Victories in the battle for equality paved the way for a world where young women feel less affected by discrimination, the island’s EU representative said yesterday.

However, Renée Webb added that campaigns like tomorrow’s International Women’s Day were needed to support women throughout the world who still struggle for basic rights.

Dr Webb said that the millennials she knew appear to have grown up in a more equal society than her own generation.

She added: “The younger women have a different take on it, I learnt that from my intern who is 23 and also my daughter, who is 25. They view the world completely differently to the way we do.”

Dr Webb said her perception was also shaped by other young people she encountered in the Belgian capital.

She added: “They don’t know what the concern is, because, I guess, they’re just born into a world where boys, their contemporaries their age — they see them as equals.”

Dr Webb said: “There’s definitely more equality than there was when I was their age, so I think there’s definitely some movement.”

The former tourism minister has led the Bermuda Government’s Brussels office since it opened in January last year.

Two Bermudians, Maxanne Caines and Jennifer Phillips, joined her as part of the Cabinet Office’s overseas internship programme last summer.

Dr Webb said that Ms Caines now spends about three days a week at the office, between work on her dissertation.

She added that as well as the young women learning about her work, she learnt a great deal from them.

Dr Webb said: “It’s important for women to co-opt and assist younger people in particular.”

She added: “The EU as an entity is definitely male dominated, without question, and they’re used to dominating.

“If you’re in a meeting, they’re the ones that will speak the most and give their opinion on everything, even including women’s rights, particularly the older guys, not the younger guys so much.

“Very often when there are young women in the room, they don’t really see gender as an issue.”

However, she said that tomorrow’s worldwide campaign, which this year has the slogan Each for Equal, was needed for people in different societies and in other countries.

Dr Webb said: “International Women’s Day recognises that women are still struggling globally and it’s not just about equality of pay and equality of service, it’s actually basic equality where women have no rights at all in some places and in some religious groups.”

The International Women’s Day website said that the event celebrated “the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women”.

It added: “The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

“No one government, NGO, charity, corporation, academic institution, women’s network or media hub is solely responsible for International Women’s Day.”

The theme for 2020 is “an equal world is an enabled world”.

It was marked on the island yesterday with speeches and performances at City Hall in Hamilton.

Dr Webb, whose one-year appointment in Brussels has been extended to the end of September while her replacement is confirmed, said: “Bermudian women should be proud of themselves in terms of what we have been able to accomplish in the last 20 to 30 years.”