The association participates in political and strategic work to promote the role of women in mathematics and offers its members direct support.

In this way, and by promoting scientific communication and working with groups and organisations with similar goals, they spread their vision of mathematics and science.

EWM brings together a younger and a more experienced member to share different experiences and perspectives for motivation and inspiration.

General meetings have been held in Paris (1986), Copenhagen (1987), Warwick (1988), Lisbon (1990), Marseilles (1991), Warsaw (1993),[3] Madrid (1995),[3] Trieste ICTP (1997), Hannover (1999), Malta (2001), Luminy (2003), Volgograd (2005), Cambridge (2007),[4] Novi Sad (2009),[5][6] Barcelona (2011), Bonn (2013), Cortona (2015), and Graz (2018).

Although the group that became EWM began holding informal meetings as early as 1974,[8] EWM was founded as an organization in 1986 by Bodil Branner, Caroline Series, Gudrun Kalmbach, Marie-Françoise Roy, and Dona Strauss, inspired by the activities of the Association for Women in Mathematics in the USA.