Today the values of the progressive family are challenged and permanently contested. Europe is on the receiving end of the biggest exodus since World War II, which comes with immense pressure and responsibility. Day after day tens of thousands of people are trying to reach our shores, among whom many women and children. It is of crucial importance that we help them with the best of our abilities, before traffickers take advantage of their helplessness. Building fences and walls is not the solution.
The PES Women president also expressed her disappointment that in Portugal, the camp’s host country, the “right to safe and legal abortion is put in jeopardy.” However, with the help of younger generations, who understand that “perfect equality between men and women is key to the modernity of our progressive society”, change is possible and is close.
In the end of her speech Ms Gurmai presented the five priorities of PES Women for the upcoming five years; closing the gender pay gap, ensuring that sexual and reproductive rights are enforced, combatting violence against women are all parts of the next five years’ agenda, while efforts will continue to have a Women’s Rights Charter in Europe.
It is important that we honour our friends who lost their lives in recent years due to the coward and disgraceful attacks of Utoya and Suruc. Both events reflect the fact that our deceased friends were doing something right, but now the responsibility is ours to continue the work they died for.
