EWL News

News typewritter Latest news from the European Women’s Lobby in Brussels

EWL News
World Refugee Day: EWL and NGO partners call for new EU asylum agency to end discrimination

Posted on 16 June 2011 |

[Brussels, 17 June 2011] On the eve of World Refugee Day, which is marked on 20 June, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) is taking charge of supporting the asylum processes of the EU. The current discriminatory and incoherent provision of protection across the EU and the lack of expertise on gender-related persecutions are putting individuals at risk.
If the EASO is to ensure that the EU fulfils its obligations to protecting all those at risk whether man, woman, gay, lesbian or (...) Read more
EWL News
EU Commission calls on the Hungarian authorities to stop anti-abortion campaign

Posted on 9 June 2011 |

[Brussels, 10 June 2011] The European Commission in Strasbourg made a clear statement that the outrageous Hungarian anti-abortion ad campaign, partly financed by the EU, needs to be withdrawn. After several NGOs, among which the Hungarian Women’s Lobby, expressed their sharp critiques and issued complaints, the ad showing a foetus with the words ‘Let me live’ attracted the attention of MEPs. Sylvie Guillaume, an S&D MEP, issued her concern and raised the case during a plenary debate with (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL awarded for advancing equality

Posted on 7 June 2011 |

[Brussels, 7 June 2011] The European Women’s Lobby has been awarded with the annual recognition prize of the the Federation of Public Services in the Valencian Region (FSP-UGT PV) “Advancing equality”. The award ceremony took place on 2 June 2011 at the Bancaja Cultural Centre (Valencia, Span). Brigitte Triems, president of the organization, received the award in the name of the European Women’s Lobby. The lobby works in close collaboration with the European Union, the Council of Europe and the (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL publishes Priorities for the Polish Presidency of the European Union

Posted on 6 June 2011 |

[Brussels, 30 May 2011] On 01 July 2011, the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) will pass from Hungary to Poland. The European Women’s Lobby (EWL), with more than 2500 member organisations the largest association of women’s organisations in the EU, calls on the Polish Presidency to continue to be a driving force for women’s rights in Europe and, in particular, to ensure progress in the adoption of gender-related legislation which is currently on the table, to ensure the full (...) Read more
EWL News
Budgetary decisions have a strong impact on gender equality - EWL publishes Joint Statement on the EU Multi-Annual Financial Framework

Posted on 6 June 2011 |

[Brussels, 31 May 2011] The Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) is the EU’s budget that determines the spending ceilings for each policy category in the EU for a seven-year interval. As the upcoming MFF (2014-2020) is starting to pervade the European agenda, it is important to give voice to some crucial points in this debate. The European Women’s Lobby (EWL), WIDE Network, and the Gender Working Group of CONCORD – the European confederation of Relief and Development NGOs, call on European (...) Read more
EWL News
Hungarian government’s moves against abortion overshadow International Day of Action for Women’s Health

Joint Press Release

Posted on 27 May 2011 |

[Brussels, 27 May 201] Saturday 28 May marks International Day of Action for Women’s Health, an occasion to remind decision-makers that women’s health is a fundamental human right and should be protected by all means. This year, however, developments in Hungary predicating a denial of women’s basic sexual and reproductive rights have cast a long shadow over the celebrations of European organisations working to protect women’s health and promote gender equality, including the European Women’s (...) Read more
EWL News
EC Victims’ Package falls short of expectations: where is the EU strategy on violence against women?

Posted on 27 May 2011 |

[Brussels, 27 May 2011] On 18 May 2011, the EU Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, Ms. Reding, revealed the Commission’s proposal of a ‘Victims’ Package’, which consists of a series of measures to ensure a minimum level of rights, support and protection for victims across the EU. Women’s organisations had great expectations regarding this legislative package, as in the past months the European Commission has repeatedly presented it as a concrete EU action to combat (...) Read more
EWL News
WILPF: UK Government has an obligation to nuclear disarmament

Posted on 27 May 2011 |

[Brussels, 27 May 2011] EWL member organisation, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), issued earlier this week a statement calling on the UK government to scrap its nuclear spending in favour of social investments, including in gender equality measures. Read the WILPF Statement issued on 24 May below.
Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox has announced approval for the early phase of design of the nuclear armed submarine that will continue the UK’s deployment of nuclear (...) Read more
EWL News
Greece - EWL Coordination calls for urgent measures to support mothers

Posted on 24 May 2011 |

[Athens, 16 May 2011] On the occasion of Mother?s Day Celebrations (May 8), the head of the Greek Coordination for the EWL, Ms Ioannidou, was invited to speak by one of the biggest Greek Women NGOs working outside of Athens.
She stressed the need of urgent measures to be taken to support mothers, including the urgent revision of the EU maternity leave Directive increasing leave to 20 weeks, and the introduction of paternity leave of 2 weeks.
She also referred to the dramatic increase of (...) Read more
EWL News
Spain - Europe against gender violence. Good practices of the police

Posted on 23 May 2011 |

[CELEM, Madrid, 23 May 2011] María José Carretero, Secretary of the Board of the Spanish Coordination for the European Women’s Lobby (CELEM), on 28 April moderated the Conference "Europe against Gender Violence. Good practice of the police".
More than 70 women associations and numerous local and national policemen, met on11 April 2011 at the Hotel Catalonia Las Cortes in Madrid to attend the Conference "Europe against Gender Violence. Good practice of the police". The opening speech was (...) Read more