*Fédération Européenne des femmes romani et voyageuses
Our members from the Federation of Romani and Traveller Women are marching 700 km all throughout France for the “Walk for Dignity for the Homeless, Migrants and Refugees” #refugeeswelcome #feministsinaction. Read the article in French.
* The Netherlands
EWL Dutch members from the Nederlandse Vrouwenraad inform us that The Netherlands (finally) ratified the Istanbul Convention! Read their reaction:
“It took us so long as it turned out there were challenges regarding Caribean Netherlands – some beautiful small islands -; as it doesn’t yet have the level of infrastructure necessary for the implementation of the convention. We, and other womens’s NGO, have been lobbying actively; contacting politicians, organising different type of expert meetings to come up with practical solutions. As a result of which the convention finally has been ratified!!
Further more, the Netherlands are the 19th country to ratify and this means the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) of the Council of Europe – who initiated the Istanbul Convention, now has a majority and can start working on the monitoring process of the implementation of the Istanbul Convention!”
Also, the Dutch members are part of a more broad women’s rights platform in the Netherlands that presented their ‘Agenda for the Future’ with the priorities for gender equality in a document called ‘Gelijk is Anders’. Find all info here (in Dutch).
* Malta
EWL Maltese Members announce a conference:
In November 2015, the Government of Malta will host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Prior to the Heads of Government Meeting, there will be a fora of representatives from across the Commonwealth to discuss issues relating to youth, business and civil society. For the first time the Government of Malta will host the first Women’s Forum in the margins of CHOGM under the theme ‘Women Ahead: Be All That You Can Be’. Through the Forum, it is anticipated that the issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment will remain high on the agenda of Heads of Government.
The inaugural Women’s Forum will be held from 22 November 2015 with the Opening Ceremony and two days of meeting on 23 – 24 November 2015 at the InterContinental Hotel, St George`s Bay, Malta. The Forum will be officially opened by the Prime Minister of Malta and the Commonwealth Secretary-General with a closing speech by H.E. the President of Malta. On Day One there will be three technical panel sessions and on Day Two, the Forum will be dedicated to parallel workshops focusing on critical areas of concern for women and girls.
The Forum will be attended by government officials, women leaders, first ladies, business women and men, academics and civil society organisations. It is intended that the Women’s Forum will remain a regular feature of the CHOGM architecture.
Technical sessions addressing the theme will include:
· Women in Leadership
· Women, Media and Technological Development
· Women in Social Development – Health and Education
· Child/Early and Forced Marriage
· Women and Enterprise Development
· Gender and Youth Leadership
Link for registration : https://chogm2015.mt/fora/women
Names of speakers will be announced very soon!
