EWL News

News typewritter Latest news from the European Women’s Lobby in Brussels

EWL News
Draft of EU Directive on women on boards is not going far enough, says the EWL

Posted on 7 September 2012 |

[Brussels 4 September 2012] The EWL welcomes the efforts that are being made by DG Justice, and especially, Commissioner Ms. Viviane Reding, leading a legislative process aiming at introducing binding measures at European level to achieve the equal representation of women and men on corporate boards. The EWL pledges for parity on corporate boards and is alerted by the announcement of several newspaper articles that Ms. Viviane Reding would apply quota only to supervisory boards as it is (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL and its partners contribute to the Irish consultation on prostitution

Posted on 23 August 2012 |

[Brussels, 22 August 2012] The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) has sent this month its contribution to the Irish consultation ‘Review of Legislation on Prostitution’, initiated by the the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence. The National Women’s Council of Ireland is also preparing a contribution, and the alliance Turn Off the Red Light (TORL) is launching hers on 24 August.
In their submission, the EWL and the TORL campaign call on the Irish government to update the (...) Read more
EWL News
A cruel and absurd farce: Pussy Riot, a metaphor

Posted on 22 August 2012 |

[Dutch-speaking Council of Women of Belgium, Brussels, 22 August 2012] An article from Katlijn Malfliet, Russia expert at Leuven University and President of the Dutch-speaking Council of Women of Belgium, EWL member.
The worldwide protest against the two year prison camp sentence handed down to three members of the Russian action group Pussy Riot needs to be much stronger, says KATLIJN MALFLIET.
Blasphemy, that is what they say it is about: three young women, feminists and members of the (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL members demonstrate for the liberation of Pussy Riot

Posted on 17 August 2012 |

[Brussels, 17 August 2012] As the members of Pussy Riot sat in a courtroom in Moscow awaiting their verdict, EWL members and EWL Secretariat staff took to the streets in Brussels and across Europe in support of the Russian feminist punk band members who dared to defy their government. Since then, news of a guilty verdict for the three young women has both disappointed and enraged protestors.
EWL members from Belgium and Secretariat staff were joined by other human rights organisations, (...) Read more
EWL News
London 2012: Games for Women?

Posted on 14 August 2012 |

The French Coordination of the EWL has issued a Press Release condemning the flouting of women’s rights in the framework of the 2012 London Olympic Games. The EWL in May 2012 adopted an Emergency Motion regarding Universalism and the Olympics. The Press Release below is from the CLEF.
[CLEF, Paris, 12 August 2012] With much recourse to statistics, the IOC boasts of its record: A constantly increasing participation of women, with 45% as compared to 42% at the Beijing Games in 2008, no (...) Read more
EWL News
Free Pussy Riot NOW! EWL issues Statement to Russian government

Posted on 10 August 2012 |

[Brussels, 10 August 2012] The EWL issued today the following Statement to the attention of the government of Russia. Copies of the Statement are being delivered to Russian embassies throughout Europe. EWL Statement to Russian Government
The litmus test of working democracy in any country is that the artists have the freedom of expression even when they criticise, make a satyr or openly mock official pillars of social and political power, such as the dominant church or the president of (...) Read more
EWL News
“London 2012: Justice for women” - 7 demands presented to Director of International Olympic Committee

Posted on 27 July 2012 |

[London, 27 July 2012] Yesterday, 26 July, Mr Tomas Sithole, Director of International Cooperation and Development of the International Olympic Committee, met with the organisers of the “London 2012: Justice for women” events. Attended: Martha Jean Baker, Vice-President of the EWL (European Women’s Lobby), Anne-Marie Lizin, honorary President of the Belgian Senate, Annie Sugier president of the LDIF (League for the international Women’s Right) and delegate of the CLEF (French Coordination for (...) Read more
EWL News
Quotas key to change on corporate boards, EWL President tells UK House of Lords

Posted on 26 July 2012 |

[London, 26 July 2012] Sonja Lokar, President of the EWL, was invited on 23 July to give evidence to the upper chamber of the British Parliament on the use of legislative measures to enhance equality on the boards of private companies. Ms. Lokar addressed the House of Lords’ EU Sub Committee, giving evidence of the benefits of gender balance on company boards and of experience of quotas in attaining this goal. Sonja Lokar stressed that the obstacles to gender balance on boards are both in (...) Read more
EWL News
Cyprus Media Complaints Commission decides Time Out magazine violated Journalists Code of Ethics

Posted on 25 July 2012 |

[Nicosia, 25 July 2012] On 07 May 2012 civil society organisations, including EWL members in Cyprus, issued a press release condemning the May 2012 issue of the magazine TIME OUT for the advertising of cabarets and escort agencies. The press release was also filed as a public complaint with the Cyprus Media Complaint Commission (CMCC). Specifically the organisations stated that the May issue promotes and normalises, both in content and in style, the sex industry in Cyprus including (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL members bury the Olympic Charter to mark the death of Olympic values

Posted on 25 July 2012 |

[London, 25 July 2012] Two days ahead of the opening of the Olympic Games, EWL members and partners have symbolically buried the Olympic Charter to denounce the discrimination and abuse taking place at sporting events.
In the context of the campaign ‘London 2012 Olympics: Justice for Women’ initiated by the EWL Coordination in France, EWL partners from France, Belgium, but also from Pakistan, Iran, Algeria, UK and Slovenia organised today a demonstration in London to condemn gender (...) Read more