EWL News

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

EWL News
Maternity Leave Directive: 4 years overdue, time to deliver now!

Posted on 19 September 2014 |

[Brussels, 19 September 2014] In the beginning of the Summer, the European Commission threatened to withdraw the Directive in 2014 in the name of ‘red tape’. With the forthcoming hearings for the new European Commission, the EWL and its members will seize the opportunity to get the maternity leave directive back on the political agenda. As the Commission has an appointed Commissioner on gender equality we now call upon her to take action. We invite everyone to make their voice heard to (...) Read more
EWL News
Interview with Silvana Koch-Mehrin – Co-founder and CEO of Women in Parliaments Global Forum

Posted on 19 September 2014 |

[Brussels, 19 September 2014] This Summer, the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) Communications and Policy Assistant Elena Brolis and Fundraising Coordinator and Policy Officer Serap Altinisik were visiting the head office of Women in Parliaments Global Forum (WIP) in Brussels to have an interview with Silvana Koch-Mehrin, WIP Co-founder and CEO.
The EWL, which campaigns for 50/50 - parity in all EU institutions and which is lobbying for more women in decision-making positions since almost 25 (...) Read more
EWL News
At last, a Commissioner for Gender Equality

Posted on 17 September 2014 |

[Brussels, 12 September 2014] The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) welcomes the appointment of Věra Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers & Gender Equality.
Not only a title
“Gender Equality” has been explicitly acknowledged in Ms Jourová’s title, which we believe to be a strong political statement. It was one of the EWL demands in our Manifesto for the European Parliamentary elections of May and we look very much forward to engage in dialogue with Ms Jourová on about how to ensure (...) Read more
EWL News
The European Women’s Lobby is looking for voices of young women born in 1995!

Posted on 17 September 2014 |

[Brussels, 11 September 2014] In 1995, in Beijing China, thousands of women from around the world came together to to call on all decision-makers to set goals to make the situation for women globally better and to finally achieve equality between women and men. The action of women’s organisations and positive political commitment led to the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, a fundamental human rights instrument endorsed by all countries.
Now, 20 years later, the European Women’s (...) Read more
EWL News
Military expenditures are an obstacle to international peace and development

Posted on 16 September 2014 |

[Statement of WILPF, 8 September 2014] The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) welcomes the Report of the Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, particularly the multiple references to military expenditures as an obstacle to international peace and development.
In recent years, there has been an increasing number of states spending profusely on military activities; they continue to foster a culture of militarisation by (...) Read more
EWL News
’Let’s go to work’ book of NeuJobs lacks gender perspective

Posted on 8 September 2014 |

[Brussels, 8 September 2014] “Let’s go to work” is the title of the book, the first of two, which was launched on 8 September 2014 by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) a think-tank based in Brussels. The book is the outcome of a four year project entitled, NeuJobs Read more
EWL News
Women hold up half the sky: No gender mirroring in Team Juncker

Status quo with Barroso after toe-curling process

Posted on 5 September 2014 |

[Brussels, 5 September 2014] Today future European Commission (EC) President Juncker published the full list of commissioner-candidates.
While the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) welcomes the fact that during the past weeks the number of proposed female Commissioners by the Member States increased from a shameful 4 to 9, the largest umbrella organisation of women’s associations in the European Union still believes that a stagnation in the numbers of women Commissioner is unacceptable for women (...) Read more
EWL News
We are back! Full or energy and optimism!

Posted on 5 September 2014 |

[Brussels, 5 september 2014] After a summer with ups and downs for women’s rights in Europe, the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) is back with its 2-weekly newsletter.
Summer 2014 was first warm and full of optimistic news; the entry into force of the Istanbul Convention, the protests of smiling women in Turkey, a positive evaluation of the Norwegian legislation on prostitution, and for the EWL itself a successful 50/50 campaign wrap up and the full funding of its project "Young women leaders (...) Read more
EWL News
European Citizens Summit speakers confirmed! Join us 23-24 September 2014 in Brussels

Susan George and Vincent Liegey will address the European Citizens Summit #citizens2014

Posted on 5 September 2014 |

[Brussels, 5 September 2014] Do you want to join other citizens and civil society organisations to exchange about a renewed Europe? to challenge Europe’s growth obsession and propose a more accountable, citizen-oriented, human rights and value based Europe? Then the Citizens Summit of the Summit. Read more
EWL News
EWL welcomes the evaluation of the Norwegian legislation criminalising the buying of sexual services

Posted on 5 September 2014 |

[Brussels, 2 September 2014] Three weeks ago, the Norwegian government unveiled the outcomes of the evaluation it conducted to assess the impact of its legislation criminalising the buying of sexual services (adopted in 2009). According to the independent evaluation, the criminalisation has led to a reduced demand for the buying of sex in Norway and a reduction in the extent of prostitution. The outcomes of the evaluation support the same analysis made in Sweden in 2010, when the Swedish (...) Read more