EWL News

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

EWL News
11 days left to express interest to join EWL European Political Mentoring Network!

Posted on 31 January 2013 |

[Brussels, 31 January 2013] Interested in running for the European Parliament Elections in May 2014? Not sure yet about running but convinced you would like to play an active role in the campaign? You have till the 11 February 2013 to express interest to join the EWL’s European Political Mentoring Network for women of foreign origin or ethnic minority background!
Starting February 2013 until the European Elections in May 2014, the European Women’s Lobby will coordinate a Political Mentoring (...) Read more
EWL News
Europe 2020 Strategy - EWL publishes first edition of its members’ alternative country-specific recommendations

Posted on 25 January 2013 |

[Brussels, 25 January 2013] The EWL is pleased to announce the publication of the first edition of its “Ticking Clocks” report, which aims to provide input for the European Commission annual drafting of recommendations to the Member States in socio-economic policies. The report has been drafted with the input of the EWL’s member organisations and is the first of many as the EWL continues to monitor, assess and propose recommendations to strengthen women’s rights and gender equality in the (...) Read more
EWL News
Discrimination of pregnant workers and new mothers/fathers: Edith’s story

Posted on 22 January 2013 |

[Brussels, 22 January 2013] When Edith announced to her new boss that she was pregnant, she faced evident disapproval and negative remarks. When she came back from maternity leave after her second baby, her team was changed and she was put under strong pressure.
Edith*’s boss did not renew her contract after 3 years and invoked the fact that her pregnancy "cost him 13 000 euros". Edith’s case shows the pressure for productivity and profitability put on new mothers when they’re back to work. (...) Read more
EWL News
Former EWL Staff member appointed Director of Amnesty International Germany

Posted on 21 January 2013 |

[Brussels, 19 January 2013] The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) is very pleased to announce that former Policy Officer and Project Coordinator, Selmin Çal??kan, has been appointed as the new Director of Amnesty International Germany.
As an organisation that champions the importance of female decision-makers in all areas of society, the EWL warmly welcomes the appointment of Selmin Çal??kan, (second from the left), as leader of one of the largest human right’s civil society organisations in the (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL Secretary General looks back on 2012 and ahead to 2013

Posted on 11 January 2013 |

[Brussels, 11 Janaury 2013] 2012 was a very intense and fruitful year for the European Women’s Lobby. Despite the worries that we share with a lot of activists about the degrading economic and social situation of women in Europe and the fact that progress is sometimes, not as quick as desired, our activities last year proved quite successful. In November, the EWL received TWO European awards for the work on two very important issues: promoting parity on corporate boards and raising (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL adopts position paper on Roma and Traveller Women

Posted on 9 January 2013 |

[Brussels, 09 January 2013] The European Women’s Lobby is pleased to share with you our newly adopted Position Paper that focuses on the experience of Romani and Traveller women who are often exposed to multiple and intersectional discrimination on grounds of gender and ethnic origin and have limited access to employment, education, health, social services and decision-making.
Despite the adoption of a European Parliament Report in 2006 on the situation of Roma Women and “10 Common Basic (...) Read more
EWL News
Spain - EWL members put prostitution on the political agenda

Posted on 21 December 2012 |

[Madrid, 20 December 2012] The EWL national coordination in Spain, CELEM, organised on Thursday 20 December a conference dedicated to the issue of prostitution, in the European Parliament Office in Madrid. In a context of divergent approaches in Spain, with on the one hand local campaigns targeting sex buyers (Madrid, Sevilla), and on the other hand the recent opening of prostitution schools (Valencia), it was urgent for Spain to launch a political debate and propose a public event to learn (...) Read more
EWL News
New guidebook promotes mentoring projects for young women in Europe

Posted on 20 December 2012 |

[Brussels, 20 December 2012] Last week the EWL spoke at the successful launch of the Guidebook for Mentoring Young Women in Europe during an event organised by the International Young Women’s Partnership (IYWP) to celebrate its one-year anniversary. More than 70 people attended the event featuring other guest speakers from women’s organisations including the European Federation of Mentoring for Girls, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and the Danish Centre for (...) Read more
EWL News
Discrimination of pregnant workers and new mothers/fathers: Carolina’s story

Posted on 18 December 2012 |

[Brussels, 18 December 2012] When Carolina requested her papers for maternity leave, her company witheld her entitlements on the grounds that there was no guarantee yet that the baby she was carrying would be born alive. Ahead of its 2 Years Overdue Campaign on Maternity Leave, the EWL is gathering stories of discrimination at workplace suffered by pregnant workers and new mothers/fathers. The story of Carolina (not her real name), a polish worker in Cyprus, tells of routine discrimination (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL co-hosts conference putting abolition of prostitution on European agenda

Posted on 13 December 2012 |

[Brussels, 13 December 2012] On 04 December, the EWL co-organised together with the Fondation Scelles and the Mouvement du Nid (and with the support of MEPs Mariya Gabriel and Mikael Gustafsson) a European conference entitled “10 years of policies on prostitution: Outcomes of the Swedish and Dutch options, and ways forward”. Turnout for the conference, held in the European Parliament in Brussels, was even better than expected, with more than 250 participants, including more than a dozen (...) Read more