The European Women's Lobby unveils its Manifesto for the EP 2014 Elections: "Act now for her future, commit to gender equality!"

[Brussels, 4 March 2014] On the week of the International Women’s Day (8 March), the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) is happy to unveil its Manifesto for the European Parliament elections 2014 “Act now for her future, commit to gender equality!”. Women and girls are half of Europe’s population, and are entitled to the same rights as men and boys. Achieving substantive equality between women and men, promoting women’s rights and empowering women should be a priority of the European Union (EU) and its Member States. Gender equality is an essential part of democracy, social justice, human rights and dignity. The European Parliament (EP) has the power and responsibility to create meaningful change towards equality for all, now and in the future. The Manifesto “Act now for her future, commit to gender equality!” comprises the main demands of the European Women’s Lobby, the largest umbrella organisation of women’s associations in the EU. The EWL Manifesto makes three general and five policy-specific demands:

A comprehensive framework to achieve gender equality
Sustainable funding for gender equality
Credible EU policies on gender equality at international level
Women’s economic independence
Parity democracy
A caring society
A Europe free from violence against women
Diverse in equality

@EuropeanWomen #EP2014 #EuropeanWomensVoice In the last months, the EWL has delivered several communication tools that support its demands and raise awareness on many aspects of women’s lives and rights in Europe: