EWL News

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

EWL News
MEPs give prostitution at sporting events the red card in support of EWL campaign

Posted on 1 June 2012 |

[Brussels, 01 June 2012] On 30 May, 17 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from nine countries and all political groups gathered together in Brussels in support of the European Women’s Lobby’s action against prostitution around sporting events. In a message to athletes, officials, fans, journalists and decision-makers ahead of the London Olympics and the UEFA European Football Championships in Poland and Ukraine, the MEPs held up red cards which read ‘Be a sport. Keep it fair… Say NO to (...) Read more
EWL News
The EWL team completes 20km of Brussels for women’s rights!

Posted on 31 May 2012 |

[Brussels, 31 May 2012] An EWL team took part in the 20km of Brussels for the first time this year. On 27 May the members of the EWL team put on their running shoes and ran 20km through the streets of Brussels under the sun and to the applause of the crowds.
Last year, in 2011, the 20km of Brussels brought together about 30000 people, including 8000 women (i.e. 25%). This year, in 2012, women were a bit less underrepresented: out of 34186 participants, 8869 were women, (i.e. 26%).
In the (...) Read more
EWL News
France - Euro 2012 en Ukraine : l’industrie du sexe se prépare !

Posted on 29 May 2012 |

[Paris, 29 mai 2012] La Coordination française du Lobby européen des femmes (CLEF), qui représente 80 associations en France, en liaison avec les 2500 associations du Lobby Européen des Femmes (LEF), a fait de la lutte contre la prostitution et contre les violences faites aux femmes l’un des thèmes majeurs de son action et affirme une position abolitionniste, visant l’éradication de la prostitution et la pénalisation du client.
La CLEF ne saurait considérer comme une fatalité le développement des (...) Read more
EWL News
European trade unions confederation supports binding measures for equality on boardrooms

Posted on 25 May 2012 |

[Brussels, 25 May 2012] On the occasion of the public consultation of the European Commission Gender imbalance in corporate boards in the EU which takes place until May 28 the European Women’s Lobby welcomes the response of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), which is a member of the EWL.
The European Women’s Lobby has already submitted its response to the consultation and asked its member organisations to submit their own responses.
The European Commission has launched this (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL members endorse manifesto on women’s socio-economic rights

Posted on 24 May 2012 |

[Brussels, 24 May 2012] On the sidelines of the EWL Annual Conference held in Budapest, Hungary, on 11 May, EWL members endorsed a Manifesto calling for a holistic approach to women’s socio-economic rights and gender equality across the life-cycle.
The publication of the EWL Manifesto coincides with the European Year on Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. In this framework, the EWL highlights the need for a life-cycle perspective to respond to various phases and transitional (...) Read more
EWL News
WILPF - Upholding human rights: the link between security and economic rights

Posted on 24 May 2012 |

[Brussels, 24 May 2012] The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom [WILPF], a member of the EWL, organised yesterday an event ahead of the Universal Periodic Review of the UK, which was heard today, 24 May, at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, highlighting the gendered impact of current security and defence policies.
Permanent Missions were invited to hear from an expert panel, including Ceri Goddard of The Fawcett Society, Rebecca Johnson Acronym Institute and Rebecca Gerome (...) Read more
EWL News
New Executive Committee of EWL reflects integration of women’s movement in Europe and squares up to backlash against women’s rights

Posted on 18 May 2012 |

[Brussels, 18 May 2012] Eight years after the enlargement of the EU to ten new Member States in 2004, the new Executive Committee of the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) reflects the positive experience of collaboration and integration of the women’s movement in Europe. Slovene representative Sonja Lokar, the first President of the organisation hailing from a new Member State, heads a new 40 member Board of Administration elected on 13 May in Budapest by delegates from 30 countries and (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL Secretary General named as member of Global Civil Society Advisory Group to UN Women

Posted on 18 May 2012 |

[Brussels, 18 May 2012] EWL Secretary General Cécile Gréboval was yesterday named as one of the members of the new Global Civil Society Advisory Group set up to liaise with the UN women’s rights agency. The EWL has a long-standing record of working at UN level within the framework of the Commission on the Status of Women and the Economic and Social Committee, and was the European focal point of the global campaign that brought about the foundation of UN Women, the GEAR campaign.
More (...) Read more
EWL News
EWL and partners call on EU Member States and European Commission to safeguard family life of migrants and refugees

Posted on 16 May 2012 |

[Brussels, 15 May 2012] The EWL has joined 19 other pan-EU networks in a Statement calling on the EU to ensure implementation of the Family Reunification Directive for all migrants.
All EU Member States can improve the implementation of their family reunification practices and thus guarantee everybody the right to a family life. According to the Family Reunification Directive, all Member States are obliged to guarantee family reunion which signifies ensuring that there are no legal or (...) Read more
EWL News
‘Be a sport. Keep it fair... Say NO to prostitution’ - EWL visual event in the EP

Posted on 16 May 2012 |

[Brussels, 15 May 2012] The European Women’s Lobby organises on 30 May a visual event to raise awareness on the scale of and tolerance for prostitution at sporting events. The MEPs who support EWL campaign will gather in the European Parliament for a group photo and give prostitution at sporting events a red card. EWL video clip ’Sport, sex and fun’ will be released at this occasion, and participants will be invited to take EWL pledge for a Europe free from prostitution.
This year, thousands (...) Read more