its priorities for the next five years, undermining the human rights and well-being of over half the EU population.
Deprioritizing gender equality is not only short-sighted but a grave mistake. We call on the Members of the European Parliament to defend the gender equality agenda and demand that it be made a transversal priority across all portfolios. The mandate of the current candidate must be modified to explicitly prioritize gender equality, ensuring that women and girls in Europe receive the attention and support they deserve.
The future of over 51% of Europe’s population is at stake. European women and girls cannot afford to be sidelined in the decisions, policies, and budgetary priorities that will shape their lives over the next five years. Europe’s institutions must rise to meet the needs of all its citizens. WAVE will continue to defend and advocate for a strong gender equality focus on European policies and programs, demanding coherence from top decision makers.
