European Women’s Lobby

2. European Women’s Lobby • Established in 1990 • Membership based women’s organisation from 28 countries • 4000 members - largest umbrella organisations of women’s associations in the European Union (EU) • Lobbies European institutions: Commission, Parliament, Council • Promotes women’s rights and equality between women and men • Intervenes different areas of policy: economic and social justice, decision-making, violence against women, women’s diversity.

3. Why a European Women’s Lobby? • Women still do about 2/3 of the housework, even if they also have a job outside the house; • Women earn only 76% of men’s gross hourly pay (EU average) for the same job • Men hold 76% of parliamentary seats in the EU; • It is estimated that one woman in five in Europe has been subjected to some form of violence. Women are most likely to fall victim to violence at home. • In the media (study conducted in 70 countries), only 18% of news stories quote women.

4. Why a European Women’s Lobby? • The scope of the European Union’s activities are extending and affect areas with a direct impact on women’s daily lives (gender mainstreaming) • It had become urgent for women and their organisations to participate in the programmes established by the Union and to get acquainted with European legislation. Women need to be better informed about the European gender equality legislation so that they can make use of it (gender specific)

5. EWL Member organisations in Europe National Co-ordinations of women’s NGOs European Member organisations EWL General Assembly (100 delegates) EWL Board of Administration (35 elected members) EWL Executive Committee (7) 1 President, 3 Vice Pres., 1 Treasurer, 2 members EWL Structure EWL Secretariat(Brussels) EWL Secretary General EWL staff

6. The EWL Mission • To ensure gender equality in the EU • To promote the empowerment of all women • To strengthen women’s social and economic rights  • To combat all forms of violence against women and to ensure women’s human rights • To support women’s diversity: take into account the needs and perspectives of different groups of women and girls, make them more visible

7. EWL Budget • For the fiscal year of 2007, the EWL core budget was 945,050 Є • EWL receives 80% of this amount as a grant from the European Community • Remaining 20% is made up of membership fees and other independent sources of funding

8. External Liaison and Representation: EU Institutions • European Commission • Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men • The Council of the European Union • The European Parliament • The Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions • The Council of Europe

9. External Liaison and Representation: International and Civil Society • United Nations: Consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council • European Platform of Social NGOs: Member at the Platform of European Social NGOs • Act4Europe: Independant member of the Civil Society Contact Group • Council of Europe: Consultative status with the Council of Europe

10. Women in decision-making Women’s diversity Women’s rights at international level European gender equality policies Violence against women Women’s human rights Economic and social justice for women Areas of work of EWL

11. Influencing EU policy-making Lobbying actions: EWL Policy positions: Work Programme Member organisations adopted at the General Assembly Position Papersadopted by the Board of Administration Urgent statementsagreed by the Executive Committee Dissemination of Position papers Members of European Parliament European Commission services Member States‘ Ministers Press releases Meetings Seminars Letters Campaigns

12. EWL Information Tools • Monthly Newsflash • Publications • Position Papers and Statements • Requests for information and group visits • Mailing lists • Posters and postcards

13. Gender mainstreaming • A strategy that turns attention to the systems and structures that create and maintain inequalities between women and men and actively seeks to make a difference • EWL works towards the integration of a gender perspective in all areas of policy of the European Institutions so as to promote the effective implementation of gender mainstreaming.

14. Why Gender Mainstream Children’s issues? • Life-cycle approach: girls-women; boys-men. • Address structural inequalities early stages of life • Recognise policy impact –girls and boys respectively • Understand different needs – hidden in « children » • Forward looking strategies at early age/stage of life • Provide negotiation skills, especially to girls, for life • Break gender stereotypes • Gender equality – « natural » for future generations

15. GIRLS and WOMEN – A CONTINUUM • Three issues relative to “children” – present in patterns of women’s lives: • POVERTY • VIOLENCE • DECISION-MAKING /PARTICIPATION

16. Example - Poverty • Women all ages – more insecure life situation than men • 80-95% single parent households – headed by women • Lack individual social protection – dependent on “family unit” • Less access to economic resources • Male-breadwinner model of employment and related social protection systems (pensions) • Lack of child care and quality affordable services for dependent family members (special needs, disabled, elderly..) • Unequal share in family tasks • Push factor – trafficking for sexual exploitation

17. Example: Violence - Asylum is not gender neutral

18. Have we got the balance right Back to Postcard Campaigns

19. Model Letter – Decision-making • FAX/EMAIL • To: ___________________________________, Head of (name of political party)_________________ • From: _______________________________ • Date: ___________________ • Dear Madam, Sir, • RE: Candidates’ lists for the 2004 European elections and women’s representation • I am joining the campaign initiated by the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) as a concerned citizen to urge you to bring the power of your office to bear, so that candidates’ lists for the 2004 European elections fully reflect the fact that women make up more than 50% of the European population. • At the beginning of the XXI Century, we women and European citizens cannot tolerate, that formal commitments on equal participation of women and men made by Member States and the highest institutions of the European Union on the equal participation of women and men in decision-making do not translate into concrete actions. • We demand the effective realisation of the fundamental right to equality in the decision making process. We demand that the principle of parity democracy be reflected in your candidates’ lists for the European elections in June 2004. • EWL has launched this campaign in solidarity in all current and future EU Member States in order to make sure that he first ever democratically elected institution of the enlarged European Union is fully representative of its citizens. • Yours sincerely,

20. EU Strategy rights of the child

21. www.womenlobby.org