[Brussels, 28 August 2014] The composition of the new European Commission is going to be confirmed at the meeting of the EU Heads of States this weekend. Almost all Member States have however already proposed their candidates for Commisioner and at the moment only 4 women have been designated out of 28. This means that not even 15% of the Commission would be women, less than half as many as in the outgoing Commission Barroso.
For the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) the question arises: is this the Europan Union we want?
The EWL, the largest umbrella organisation of women’s associations in the European Union (EU), is simply outraged. This is a clear disgrace to democracy and equality between women and men; ideals that form the core values of the EU. Women’s rights organisations across Europe cannot accept that the future Commission is not representing the diversity of the European society, by obviously ignoring 50% of the population. The EWL and its members say loud and clear: “No thank you! This is not our European Union”.
We demand from European governments, in particular Member States which have never appointed a woman as a Commissioner*, to fulfil their obligation with regards to the EU’s core values and to contribute to a gender equal Commission.
We call on the future president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Junker to ensure that the final composition of the Commission will represent what European citizens, both women and men ask for: a democratic, gender equal and sustainable European voice.
We also call on the future president to express his genuine political will to achieve equality between women and men in Europe and appoint a European Commissioner for women’s rights and gender equality. This is an essential step to guarantee more visibility to the active role of women and their right to be equal to men within a society based on democracy, social justice, human rights and dignity. Moreover, as there is room to appoint a Commissioner responsible for fish, why not appoint one for women’s rights?
Join our social media campaign and share your outrage with your governements and your followers using the hashtags #notmyEU, #5050campaign, #TenOrMore
Click to find more on the EWL’s 5050 campaign and Manifesto for the European Parliament elections.
To read our earlier letter to future president Juncker click here
*Member States that have never put forward a woman for the position of European Commissioner
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Estonia
- Finland
- Hungary
- Malta
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
