[London, April 17 2014] The Young Women’s Manifesto is a result of a project that the National Alliance of Women’s Organisations (NAWO) is currently running. The project is funded by the Directorate General for Communications of the European Commission and spans January – June 2014.
The National Alliance of Women’s Organisations (NAWO) works as an umbrella organisation, bringing together women’s sector NGOs, charities and individuals who work to achieve gender equality by challenging the sources of inequality (e.g. violence against women and girls); and promoting policy and cultural changes. We work at national, European and international levels. Our chair has recently returned from leading the UK NGO CSW Alliance at the 58th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York.
Their current young women’s work is titled: ‘Young Women’s Manifesto Project – Why Gender should be on Europe’s Agenda’.
Their work in this area has involved facilitating young women (aged 14-25) to compile a ‘Young Women’s Manifesto’ of demands to be put forward to European Parliament candidates and MEPs seeking re-election in the May 22nd election. They believe that this tangible action engages and thus empowers young women, leading ultimately to fair, representative democratic institutions. In the period February – March they held focus groups around the UK, including in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, to converse with a range of young women, in addition to hosting several open events in March.
They want young women to know that they have a right to put forward their opinions and that they will, and should, be heard. They consulted with their participants on the final version of the manifesto. Participants’ high involvement levels are testament to their enthusiasm.
In order to demonstrate to their participants a direct link between the manifesto, comprised of their aspirations, and political figures that work in democratic institutions that can represent them, they will be promoting on dedicated pages of their website the responses of MEP candidates as they receive them. Likewise their Young Women’s Core Advisory Group, made up of six young women from England and Scotland, will be widely promoting responses from MEP candidates on social media and blog platforms.
