In a reaction to Polish national conservatives declaring regions in Poland “LGBT- free zones”, the European Parliament took the initiative to declare the EU a LGBTQI freedom zone. The initiative received major support from Greens/EFA, christian democrats, social democrats, liberals and the left. However national conservatives and the far right voted against.

In April 2024, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for abortion to be included in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The Greens/EFA Group has long been in the forefront in the fight to legalise abortion in all Member States as well as providing women with safe and adequate sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Greens/EFA, the left, social democrats and liberals voted in favour. Christian democrats and the far right groups were split. National conservatives voted against.

Ableism is the discrimination against persons with disabilities based on their physical and mental disabilities. Ableism often goes hand in hand with social prejudice against people with disabilities and the feeling of superiority by non-disabled people.

But people with disabilities have the right to a life in dignity and income support that ensures dignified living, services that enable them to participate in the labour market and in society, and a work environment adapted to their needs.

As part of this objective, we Greens have been fighting relentlessly to protect the most vulnerable ones on EU level, especially in the context of work: for instance, trainees need proper working conditions, persons with disabilities access to employment. Finally, a Directive on Minimum Income would ensure that everyone has enough for a life in dignity, even those that cannot participate in the labour market.

Not everyone is able to work, the reasons could go from illness, to disability, to family situations. That does not mean that those people should live in poverty or be forced to accept precarious jobs. A minimum income set above the poverty line not only is a safety net for them but also for our societies.

With the EU disability card, the Greens have been calling for the recognition of an EU disability status and free movement, assistance and advantages for people with disabilities working and travelling in Europe.

Keywords: disabilities, discrimination, vulnerable, ableism, dignity

Incredible and resilient civil society activists are standing up against discrimination all across Europe. Umbrella organisations such as ILGA-Europe advocate for more progressive and inclusive EU policies to support the communities in Member States.

We, as Greens/EFA, facilitate collaboration between actors in different Member States, and actively work to strengthen our relations between communities in Member States and us in Brussels. 

Our Group supports civil society  and activists in different countries in Europe. This may look like being present at local pride marches celebrating queer joy, centering the voices of the communities in our policy-making, or assuring  sure that our campaign within the Greens/EFA focusing on feminism has a strong transfeminism and intersectional position. We continue to support the LGBTIQ+ community and promote gender diversity, by ensuring that our MEPs and staff have strong relations with the communities they are working for. 

Keywords: lgbtq, lgbtiq community, lesbian community, gay community, bisexual community, trans community, intersex community, queer community

In 2020, a new EU strategy for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Non-Binary, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ) individuals was implemented, following a call for action from both the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament. 

The Greens/EFA group and our MEPs have been at the forefront of advocating for LGBTIQ+ rights for years. We work side by side by leading LGBTIQ+ organisations and meet with queer activists and changemakers in Member States. 

Over the years, we have worked closely with dozens of civil society actors, from grassroots activists to large umbrella associations such as ILGA and TGEU. Ensuring that we actively listen to the voices and needs of those directly affected by policies and decisions impacting the LGBTIQ+  community is at the core of our work for equality and freedom of discrimination. 

Our commitment to defend LGBTIQ+ rights is unwavering. From defending the bodily autonomy of transgender persons, the rights of rainbow families, or by putting forward a resolution which declared the EU an LGBTI Freedom Zone — we won’t stop until every member of the queer community is free. 

Keywords: lgbtq, lgbtiq community, lesbian community, gay community, bisexual community, trans community, intersex community, queer community, sexual orientation

Having an intersectional feminist lens means that our understanding of feminism expands, as we don’t only look at how gender affects our access to rights, opportunities and quality of life. We also look at how other factors of one’s identity interact with gender and further limits our access to rights, opportunities and quality of life. Through our rapporteurship, a first of its kind resolution on intersectional discrimination in the European Union, focused among others on the socio-economic situation of racialized women.

In the fight against racism, the EU has developed an anti-racism action plan aimed at addressing systemic discrimination and promoting racial justice. This includes establishing robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess progress and ensure accountability. Additionally, mainstreaming racial justice into EU policies and fostering the participation of racialized groups in decision-making processes are essential steps in combating racism and promoting equality for all individuals.

Defending the rights of persons with disabilities is at the core of our work. From advocating for an EU disability card and ending the forced sterilisation of women and girls with disabilities, we want to make sure the  EU leverages its power to counter ableism in our societies. 

Keywords: feminism, intersectionality, gender inequality, gender equality, discrimination, privilege

The European Union (EU) plays a crucial role in advancing gender equality across its Member States. With its authority, it can compel Member States to adopt progressive measures aimed at fostering a feminist, free, and equal Europe. One significant avenue through which we have been advocating for the EU to promote gender equality is by leveraging its funding mechanisms. By incorporating gender equality and intersectionality into the distribution of EU funds, resources can be allocated more effectively to support initiatives aimed at advancing women's and LGBTIQ+ rights, both within the EU and internationally. We worked relentlessly for  the first ever EU Directive on violence against women, through which the Union is pushing Member States to take more measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, online and offline. Our feminist MEPs are committed to shape an EU which  works towards holding digital platforms accountable for facilitating hate speech, so-called revenge porn and other forms of gender-based online. We want to secure that new emerging technology, including AI, doesn’t discriminate or set back our rights and freedoms.We were part of making history through the adoption of the Pay Transparency directive, which will force employers to make information about their employers salaries more transparent and establish measures to close  the gendered pay gap in companies. 

Through the Women on Boards Directive we pushed to take the a first step towards achieving more gender balance in company boards, and pushing for more gender equality at the top of corporate 

Furthermore, we are committed to protecting the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community and ensuring that sexual and reproductive health and rights are upheld through legislation and empowering societal change. 

Keywords: gender equality, feminism, social inclusion, human rights, sexual equality, women's empowerment