EWL News

EWL calls on the European Parliament to ensure no cuts in EU funding for gender equality

[Brussels, 25 November 2011] The EWL has called on the European Parliament to ensure that EU funding for promoting equality between women and men and combating violence agaist women will not be cut in the future.

Last week, the European Commission adopted its proposal for the new funding programme called ’Rights and Citizenship’ that will finance the EU’s activities on gender equality, (...)

EP seminar sees MEPs committed to end violence against women, but no concrete answer from the Commission and EU Presidencies. NGOs continue to mobilise for an EU Year and action.

[Brussels, 24 November 2011] Three political groups within the European Parliament (GUE/NGL, Greens and S&D) came together on Wednesday 23 November in order to organise the public seminar ‘Ending violence against women. The EU must act now’. MEP Mikael Gustafsson, Chair of the EP Committee on Women’s rights and gender equality opened the seminar by emphasising the demands for EU action (...)

France - La CLEF réaffirme avec force et détermination son engagement dans le combat contre toutes formes de violences à l’égard des femmes

[Paris, le 24 novembre 2011] À l’occasion du 25 novembre 2011, journée internationale de lutte contre les violences faites aux femmes, la CLEF réaffirme avec force et détermination son engagement dans le combat contre toutes formes de violences à l’égard des femmes dont elle fait sa priorité depuis de nombreuses années. Les chiffres restent accablants :

une femme meurt des suites de violences tous (...)

EWL highlights progress and gaps on violence against women at Europe at launch of ‘Progress of the World’s Women in Pursuit of Justice’

[Brussels, 24 November 2011] On the eve of the International Day for the Elimination on Violence against Women, UN Women launched in Brussels its new publication ‘Progress of the World’s Women in Pursuit of Justice’ with a panel discussion to officially share the findings and recommendations of the report with the European Union institutions, EU Member States, civil society and key partners (...)

Romania - EWL members organise picket protest demanding action to end violence against women

[Bucharest, 23 November 2011] 23 Romanian NGO’s are organising a picket protest on Friday, November 25th , between 16.00-18.00 PM in front of the Romanian Parliament - the Chamber of Deputies, demanding improvement and proper application of the law on prevention and combating domestic violence.

NGO’s and individuals who have joined the protest criticise the lack of interest of members of (...)

The lack of EU action on gender-violence is compounding the effect of the crisis on women, says European Women’s Lobby ahead of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

[Brussels, 23 November 2011] Almost every other woman in the EU will experience male violence during her lifetime: One in five will fall victim to domestic violence; one in ten will be raped or forced into sexual acts. Violence against women – although rarely discussed or addressed – is the most widespread human rights abuse within the EU, and in times of recession such as these, things only (...)

EWL meets with European Asylum Support Offices and calls for strong gender perspective in the work of the new organisation

[Brussels, 22 November 2011] On 17 November Selmin Caliskan, coordinator of EWLs project on Migrant Women, travelled to Malta along with a representative from Amnesty International’s END FGM European Campaign and the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe). Over two days this Expert NGO Coalition took part in a series of (...)

EWL exhibition in European Parliament

[Brussels, 21 November 2011] From Monday 28 November until Friday 02 December, the EWL Exhibition ’My World: Visions of Feminism in the 21st Century’, bringing together the prize-winning works of young photographers from across Europe in a study of the meaning of feminism today, will be exhibited in the European Parliament in Brussels. An opening reception will be hosted by Mikael Gustafsson (...)

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European & International News

EU urged to take lead against gender-based violence

[TheParliament.com, Brussels, 25 November 2011] The EU must be at the forefront of efforts to combat violence against women, according to European commissioner Viviane Reding.

Writing in the latest issue of the Parliament Magazine, the commission vice-president for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship says that the EU institutions are "working hand-in-hand" to combat gender-based (...)

European Commission issues statement underlining strong commitment to combating violence against women

[Brussels, 25 November 2011] Today, on the ocasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, representatives of the European Commission have issued a joint Statement stressing the commitment of the EU executive to combating violence against women. The EWL welcomes the Statement by the High Representative / Vice President Catherine Ashton, Andris Piebalgs, EU (...)

Women’s shelters in Europe are lacking effective political and financial support, says WAVE

[Women Against Violence Europe, Brussels, 24 November 2011] The increasingly tense global economic situation does not spare the most crucially needed social services. Among them are women’s support services, which specifically engage in the effort to end violence against women and their children. Despite the international and European developments with regards to declarations and treaties, in (...)

European Parliament’s Women’s Rights Committee calls for more women in peacekeeping operations

[European Parliament, Brussels, 23 November 2011] The EU and Member States should increase the number of women in military and civilian peacekeeping operations, especially in leadership positions, through national campaigns promoting military and police forces as a viable job option for women as well as men, says the Women’s Rights Committee on Tuesday, voting a report on the situation of (...)

UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet unveils comprehensive policy agenda to end violence against women

[United Nations, New York, 22 November 2011] In her first message for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, since UN Women became operational earlier this year, Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet outlines a comprehensive policy agenda to end violence against women globally. Violence against women is pandemic but there has been progress. Today 125 (...)

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New Resources

• CHANGE: The Global Health Initiative And Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights (2011)
• World March Of Women (WMW) International Newsletter, Issue 4 (Nov 2011)
• PWESCR - "Dignity and Human Rights: A Missing Dialogue?" (2011)
• International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) - Special edition of Gender Newsletter to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2011
• Gender Action - Case study series on International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and Gender-Based violence (GBV) (2011)
• Equal Climate - A new portal on gender and climate change from a Nordic perspective (2011)
• Nobel Women’s Initiative blog - 16 Days Of Activism To Stop Rape & Gender Violence In Conflict (2011)
• German Institute for Human Rights - “Domestic Workers in Diplomats´ households – Rights Violations and Access to Justice in the Context of Diplomatic Immunity” (2011)
• Amnesty International and Redress - Gender and Torture Conference Report (October 2011)
• Critical Issues in the Study of Religion & Gender Vol.1, No.1 (2011)

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Events

• UK Feminista Muff March against labiaplasty: London, 10 December 2011
• UK Feminista Protest: ’Women’s Equality? Bah! Humbug!’: London, 29 November 2011
• GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament event ‘Women and Peace: Women’s voices on democracy, gender equality and global social justice’: Brussels, 30 November 2011
• Doing Gender in the Netherlands - Transgenerational Perspectives: Radboud University, Nijmegen, 9 March 2012
• Séminaire du Collectif TETE « Sans foi ni loi, où va la violence faite aux femmes ! »: Bruxelles, le 26 novembre 2011
• EWL exhibition in European Parliament: Brussels, 28 November - 02 December 2011

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Opportunities

• Call for participation: Take Back the Tech to end violence against women
• Call for funding proposals - UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (deadline: 19 January 2011)
• Vacancies at European Institute for Gender Equality
• The United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF): Projects To Advance And Support Democracy (deadline: 31 December 2011)
• Call for nominations: SIL Human Rights Award (deadline: 9 December 2011)
• IASSCS-FORD Foundation Sexualities Research Grant Program (deadline: 5 January 2012)
• Call For Participation: Virtual Exchange Working Group on Education for the Thematic Social Forum - Crisis of Capitalism, Social Justice and Environmental Justice (24 November - 8 December 2011)
• Call For Papers: Doing Gender in the Netherlands - Transgenerational Perspectives (deadline: 12 December 2011)
• Vacancy: Social Policy Officer at Mental Health Europe (deadline: 16 December 2011)
• Vacancy: Programme Development Consultant at Acid Survivors Trust International, London (deadline: 23 November 2011)
• Vacancy: Editing & Publications Officer at The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) (deadline: 15 December 2011)

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