2009 EP Elections

rubon256 1 The EWL’s 50/50 Campaign for the 2009 elections was a great success, gathering more than 3000 high-profile supporters and succeeding in increasing the representation of women in the European Parliament to 35%.

  • Women’s organisations dispute ‘good news’ of nomination of nine women to new Commission and point to gender stereotyping in the distribution of the portfolios

    Over the last few weeks, the 27 men and one woman who make up the European Council have been heartily congratulating themselves on their supposed sensitivity to equality between women and men and the fairness they demonstrated in appointing a number of women to top positions in the Council of the European Union and Commission. The European Women’s Lobby (EWL), representing more than 2500 women’s associations from across Europe, feels that congratulations are not quite in order.
    ‘This is not (...) Read more

  • The European Union, democracy and fundamental rights for both women and men – one step forward, two steps back!!!

    Dear European Heads of Government,
    You will this evening take the final decisions on the nominations for the so called ‘EU Top Jobs’, namely the President of the Council and EU foreign policy chief. Five among you will also be deciding on your choice of Commissioner.
    So far, these negotiations have proceeded ‘behind closed doors’, in a manner unbefitting to European democracy and transparency. So far, the results these negotiations have delivered are unbefitting to European democratic (...) Read more

  • MEPS AND EWL DEMONSTRATE IN FRONT OF COUNCIL

    [Brussels, 18 November 2009] The European Women’s Lobby will today join a delegation of female MEPs led by Vice-President Diana Wallis in marching from the European Parliament to the Council of the European Union to protest against the lack of women candidates being mentioned in the "behind closed door" proceedings for the so-called “EU Top Jobs”. The marchers will wear shirts and ties, and will walk together to the Council in order to symbolically "deliver" their CVs before nominations for (...) Read more

  • Is democratic representation of both women and men too much to ask for in 21st Century Europe?

    Dear European Heads of State and Government,
    We, representatives of more than 2500 women’s organisations from across the 27 European Union (EU) Member States and three EU candidate countries, write to remind you, our representatives, of your democratic duty to ensure that women are represented in the highest levels of European governance.
    It will be an exciting moment when you, as our elected leaders, will make public nominations for some of Europe’s most prestigious and powerful posts. On (...) Read more

  • European Parliament Election Results 2009: Representation of Women

    The 2009 European elections took place in the 27 EU Member States on 4-7 June 2009. After the elections, the percentage of women in the European Parliament (EP), the only directly elected institution of the European Union (EU), stands at 35%. Although the results are a progress compared to the approximate 30% at the beginning of the 1999-2004 term and 16% for the first EP election in 1979, the EP again fails to attain parity or even the 40% of women threshold agreed by Member States of the (...) Read more

  • European Elections 2009: Most Political Parties Lagging Behind in the Road towards Gender Equality! (May 2009)

    As part of its 50/50 Campaign, the EWL published on 20 May 2009 a Gender Audit Report of Electoral Lists and Political Programmes, in view of the European elections of 4-7 June 2009.
    The Gender Audit looks at political programmes and electoral lists for the European elections from a women’s rights perspective. It evaluates the political parties’ commitment to gender equality in view of the European Parliament elections 2009 and encourages voters to be involved in European politics.
    The (...) Read more

  • 50/50 Lobbying Kit for EP Elections 2009

    In 2009, European voters will elect the new European Parliament (EP) and the new European Commission (EC) will be nominated. This presents a real opportunity to reach parity democracy, the equal representation of women and men, within the European Union Institutions. The Kit has been produced in the context of the EWL Campaign “No Modern European Democracy without Gender Equality” to be launched officially in September 2009.
    The Kit comprises of two sections. In the first section, you will (...) Read more

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EWL event "Progress towards a Europe free from all forms of male violence" to mark the 10th aniversary of the Istanbul Convention, 12 May 2021.

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