European & International News

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European & International News
UN Elects Executive Board of New UN Women

UN News Centre

Posted on 15 November 2010 |

[New York, 10 November 2010] UN Member States today took the next step in enabling the newly-created United Nations agency on gender equality and women’s empowerment to begin its work by electing countries to serve on its Executive Board.
The elections, held in the 54-member Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), will enable the new Board to come together prior to the official establishment on 1 January 2011 of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). The (...) Read more
European & International News
Pay gap: the need for a European strategy and national action plans

Summary of the conclusions of the Belgian Presidency Conference to tackle the gender pay gap held in Brussels on 25-26 October

Posted on 3 November 2010 |

The average hourly pay gap between women and men remains at 18% within the European Union and, on an annual basis at 24%, according to the European Report released by the Belgian Presidency; in real terms the difference ranges between 6% and 34%. These figures have led Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Employment and Equal Opportunities, Joëlle Milquet to make the struggle against unequal pay one of three priorities for her equal opportunities programme during the Belgian Presidency of (...) Read more
European & International News
UN prepares for International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Article by UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Posted on 3 November 2010 |

Violence against women is widespread in every corner of the globe: from the bedroom to the battlefield. Women and girls suffer many forms of violence, including genital mutilation, rape, beatings by their partners, families or killings in the name of honour. It is shocking that in women’s lifetime, up to 76 per cent are subject to physical and/or sexual violence within intimate relationships. Discrimination in law, social practice and attitude, impunity and apathy are the underlying (...) Read more
European & International News
FEMM Committee says quotas for boards of private companies necessary

FEMM Press Release

Posted on 3 November 2010 |

[European Parliament, Brussels, 29 October 2010] "If we want to achieve our objectives, we have to take measures such as introducing quotas, however it has to be part of an overall policy", said Greek MEP Rodi KRATSA-TSAGAROPOULOU (EPP) during in a public hearing of the Women’s Rights Committee issuing "Women and business leadership". It is also important that women have to be prepared to assume the role we are hoisting on them, concluded Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou.
The output of the public (...) Read more
European & International News
UN Peacekeepers to Receive Special Training on Sexual Violence

Womensenews.org

Posted on 3 November 2010 |

By Amy Lieberman, WeNews correspondent
[New York, 22 October 2010] Margot Wallstrom, the U.N. special representative on sexual violence in conflict, returned last week from the scene of a recent mass rape attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo sounding resolved to change the way U.N. peacekeepers are trained.
Following the attacks, U.N. authorities have faulted peacekeepers for not investigating warning signs, such as village roadways that perpetrators had blocked off to entrap the (...) Read more
European & International News
Endangered species summits - challenge the culture that teaches women and girls to hate their own bodies

Posted on 3 November 2010 |

Endangered Species is an international summit planned for March 2011. The aim is to save future generations of girls from the misery that turns women against their own bodies. The challenge – to make people understand how and why this is an emergency, to show them how they can do something about it, and to inspire them to embrace change.
At the London Summit, individuals and groups from the UK and Ireland will be joined by initiatives throughout Europe to showcase the work they are already (...) Read more
European & International News
CEDAW adopts Recommendation on implementation of article 2 against discrimination

Posted on 27 October 2010 |

[New York, 27 October 2010] The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has adopted General Recommendation No. 28: on Article 2 of the Convention:
"The Committee adopted a detailed general recommendation on Article 2 of the Convention in which it reaffirmed that discrimination of women based on sex and gender was inextricably linked with other factors that affected women, such as race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation and gender (...) Read more
European & International News
Maternity rights: European Parliament votes for more equality between women and men and a more sustainable future!

EWL Press Release

Posted on 25 October 2010 |

[Brussels, 20 October 2010] The European Parliament today by a large majority passed a Resolution in favour of substantially increasing European minimum standards for maternity and paternity leave provisions. In what supporters are lauding a great victory for the women and men living in Europe, the Parliament approved an increase of maternity leave provisions from 14 weeks to 20 weeks and the introduction of two weeks leave for new fathers, both fully paid.
‘This is an incredibly important (...) Read more
European & International News
Violence against women widespread across the world, says UN

UN News Centre

Posted on 22 October 2010 |

[New York, 20 October 2010] Violence against women remains widespread across the world, exacerbated by traditions and customary practices that determine the way women are treated in families, places of work and communities, according to a United Nations report unveiled today.
The scourge “is an obstacle to the achievement of the objectives of equality, development and peace,” according to The World’s Women 2010: Trend and Statistics, published by the UN Department of Economic and Social (...) Read more
European & International News
Precarious workers - MEPs say more legislative measures needed

EP Press Release 19 October 2010

Posted on 19 October 2010 |

Having been disappointed with the EU employment law package and the directives on fixed-term, part-time and temporary agency work not adequately addressing the precarious nature of employment, Parliament urged Commission and Member States, in its report adopted on Tuesday, to take further specific legislative measures, such as introducing binding minimum social standards for employees and granting all employees equal access to social services and benefits regardless of their employment (...) Read more