Members News

Members News
Brexit & Women’s Rights

Posted on 16 December 2016 |

[Brussels, 16 December 2016] After BREXIT, we at the European Women’s Lobby were devastated. This is not the Europe we want, and we think it is not the kind of Europe most people in Britain want either.
In August, we met with our British members to discuss the way forward, how to unite in fighting for the Europe we do want: based on well-being, equality, social justice.A society in which women’s contribution to all aspects of life is recognized, rewarded and celebrated - in leadership, in (...) Read more
Members News
16 December 2016: an opportunity to change Herstory and end violence against women in the UK

Posted on 23 November 2016 |

[London, 20 November 2016] On 16 December, the UK has an unique opportunity to make sure the Government fulfils its promise to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and girls, the Istanbul Convention. It is an opportunity to change Herstory for all women and girls in the UK - and to change the individual stories of women and girls across the UK who face violence every day. The member organisations of the UK Joint Committee on Women, (...) Read more
Members News
The AKP’s bill on marrying off the children with their rapists and sexual harassers should immediately be withdrawn!

Posted on 21 November 2016 |

UPDATE on 22 November we heard the bill has been withdrawn. Women in Turkey took the streets to protest and strongly condemn harassment, rape and abuse. However we have to stay very vigilant for women’s and children’s rights. In solidarity with women in Turkey and the Kadın Koalisyonu / Women’s Coalition - Turkey.
[Istanbul, 19 November 2016, NGOs Press release shared by the EWL National Coordination in Turkey]
We will accept no bills that would legitimize rap of women and children
The AKP’s (...) Read more
Members News
Women’s Coalition – Turkey: WE ARE HERE!

Posted on 9 November 2016 |

[Message from our members, EWL national coordination in Turkey] The situation in Turkey is getting worse. Recently 11 MP’s/leaders of the Kurdish Party (HDP) were arrested, the Democratic Party of the Peoples (HDP) announced the suspension of parliamentary activities on behalf of their party. The state of emergency continues and every day there is another statutory decree which bypasses the constitution. The societal polarisation is huge.
The Women’s Coalition in Turkey (an independent (...) Read more
Members News
Maltese women’s organisations make free access to morning after pill happen

Posted on 12 October 2016 |

[UPDATE, 18 October 2016] EWL members of the Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations (MCWO)] let us know that the emergency pill is now available in Malta without the prescription of the doctor. Credit goes to a number of women in Malta who pressured for it and especially our Dr Lara Dimitrijevic who spearheaded the judicial protest and eventual discussion. You can watch the protest of yesterday here. [Valetta, 12 October 2016, Press Release by The Malta Confederation of Women’s (...) Read more
Members News
Launch report: Nordic regulations to counteract sexist advertising

From our members in Sweden

Posted on 12 October 2016 |

[Stockholm, 12 October 2016, News from our Swedish members] Sexist advertising has been on the political agenda in the Nordic countries since the 1970s. During this period, each Nordic country except Sweden introduced regulations in this area. Since then, there has been an exponential increase in the frequency of advertisements alongside digital development and the increased selection of media. The stereotypical portrayal of women and men in advertising is a problem for both the (...) Read more
Members News
Time to tackle the system of prostitution if Portugal wants to achieve gender equality!

Posted on 10 October 2016 |

[Lisbon, 10 October 2016] On Wednesday 12 October 2016, the Portuguese Platform for Women’s Rights organises a workshop to discuss the issue of prostitution in Portugal and Europe. One day after the International Day of the Girl, the event will be instrumental to shed the light on a phenomenon still invisible, normalised in our societies and facing a lot of young women and girls.
Women’s organisations and European speakers will share their views and analysis, and feed into the discussion at (...) Read more
Members News
EWL Italian members react to "Fertility Day"

Posted on 19 September 2016 |

[Extract from [qz.com->http://qz.com/771126/fertilityday-italys-fertility-day-campaign-to-get-women-to-make-more-babies-backfires "In its battle to get Italians to make more babies, the Italian government has made an embarrassing misstep. Health minister Beatrice Lorenzin recently announced that Sept. 22 would be the country’s first “Fertility Day,” when state-sponsored events in Rome, Bologna, Catania and Padova offer the public information about family planning and encourage parenthood. In (...) Read more
Members News
Women’s rights organisations in Slovenia mobilise to keep the right to free contraceptives

Posted on 16 September 2016 |

[Ljubljana, Statetement of EWL Slovenian members, 15 September 2016] Today, the Executive Committee of the Public Health Insurance in Slovenia did not go on with their proposal to end full coverage of hormonal contraceptives and make women to have to pay these treatments from their own pockets. This decision has been momentarily withdrawn after a big mobilisation of women’s rights organisations in Slovenia.
In only six days, the Women’s Lobby of Slovenia sent a public appeal to the national (...) Read more
Members News
NO means NO – Germany takes big legal step against Violence against women

Posted on 13 July 2016 |

[Berlin, 8 July 2016, Press Release by Deutscher Frauenrat] The German Bundestag has taken a historical step towards sexual self-determination. On July 7, 2016 the Parliament unanimously passed a reform of the penal code provisions on rape in line with the principle “No means no”. This means that every sexual act against somebody’s will is considered a crime. This is not only a victory for the women’s rights movement in Germany. The new bill also meets the requirements of the Council of Europe (...) Read more