EWL News

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

EWL News
EWL speaks out for the rights of women with disabilities

Posted on 3 July 2012 |

[Brussels, 03 July 2012] Cécile Gréboval, EWL Secretary General, was last week in Madrid for a series of meetings. On 28 June Ms. Gréboval represented the EWL at the International Women with Disabilities Conference, expressing strong international solidarity and backing for the cause of women with disabilities. The conference addressed issues related to the role of the United Nations, including the implementation of the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, violence against (...) Read more
EWL News
Appointment and mandate of new EU Special Representative for Human Rights must reflect EU commitement to women’s rights and gender equality, says EWL

Posted on 3 July 2012 |

[Brussels, 03 July 2012] The EWL has welcomed the news that the EU is to appoint a Special Representative for Human Rights, and has called for the choice of appointee and mandate to reflect the EU’s commitment to women’s rights and gender equality.
The new post is intended to strengthen the impact and visibility of a comprehensive EU’s human rights policy. In doing so, it will also serve to promote and protect women’s rights worldwide.
The EWL has taken the initiative of writing to High (...) Read more
EWL News
MEPs urged to initiate a ‘Strasbourg Declaration’ in support of quota for women on Boards

Posted on 2 July 2012 |

[Brussels, 02 July 2012] The EWL’s members in Germany are calling on Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to form a cross-party alliance in favour of legislative action for parity on corporate boards. The initiative for a Strasbourg Declaration comes from the National Council of German Women’s Organisiations (NCGWO), a member of the EWL, and is modelled on the successful national-level Berlin Declaration.
In the light of the current Europe-wide debate on quota on corporate boards, MEP’s (...) Read more
EWL News
The Arms Trade Treaty: Securing women’s rights and gender equality

A united call to explicitly include gender-based violence in the criteria (June 2012)

Posted on 2 July 2012 |

[Brussels, 02 July 2012] EWL members from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) have joined forces with the IANSA Women’s Network, Amnesty International and Religions for Peace to call for a call for the explicite inclusion of gender-based violence in the criteria of the International Arms Trade Treaty. According to the joint policy paper, a criterion in the Arms Trade Treaty should require States not to allow an international transfer of conventional arms where there (...) Read more
EWL News
International conference addresses challenges of women with disabilities

Posted on 29 June 2012 |

[Brussels, 29 June 2012] The EWL and its member organisation, the European Disability Forum (EDF), are this week in Madrid for the first international conference in Europe focusing specifically on women with disabilities since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2006.
EWL Secretary General Cécile Gréboval and EWL Board member for EDF, Ana Peláez, are speaking at the conference organised by the Spanish (...) Read more
EWL News
Gender-blind austerity measures to undermine recovery, says European Women’s Lobby

Posted on 28 June 2012 |

[Brussels, 28 June 2012] European Commissioners covering economic and social affairs heard yesterday that gender-blind cuts in public spending were set sabotage the EU’s ‘jobs and growth’ agenda. Olli Rehn, Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, and Laszlo Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, were presented today in the European Parliament with a set of alternative ‘country specific recommendations’ by a coalition of NGOs and national green parties.
The EU (...) Read more
EWL News
Victory for women’s rights in Turkey!

Posted on 25 June 2012 |

[Brussels, 25 June 2012] EWL members in Turkey are celebrating the decision by Turkey’s conservative government to drop plans for a controversial bill that would have slashed the time limit for abortions. Abortion has been legal in Turkey since 1983.
The legislation initially proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) would have required all abortions to take place within the first six weeks of pregnancy, down from the 10 weeks currently allowed.
Women’s rights activists (...) Read more
EWL News
Spain - EWL members oppose imposition of joint custody for children

Posted on 25 June 2012 |

[Madrid, 25 June 2012] On Thursday 21 June, the Plataforma Andaluza de Apoyo al Lobby Europeo de Mujeres expressed its condemnation of Justice Minister, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón’s announcement that "in six months a Law of Shared Custody will be established where the judge will have the freedom to choose the model that s/he considers best for the child.” For the Plataforma, “imposing joint custody is not thinking of the well-being of minors.”
This was highlighted on Thursday at a press conference (...) Read more
EWL News
Cyprus - US Report says Cyprus must step up efforts to combat trafficking in human beings

Posted on 25 June 2012 |

[MIGS, Nicosia, 22 June 2012] The Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS), member of the European Women’s Lobby, expresses its disappointment that, for the second consecutive year, Cyprus has been placed on the Tier 2 Watch List by the US State Department, according to its 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report. Countries placed on the Tier 2 Watch List - one of four tiers, Tier 3 being the lowest ranking – are those that do not fully comply with the minimum standards to eliminate (...) Read more
EWL News
Member States must support investment in a strong European Social Fund (ESF) if they are serious about poverty target

EAPN Press Release on Joint Campaign ‘EU Money for Poverty Reduction NOW!’

Posted on 21 June 2012 |

[Brussels, 21 June 2012] Today, 18 social NGOs have sent a joint letter to Prime Ministers ahead of their General Affairs Council meeting on 26th June, urging them to back the European Commission’s proposal on the Cohesion policy budget and on the European Social Fund (ESF) for social inclusion and fighting poverty. This proposal is vital as nearly 1 in 4 persons are already experiencing poverty and social exclusion in the EU, a situation that demands urgent social investment. Still, a vast (...) Read more