As part of a joint regional program of the European Commission and the Organization of Women of the UN, this week in Brussels the conference titled ''Spring Forward for Women'' is being held. The conference convened leaders of Arab States and the European Union three years after the launch of the program ''Spring Forward for Women'' to discuss that achieved, but also to analyse the recent political events in their countries, with an emphasis on women's rights and gender equality. The conference was attended by the Vice President of EPP Women and Member of European Parliament Dubravka Šuica who highlighted:

 
''The road to equality is not easy nor is achieving gender equality a quick process, but this should not discourage us because the struggle for gender equality is not a fight for equality for women, but it is a struggle for a just society, and men also have to take responsibility. "
 
The program of emancipation of women in the countries that participated in the "Arab Spring" began in late 2012 with the aim of political, economic and social empowerment of women in these societies.

''If we ask the question: 'Who's afraid of smart and educated women' the response will be easy to find. Only those who can not compete with such women are afraid, so unfortunately women often need to invest twice as much effort in order to be treated equally as men. Inspired by courageous and intelligent women and girls, such as Nobel prize winner Malala Yousafzai and Indian Asia Bibi who was sentenced to death just because she wanted to use the right of her children to water. The possibility to build a fair and prosperous society based on shared values and the premise of equality, the movement for equality, is a constant battle in the European Union and should not be discouraged, and I am pleased to be here and to highlight the current example of the representation of women in Croatia where my party's candidate for President is one of us - a woman," concluded Šuica.

So far, the program 'Spring Forward for Women' has financed a total of EUR 8.2 million in the southern Mediterranean under the European Instrument for Neighbourhood Policy Instrument (ENPI) and the Organization of Women of the UN and continues until 2016.