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Slovenian President: The EU will need another 60 years to achieve gender equality

by AI | 17.Oct 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The President of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, attended a conference on women’s rights in Brussels and pointed out the differences in gender equality, which she believes also hinder economic growth.

Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar at a conference in support of the EU Action Plan for Women's Rights. Photo: Boštjan Podlogar/STA

Brussels – Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar participated in Thursday’s conference on women’s rights in Brussels, hosted by the European Commissioner for Gender Equality, Hadja Lahbib. Upon arriving at the conference, she stated that the EU would need another 60 years to achieve gender equality based on the index of women’s representation. “I do not have that time, and I believe many other women in the European Union do not either,” Pirc Musar said.

In her speech at the conference, she emphasized that gender equality also promotes economic growth. “For the European Union, this could mean economic growth of about two to three trillion euros by 2050. In today’s extremely competitive times, gender equality is not a luxury but a necessity. A gender-equal society would mean greater employment, productivity, and resilience in light of geopolitical, climate, environmental, economic, and other crises,” she added.

She also mentioned the European citizens’ initiative for safe and accessible abortion across the union, My Voice, My Choice, which has been signed by more than 1.1 million EU citizens. She urged the European Commission and the European Parliament to “take these voices seriously.”

The conference was aimed at supporting the goals of the EU action plan for progress on women’s rights adopted in March. The plan aims to eliminate gender-based violence and provide support and protection for victims. It also emphasizes the importance of women’s access to sexual and reproductive health, equal pay, and economic empowerment, including the elimination of gender pay gaps. Additionally, it advocates for quality and inclusive education and balanced political participation of genders. (October 16)