EWL News

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

EWL News
EWL premiers One Billion Rising song and choreography at annual Ste Nicolette party

Posted on 12 December 2012 |

[Brussels, 12 December 2012] At the EWL’s annual holiday season fundraising party, held last week at L’Archiduc bar in Brussels, guests were treated to a peek preview of the EWL’s planned contribution to the global One Billion Rising movement planned for 14 February 2013. A live performance of the EWL’s song for the event by composers and musicians Mary Ann Struthers (vocals) and Guy Rens (piano) acconpanied a dance lesson for guests ahead of the event to take place in Brussels late afternoon (...) Read more
EWL News
Sweden - EWL members call on companies to take on purchase of sex on business trips

Posted on 11 December 2012 |

[Brussels, 07 December 2012] The Sveriges Kvinnolobby on 10 December called on companies to take responsibility if their employees buy sex in connection with business travel.
One third of all Swedes who buy sex do so abroad in connection with business travel. Since 1999 there is a law in Sweden that prohibits prostitution and the purchase of sexual services but the law does not apply outside Swedish boarders and if Swedes purchase sex in other countries. Therefore, EWL members in Sweden (...) Read more
EWL News
2 years overdue - no time to waste in approving new EU maternity leave legislation!

Posted on 10 December 2012 |

[Brussels, 10 December 2012] In 2008, the European Commission launched the proposal to amend the Pregnant Workers’ Directive (92/85/EEC) in order to extend maternity leave from the current 14 to 18 weeks, with a mandatory period of 6 weeks (currently 2 weeks). The European Parliament discussed the proposal in the FEMM committee and on 20 October 2010 the European Parliament plenary session adopted its position, allowing for 20 weeks full pay maternity leave, with a so-called “passerelle (...) Read more
EWL News
Maternity protection in the EU well overdue

Timeline and background on the proposed Maternity Leave Directive

Posted on 10 December 2012 |

[Brussels, 10 December 2012] At the European level, the current EU legislation regarding maternity protection and maternity leave dates back to 1992: Council Directive 92/85/EEC (“Pregnant Workers’ Directive”). This directive sets a minimum period of 14 weeks maternity leave, with a mandatory period of 2 weeks. Pay is left to the discretion each Member State, but reference is made to “sick leave” levels. Its legal base is health and safety in the workplace.
NEW LEGISLATIVE Co-decision Procedure (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL welcomes strong EU Council Conclusions on combating violence against women

Posted on 9 December 2012 |

[Bruxelles, 06 December 2012] Today, the Council of European Union delivered its long awaited Conclusions on Combating Violence against Women, and the Provision of Support Services for Victims of Domestic Violence. The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) warmly welcomes these Conclusions and their strong content, which put back violence against women on the political agenda of the EU and call for urgent action from the EU and its Member States.
The EWL particularly welcome the Council Conclusions’ (...) Read more
EWL News
Tribute to Denise Fuchs, former EWL President

Posted on 9 December 2012 |

[Brussels, 04 December 2012] It is with great sadness that the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) announces the untimely death of its former President Denise FUCHS at her home in France on Saturday 1ST December 2012. Denise was President of the EWL from 1998 to 2003 and one of the founding members of the EWL.
Denise was a dedicated feminist whose ultimate goal was to ensure that the world would also be seen through women’s eyes. She was our heroine who dared to be the first to bring the issues of (...) Read more
EWL News
200 civil society organisations launch European debate on abolition of prostitution

Posted on 9 December 2012 |

[Brussels, 04 December 2012] Today, the European Women’s Lobby (EWL), together with Fondation Scelles and Mouvement du Nid France, held a conference in the European Parliament aiming at assessing 10 years of policies on prostitution in Sweden and the Netherlands. On this occasion, around 200 women’s rights NGOs, coming from 25 Member States and four other countries, unveiled their Brussels’ Call “Together for a Europe free from prostitution”.
Together with a dozen MEPs representing all (...) Read more
EWL News
Cyprus - EWL members launch first public debate on prostitution

Posted on 9 December 2012 |

[Brussels, 03 December 2012] On 28 November 2012, the Cyprus Women’s Lobby, with the support of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus, organised a conference aiming at raising awareness on prostitution as a form of violence against women. This event was the first one to concretely address prostitution, and to propose contributions to analyse the phenomenon from a gender perspective. The event was a great success: the room was packed with engaged participants and the press coverage was (...) Read more
EWL News
Croatia - EWL members debate prostitution law with officials

Posted on 9 December 2012 |

[Brussels, 03 December 2012] On 30 November 2012, PETRA Network - Prevention and Elimination of Trafficking in Women and Girls in Croatia organised a round table to discuss an upcoming law on Public Peace and Order, which addresses the issue of prostitution. The new law is at the drafting stage. It proposes that both women in prostitution and sex buyers would be face prosecution. PETRA, as well as the Women’s Network Croatia, strongly oppose the criminalisation of women affected by (...) Read more
EWL News
Spain - EWL members question national policies on prostitution

Posted on 29 November 2012 |

[Madrid, 29 November 2012] On 20 December 2012, CELEM, the Spanish Coordination for the European Women’s Lobby (EWL), will organise a conference on the issue of prostitution, in order to fuel the debate and set the tone of current and future discussion at the national and local level in Spain.
In a context of divergent approaches in Spain, with on the one hand local campaigns targeting the sex buyers (Madrid, Sevilla), and on the other hand the recent opening of prostitution schools (...) Read more