[Brussels, 25 March 2011] The EWL is concerned about the lack of a women’s rights and gender equality perspective and about the narrow definition of family in recent European family policy discussions that focus on increasing birth rates.
In the statement issued ahead of the thematic week “Europe for Families, Families for Europe” organized by the Hungarian EU Presidency from 28 March to 01 April, the EWL also notes that the current EU-level interest in families has the potential to start a comprehensive discussion about removing inequalities within families, between different forms of families and increasing the well-being of all women and men living in family and partnership arrangements, and invites the EU and the Member States to explore this potential.Alternative family policy agenda
To broaden the European debate about families, the EWL proposes that the following issues be placed at the heart of the European family policy agenda:- The well-being of individuals within families and of families as a whole must be addressed from a broad perspective where equality between women and men and ending inequalities within all families are both cornerstones and outcomes;
- Family policies must take the diversity of families into account to avoid discriminating against lone-parent families, same-sex families, families based on various cohabitation patterns, and families from migrant background, and avoid imposing a definition of family that excludes certain types of families;
- Only policies to reconcile work and private life that advance equality between women and men will succeed in answering demographic challenges and in achieving the aims of the Europe 2020 Strategy;
- Policies that aim to increase the well-being of families must address violence against women in all family settings.
— – Dans le cadre de la semaine thématique de la Présidence hongroise « Les familles pour l’Europe, l’Europe pour les Familles » du 28 mars – 1er avril le LEF a rédigé une déclaration qui critique les récents discours sur les politiques de la famille en Europe qui manquent d’une perspective d’égalité femmes-hommes et qui prennent en compte les droits des femmes. FR
