Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. 

There has been big progress over the last decades: More girls are going to school, fewer girls are forced into early marriage, more women are serving in parliament and positions of leadership, and laws are being reformed to advance gender equality. 

Despite these gains, many challenges remain: discriminatory laws and social norms remain pervasive, women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of political leadership, and 1 in 5 women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49 report experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner within a 12-month period.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could reverse the limited progress that has been made on gender equality and women’s rights.  The coronavirus outbreak exacerbates existing inequalities for women and girls across every sphere – from health and the economy to security and social protection. 

Within CSCS we have created a platform called genderbalance.eu. The website covers three gender equality-based projects managed by CSCS, named TWOST,SWOST AND FREASCO, and it gives an opportunity for individuals, organizations, educational institutions, vet providers, etc. to increase their knowledge on gender equality, on becoming a part of the gender equality movement and fighting against gender-based violence. Moreover, it gives access to a broad database that contains hundreds of documents in more than 10 EU languages that help to improve the gender policy for individuals and organizations. Genderbalance.eu is a chance for organizations and individuals to join a cross-sectoral network that cooperates at the European level and promotes gender neutrality and dignity.