European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday laid out a vision for turning Europe into a continent of equal opportunities for men and women.

"I know we are not there yet. I know that the playing field is not level yet," she said at a European Parliament event marking International Women's Day. "I know from experience that women have to work twice as hard to get the same salary, the same recognition or the same leadership position as their male colleagues. I know the obstacles and the prejudices."

She outlined the proposals presented by the European Commission last week to address what she described as "the two greatest injustices that women still face: the gender pay gap and the gender employment gap."

Von der Leyen complained that women in Europe are paid 14 percent less than men and only 67 percent are in paid work, compared to 78 percent of men. "This is simply not acceptable," she said.

The second proposal aims to address this problem by targeting that 78 percent of all women must have a job by the end of the decade. She said childcare will be strengthened "because no women or men should have to choose between being a mother or father or having a career."

She also praised female entrepreneurs and "mothers of locked-down children who've had to learn the toughest and most amazing job in the world with no support from the outside world."

"We have to remove the obstacles on the path towards equality. We have to strive for equal opportunities," she said to applause from the parliament, where men account for 60.5 percent of the membership.

Monday's event also featured a video message from Kamala Harris, the first female vice president of the United States, who stressed how building a world that works for women was "not just an act of goodwill," but a "show of strength."

"If we build a world that works for women, our nations will all be safer, stronger and more prosperous," Harris told members of the European Parliament.

She suggested initiatives such as ensuring women's safety at home, access to high-quality healthcare, treating women with dignity at work and having the right mechanisms to enable women to both care for their families and excel in the workforce.

(With input from Xinhua, AFP)