The European Parliament will always be a voice for women everywhere  

Dear colleagues,
 
It is my honour to welcome Jackie Fox to this House as we mark International Women's Day. Jackie, thank you for being with us today. Thank you for your courage and your inspiration.
 
As we mark International Women's Day, I want to speak about courage, and about the unsung heroines whose determination is quietly, and sometimes through the most painful of circumstances, changing our world.
 
Jackie, you are one of Europe’s heroines.
 
The loss of a child is beyond what most of us can even begin to imagine. But what you then chose to do with that grief - to stand up, to speak out, and to fight - so that no other family would ever have to go through what yours did, that is heroism.
 
The result is Coco's Law, named after Nicole, which makes online abuse and the sharing of intimate images without consent a criminal offence. Since it came into force in Ireland in 2021, there have been over 200 prosecutions, and it is now inspiring other Member States as a possible model for Europe as a whole.
 
Jackie, when you look to this House, know that you will always find an ally here. Around one in three young people in the EU have experienced cyberbullying, and we know it falls disproportionately on women and girls. That is why this Parliament adopted the first-ever EU Directive on combating violence against women, with strong provisions against the worst forms of online abuse.
 
Online abuse corrodes the very fabric of our public life, driving women out of the conversations that shape our societies. This Chamber is all too familiar with the threats, the harassment, the relentless pressure. But when women step back from public life, all of Europe loses out. This is why this Parliament voted to introduce proxy voting, removing a barrier that has for far too long forced pregnant Members and new mothers to choose between their family and their mandate. But we also know there is more to do, much much more.
 
This House will always be a voice for women everywhere. And today, I want to specifically mention the brave women of Iran, who have stood up against one of the most repressive regimes in the world, armed with nothing but their own unshakeable conviction that they deserve to live freely, without fear, and as equals. Their defiance has moved the entire world, and in these dramatic weeks, they are in our thoughts, and we stand with them.
 
To you, dear Jackie, we will keep speaking Coco’s name: your family’s courage is not invisible. This Parliament sees you. We stand with you.