Position Papers

Policy Papers judge s hammer The common positions of the EWL membership set the agenda and the EWL line for all our policy work.

  • EWL Calls for Renewed Commitment to Achieving Gender Equality in the Lisbon Strategy (February 2006)

    Gender equality is a fundamental right, a common value of the EU, and a necessary condition for the achievement of the EU objectives of growth, employment and social cohesion. Current strong EU gender equality legislation is important but it is yet to be fully implemented. Furthermore, legislation alone cannot adequately address the structural and institutional dynamics that continue to generate inequalities between women and men in Europe. Gender equality can only be achieved with a strong (...) Read more

  • Gender Equality Road Map for the European Community 2006-2010 (May 2005)

    The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) presents a Gender Equality Road Map for the European Community 2006-2010 as a model for the official Communication on gender equality to be put forward by the European Commission at the end of 2005.
    Despite existing European and national legislation, numerous political commitments at all levels, and the existence of equality before the law in most EU Member States, equality between women and men is not a reality in Europe in 2005. In every country in the (...) Read more

  • Setting up of a European Gender Equality Institute (May 2005)

    Equality between women and men is one the missions of the European Community and has been an important European policy for several decades; a large body of EC law also exists in this area. The European Constitutional Treaty reinforces further gender equality in several ways.
    The evaluation made by the European Women’s Lobby of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action after 10 years showed some progress for women’s rights in the EU but also many weaknesses, particularly in terms (...) Read more

  • Beijing+10 Review and Outcome of the 2005 Commission of the Status of Women (February 2005)

    On the occasion of the 49th session of the United Nations Commission of the Status of Women in March 2005 meeting to review the progress made globally in ensuring the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) highlights the following areas of concern:
    1) Fulfillment of existing global commitments by governments
    There is an urgent need for governments to reaffirm their support for and commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Beijing (...) Read more

  • Sexual Rights (January 2005)

    Women’s sexual rights include the right to control their sexuality and the provision of sexual and reproductive health-related services. They include reproductive rights where the number and spacing of children can be chosen in a free, responsible and informed way.
    Today, these rights must be defended as they concern not only women’s health, but also their dignity and freedom. In this way, women’s sexuality is not solely associated with issues of responsibility or risks concerning (...) Read more

  • Integrating a Gender Perspective into the EU Immigration Policy (February 2004)

    In recent years, immigration has become a central theme in the EU political debate. The European Union is beginning to acknowledge that the “zero” immigration policies of the past 30 years are no longer appropriate. Immigration is one of the factors that must be considered in relation to the new demographic and economic challenges which EU is now facing such as skill and labour shortages and ageing population.
    Immigrant women face multiple discrimination as women, due to their situation as (...) Read more

  • The role of Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality (February 2004)

    The increased focus on the role of men in relation to gender equality work reflects the move towards more ‘gender’ focused strategies, including gender mainstreaming strategies, and away from a focus on sex-based discrimination. ‘Gender equality’ as a concept identifies from the start that socially constructed gender roles play a crucial role in shaping women’s - and men’s - access to rights, resources, and opportunities. Abandoning essentialist notions of ‘sex’ in favour of a socially (...) Read more

  • Women and Media (June 2003)

    “Participation and access of women to the media, and information and communication technologies and their impact on and use as an instrument for the advancement of women”
    The Beijing World Conference on Women identified media, including information and communication technologies, as one of the critical areas of concern for gender equality and the empowerment of women. The five year follow up of the commitments made in Beijing further pointed to the need to integrate a gender perspective and (...) Read more

  • The Future of Europe

    The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) welcomes the initiative of the European Council to convene a Convention to reflect on the key issues for the future of Europe and to launch a public debate with civil society.
    The EWL reiterates its deep regret concerning the unequal representation of women and men in the composition of the Convention and reaffirms its demands for parity democracy in all EU institutions and bodies.
    In raising some fundamental questions in the Laeken Declaration as a basis (...) Read more

  • EWL calls for the integration of a gender dimension in the proposed measures to implement the anti-discrimination clause (article 13 of the EC Treaty) (August 2000)

    In general terms, the European Women’s Lobby welcomes the proposed Community Action Programme to combat discrimination and directive establishing a general framework directive for equal treatment in employment and occupation. However, the EWL regrets that, despite its demands formulated several times , no clear gender dimension is integrated in the measures.
    Integrating a gender dimension in the general European Anti-discrimination strategy and taking into account the issue of double / (...) 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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