EWL News

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

EWL News
2 years overdue - EWL and ETUC jointly launch an urgent call for European leaders to adopt the revised Maternity Leave Directive

Posted on 28 November 2012 |

[Brussels, 28 November 2012] EWL and ETUC (European Trade Unions Confederation) sent a common letter to the EU heads of State to unlock the negotiations on the revision of the Pregnant Workers’ Directive. Indeed, two years have passed since the European Parliament adopted its first reading position and no response from the Council of the EU followed. Today, we call the European leaders to take a position in the frame of the next European Council in December. It is urgent to reach a (...) Read more
EWL News
More than 50 MEPs sign 50/50 Declaration for gender balance in European decision-making

Posted on 22 November 2012 |

[Brussels, 22 November 2012] Yesterday, more than 50 Members of the European Parliament from five political groups and from all over the EU signed the 50/50 Declaration, calling on Member States, European political parties and the European Institutions to take action in order to achieve gender balance in European decision making.
“NO MODERN EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY WITHOUT GENDER EQUALITY”
In 2014, Europeans will elect a new European Parliament. Will we reach parity among the MEPs? A new European (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL members protest restrictive abortion law in Ireland and pay tribute to Savita Halappanavar

Posted on 22 November 2012 |

[Brussels, 22 November 2012] On Wednesday 21 November a vigil was organised in front of the Irish Embassy in Brussels to pay tribute to Savita Halappanavar and to protest against the very restrictive Irish abortion law. Around one hundred people gathered with candles and observed a minute of silence in her memory.
Savita Halappanavar died in October from blood-poisoning after being denied an abortion by the medical profession in a hospital in Galway Ireland. An international day of tribute (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL meets with Turkish activist Pinar Selek in Strasbourg

Posted on 21 November 2012 |

[Strasbourg, 21 November 2012] During an advocacy trip to Strasbourg, EWL Policy Officer Pierrette Pape met with Turkish human rights defender Pinar Selek, who is now staying in the Alsatian city while her case is still being dealt with by the Turkish justice in Istanbul. 14 years ago, Pinar Selek was arrested and convicted by the Turkish authorities, on the ground of terrorism, for the explosion of the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul. This accusation was proven to be wrong by six expert reports (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL calls for next EU budget to prioritise gender equality and social cohesion

Posted on 21 November 2012 |

[Brussels, 21 November 2012] On the eve of the EU extraordinary summit at which EU Member State governments will debate the future budget of the EU for the period 2014-2020, the EWL joins forces with its the Civil Society Contact Group (CSCG) partners in a joint letter calling for strong leadership and an ambitious budget that will meet the needs of women and men throughout the EU over the coming years.
Amidst proposals to drastically reduce the future budget by between 50 billion (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL supports EU strategy for the wellbeing and dignity of older people

Posted on 21 November 2012 |

[Brussels, 21 November 2012] The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) is happy to support the EU strategy for the wellbeing and dignity of older people, coordinated by AGE Platform Europe in the framework of the WEDO project.
The European strategy was developed with the input of a European coalition composed of several key EU stakeholders4 and other EU stakeholders supporting our initiative. It outlines what can and should be done at EU level to promote the wellbeing and dignity of older people in (...) Read more
EWL News
Spain - New campaign raises awareness on effects of violence against women

Posted on 20 November 2012 |

[Brussels, 20 November 2012] The members of the EWL in Spain have launched a new campaign highlighting the wider family impact of pervasive violence against women. “YOU AND YOUR DAUGHTERS AND SONS SUFFER VIOLENCE, don’t allow it” was presented at the beginning of November in Cordoba by the Plataforma Andaluza de Apoyo al Lobby Europeo de Mujeres in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, Social Policy and Equality. This campaign is particularly addressed to women victims of violence but also (...) Read more
EWL News
Turkey - EWL members discuss prostitution and violence against women

Posted on 19 November 2012 |

[Brussels, 19 November 2012] Several members of the EWL Turkish coordination gathered on Sunday 11 November to discuss the issue of prostitution. This capacity building seminar was proposed by the European Women’s Lobby (EWL), as part of the EWL campaign ‘Together for a Europe free from prostitution’. Turkish members could exchange and gain knowledge from the expertise of Grégoire Théry, Secretary General of Mouvement du Nid France, and EWL Policy Officer Pierrette Pape, who is coordinating (...) Read more
EWL News
Cyprus - EWL-EU conference puts prostitution on the agenda

Posted on 18 November 2012 |

[Nicosia, 18 November 2012] The Cyprus Women’s Lobby (CWL) and the European Parliament Office in Cyprus will on 28 November host a conference entitled “Violence against Women and Prostitution”. The aim of the conference, to take place in the EU House in Nicosia, is to initiate a public dialogue on the issue of women in prostitution in Cyprus. Many academics, activists and policy makers view prostitution as a form of violence against women and believe the system should be abolished. Others (...) Read more
EWL News
Civil society organisations call on MEPs to reject Tonio Borg’s nomination as EU Commissioner for Health

Posted on 16 November 2012 |

[Brussels, 15 November 2012] The EWL and its civl-society partners at EU-level have come together to issued a joint call to Members of the European Parliament to reject the nomination of Tonio Borg as EU Commissioner for Health. Mr Borg’s positions on abortion, divorce, equal rights for LGBT couples and migrants are incompatible with the fundamental values of the European Union. Read the Joint Statement below.
“We call for the rejection of Tonio Borg’s nomination at plenary vote at the (...) Read more