Following the launch of The Alliance Of Her on 8 March, a new research report published by the ALDE Party in collaboration with the European Liberal Forum and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation highlights the experiences of European liberal women in politics.

In Europe, women’s political representation has increased significantly in the last decade. Currently, the region accounts for the highest number of women in elected office worldwide. However, while some progress has been made, achieving gender equality seems to be going forward at a snail’s pace. Men continue to outnumber women in elected positions and those measures which perhaps have made a difference when it comes to parity, have done little to improve how women are valued as political leaders and actors.

In other words, while we celebrate the increase in number of women elected to political office in Europe, women are still more likely to be undermined in every stage of their political journey as compared to their male counterparts.

According to a Europe-wide online survey conducted by the ALDE Party on women’s political participation and representation, female liberal leaders believe that progress remains slow in women’s access to politics.

Some of the key findings of the research include:

• European female liberal leaders believe that gender stereotyping is still prevalent and plays a big role in politics;
• The majority of respondents have been targets of sexism and harassment either from a stranger or from a colleague, online or in person;
• Female leaders across Europe believe that the most desirable measures that could lead to increases in women’s political participation are: mentoring and training, education, women in politics networks, money and media visibility.

The findings of the report were discussed in more detail at a high-level panel debate, featuring European Commission Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager as keynote speaker, on 9 March.