Advancing gender equality in the EU

International Women's Day provides an opportunity to take stock of progress towards gender equality, and 2015 is a pivotal year in this regard. At global level, it marks the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals, which set ambitious targets for advancing women’s rights. As well as reviewing these initiatives, the EU is assessing its own ongoing efforts to promote gender equality, one of its founding values, looking to a new Strategy for equality between women and men beyond 2015.