Gender equality week: women in leadership

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.

Parliament is marking gender equality week with debates on women’s leadership experiences, and how to drive change and inspire the next generations of women leaders.

The seventh edition of European Gender Equality Week, from 3 to 6 November, will focus on the theme of women in leadership. The European Parliament’s committees will be holding special debates and events, including on reducing the gender pension gap, women in public life, disinformation campaigns, rural areas and demographic change, responding to the backlash against gender equality in light of the global funding cuts, gender equality in the aviation sector, women in the judiciary and the EU media framework.

Read more about these and other events and follow them live on the EP’s Multimedia Centre website.

Quotes

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, has stressed “A woman’s place is wherever she chooses to be whether running a company, writing the laws, leading a lab, or pursuing her passion. When we break those ceilings, we don’t just lift women up, we unlock progress for everyone.”

Ahead of the week, Antonella Sberna (ECR, Italy), European Parliament Vice-President responsible for Gender Equality Week, said: “Every generation of women builds on the courage and achievements of those who came before. Our responsibility is to make the path wider for those who will come next.”

Lina Gálvez (S&D, Spain), chair of the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee, added: “True equality isn’t achieved by one woman reaching the top, but by every woman lifted up alongside her.”

High-level event on women in leadership

On Tuesday 3 November 2026, from 16.00 to 18.30, a high-level event “Women in leadership – shaping the change and inspiring the next generation of leaders”, will be hosted by EP Vice-President Antonella Sberna, in cooperation with Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee Chair Lina Gálvez. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will take part in a fireside chat.

The event includes prominent speakers from international organisations, local government, sport, and the fashion industry. The full programme is available on the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee webpage. You can follow the event live on Parliament’s Multimedia Centre website.

Background

Every year, the European Parliament hosts Gender Equality Week to assess progress, highlight achievements, and identify new ways to promote the rights of women and girls and achieve gender equality. The events are organised by Parliament’s committees, delegations, political groups, and administration. The week was first launched in 2020 by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality.