[Brussels 28 September 2016] The world seems to be in turmoil, and Europe is deeply affected as economic and political power is reconfiguring on a global scale. The recent Brexit is an expression of the deep divide in many countries, with right-wing populism on the rise. Years of austerity and market liberalisation politics have increased the social and economic precarity and feelings of insecurity. The lack of political transparency and democratic decision making resulted in a loss of credibility of both national governments and the EU. The potential of the EU as a peaceful, democratic, social and open-border model of cooperation is under threat. In view of the humanitarian crises in the EU neighbourhood which have forced millions of people to flee from their countries, Europe´s main answer is to build new fences to stop them.
Find the updated programme of the conference on the website https://wideplus.org/conference-2016/
Or click here programme conferenceWIDE plusWomen In Development Europe+ (WIDE+) and the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) are organizing this two-day international conference to develop a consistent feminist analysis on these global developments faced by Europe. Panels and workshops will explore the ways in which social justice, gender equality and women’s rights are affected, sacrificed or squeezed.
By organizing this conference, WIDE+ and EWL also react to the widespread feeling that Europe needs a real departure from current policy remedies and neoliberal economic solutions. The conference aims at shaping strategies for policy intervention, thinking out of the neoliberal box and countering neo-conservative and right-wing political forces. Responses in and by Europe also need to integrate alternative economic perspectives that decrease inequalities and discrimination globally. The adoption of global environmental and social goals, formulated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), may provide some signposts.
The conference will be a space for civil society, women’s rights experts, activists and policy makers to deepen and broaden their understanding of the current situation in Europe from a feminist perspective in an international exchange with women’s human rights activists from the Global South who have been dealing with similar challenges for a long time. The conference will also start a process of building momentum toward constructive criticism and joint political action beyond the conference, through encouraging constituencies and potential allies to take on board feminist perspectives in their future activities and agendas.
The conference is co-organised with the Heinrich Böll Stiftung (HBF), Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (RLS) The conference will be held at Chant d’Oiseau, Avenue des Franciscains 3A, Brussels on 24 and 25 October, 2016.
See for programme and updates: https://wideplus.org/conference-2016/
REGISTRATIONS ARE CLOSED
Members of the WIDE+ or EWL network (including members of member associations), partners and staff from the co-organizing foundations can directly register through contacting Gea Meijers at conference@wideplus.info
Other can register through the public registration form. There is currently a waiting list, but it might be that additional tickets come available in the later part of September:
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womenlobby.org
22 April 2025
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This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
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If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
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alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
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Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
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Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
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Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
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Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
