[Brussels, 25 November 2011] The EWL has called on the European Parliament to ensure that EU funding for promoting equality between women and men and combating violence agaist women will not be cut in the future.
Last week, the European Commission adopted its proposal for the new funding programme called ‘Rights and Citizenship’ that will finance the EU’s activities on gender equality, non-discrimination, fundamental rights and combating violence from 2014 to 2020. The EWL is concerned that the proposal as it stands may weaken the EU’s ability to promote equality between women and men and combat violence against women with specific, predictable funding.
On Monday, Cécile Gréboval, the EWL Secretary General, spoke to the Women’s Rigths Committee of the European Parliament about the EWL’s concerns for the future funding for these policies. The Women’s Rights Committee is preparing an own initiative report on the successes and the future of the DAPHNE III programme to fight violence agaist women, children, and young people. DAPHNE is one of the programmes that will be streamlined into the new ‘Rights and Citizenship’ programme.
The EWL has sent its statement on the Commission’s proposal to the members of the European Parliament who will, together with the EU Member States, make the final decision on the priorities, budget and shape of the new programme.
The EWL specifically calls on the MEPs to ensure that:
- promoting gender equality and combating violence agaist women are mentioned among the objectives of the new programme;
- funding for these activities will not be cut from the current level;
- the level of funding should remain predictable from one year to the next.
Watch the meeting of the Women’s Rights Committee from the website of the European Parliament. The discussion on DAPHNE programme in which the EWL participates starts at 17.10.
