Much progress has been made in the EU and its Member States towards ensuring equal rights for women, but it is evident that more still needs to be done. The 2006 establishment of the European Union Institute for Gender Equality is an indication of the importance attached to this area in the EU.
On the 16 March, FRA Director Morten Kjaerum will address the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, as part of a meeting concerning the theme of violence against women. Recognising the particular problem that violence still plays in many women's lives, the FRA fully supports the initiative for a Directive on a European Protection Order presented by the Spanish Presidency. This would oblige Member States to recognise and protect victims of domestic violence who have gained a protection order against their attacker in one Member State and subsequently move to another.
