European & International News

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European & International News
UN launches new mechanism for eliminating discrimination against women in law and practice

Posted on 23 June 2011 |

[Brussels, 24 June 2011] More than 15 years after governments’ commitments to the Beijing Platform for Action, the UN Human Rights Council has established a new working group for a period of three years on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice. Kamala Chandrakirana, former Secretary General of the National Commission on Violence against Women in Indonesia, just appointed chair of the working group, will work together with four other members to identify and find (...) Read more
European & International News
REPLACE FGM project reaching its final stage

Posted on 23 June 2011 |

[Brussels, 23 June 2011] REPLACE FGM, an EU funded Daphne III project, has organised its final conference in Brussels to mark the closing stage of the project. Launched in April 2010, the initiative aimed to tackle female genital mutilation (FGM), a practice that involves the partial or total removal or alteration of the external female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGM is a form of violence against women and a violation of the human rights’ principles, as stipulated in Article (...) Read more
European & International News
MEPs welcome Croatia’s progress in adopting legislation on gender equality and antidiscrimination

Posted on 17 June 2011 |

[FEMM Committee, European Parliament, Brussels, 17 June 2011] To learn in detail about gender equality policies and legislation in Croatia, a delegation from the EP Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality visited Zagreb on 16-17 June, in view of Croatia’s forthcoming accession to the EU. At the conclusion of the visit, the Chair of the Committee, Eva-Britt Svensson (GUE/NGL, Sweden) made the following statement: "We were positively impressed by the progress made by Croatia in the (...) Read more
European & International News
The European Asylum Support Office now fully operational

Posted on 17 June 2011 |

[European Commission, Brussels, 17 June 2011] On 19 June, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmström, will participate in the inaugural ceremony of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) in Valetta, Malta. The new Office began some of its activities in November 2010, and as of this Sunday it is now fully operational. The EASO was established with the aim of enhancing practical cooperation on asylum matters, and helping Member States fulfil their European and international (...) Read more
European & International News
Human Rights Council passes first-ever resolution on sexual orientation & gender identity

Posted on 17 June 2011 |

[Human Rights Council, Geneva, 17 June 2011] The United Nations Human Rights Council has passed a resolution on human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity (L9/rev1). The resolution, presented by South Africa along with Brasil and 39 additional co-sponsors from all regions of the world, was passed by a vote of 23 in favour, 19 against, and 3 abstentions. In its presentation to the Council, South Africa recalled the UDHR noting that “everyone is entitled to (...) Read more
European & International News
MEPs stress out the importance of the Convention of the Council of Europe to tackle gender-based violence

Posted on 16 June 2011 |

[FEMM Committee, European Parliament, Brussels, 15 June 2011] MEPs today welcomed the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence adopted on 7 April 2011 by Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. However, they stressed the importance of its proper implementation in national law in the debate in the Women’s Rights Committee on "tackling gender-based violence - international perspectives" with José Mendes Bota, Chairperson of the Committee on (...) Read more
European & International News
ILO adopts Convention on domestic workers

Posted on 16 June 2011 |

[ILO News, Geneva, 17 June 2011] The government, worker and employer delegates at the 100th annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Thursday, 16 June adopted a historic set of international standards aimed at improving the working conditions of tens of millions of domestic workers worldwide.
“We are moving the standards system of the ILO into the informal economy for the first time, and this is a breakthrough of great significance,” said Juan Somavia, ILO (...) Read more
European & International News
UN Women director stresses need for women’s empowerment and political participation

Posted on 16 June 2011 |

[UN Women, New York, 10 June 2011] The head of the United Nations entity tasked with promoting gender equality on 10 June reiterated that economic empowerment of women, political participation, ending gender-based violence and raising women’s involvement in post-conflict peace building are the priorities of the body.
Michelle Bachelet, the Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), told a news conference in Geneva that her office would (...) Read more
European & International News
HIV/AIDS - Challenges & Impact of AIDS on Women

Posted on 9 June 2011 |

[United Nations, New York, 7 June 2011] As world leaders gather at UN Headquarters in New York this week to chart the future course of the global AIDS response, UN Women is advocating for a robust response for those infected and affected by HIV — particularly women and girls. The organization is calling for concerted action on the unfulfilled commitments made to women and girls to alleviate the suffering that comes from stigma, violence, and the burden of caring for the sick.
There is good (...) Read more
European & International News
Women have the right to informed decision on whether to terminate their pregnancy, says European Court of Human Rights

Posted on 9 June 2011 |

[Brussels, 10 June 2011] The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Poland has repeatedly violated the human rights of a woman by refusing her diagnostic care while pregnant. After the doctors detected a cyst on the foetus’s neck on a routine sonogram the woman requested further genetic examination but this was repetitively refused. These tests would have helped R.R. to make an informed decision whether to terminate the pregnancy or not. The access to a legal and safe abortion is a (...) Read more