Women in Parliament in 2007: The Year in Perspective

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has published a new brochure which provides an overview and analysis of progress made, and setbacks encountered, by women in accessing parliament during elections and renewals held in 2007. It presents data on women’s representation in national parliaments, regional and world trends, information on women presiding officers and women candidates. It [...]

President of the European Commission supports the 50/50 Campaign

The President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso has now joined those known personalities who have declared their support for the 50/50 Campaign. The EWL thanks him for his valuable support which indicates that there might be real political will to push for 50/50 when the next European Commission is nominated. The Vice-president of [...]

New high level supporters for the 50/50 Campaign

The EWL 50/50 Campaign continues to gather high level support. During the days following the launch of the Campaign on 16 September, the following personalities have declared their support for the campaign. Heidrun Silhavy, Minister for Women, Media and Regional Policy, Austria Michael Bünker, Bischof der Evangelischen Kirche A.B. in Österreich, Austria Luc Van Den [...]

PES supports 50/50 Campaign for more women at the top

The Party of European Socialists today underlined its full support for the European Women’s Lobby 50/50 campaign for more women at the top of European politics. Zita Gurmai, President of PES Women and who is taking part in the European Women’s Lobby campaign launch today, said “It gives me great pleasure to support the European [...]

The French Presidency sends a message for the 50/50 Campaign

As the French minister for Solidarity Valérie Létard was not able to be present at the launch of the 50/50 Campaign on 16 September, she sent a message which was read during the launch. In her message Ms Létard expressed her regret for not being able to be present, and declared her support for the [...]

High level women decision-makers gathering in Brussels support

Key European and national women decision makers met in Brussels on 16th September at the invitation of the European Women’s Lobby for the launch event of the Campaign “50/50 No Modern European Democracy without Gender Equality”. During the event, Bibiana Aido, Spanish Minister for Equality stressed the need to correct structural inequalities between women and [...]

Brussels 16th September: Launch of the EWL 50/50 Campaign

“No modern European democracy without gender equality” was the message of the high level personalities who gathered in Brussels on 16 September 2008 to launch the European Women’s Lobby’s (EWL) “50/50 Campaign for Democracy”. The Campaign aims to increase the presence of women at the highest level of European politics and to encourage women to [...]

Only one out of ten board members in Europe is a woman

If women have still a long way to go for equal representation in political decision-making, the situation is even worse in business. According to a new study by EuropeanPWN, the top 3001 European companies have only 9.7% of women on their boards. There has been slight progress, from 8.5% in 2006 and 8% in 2004. [...]

Documentary about women’s access to politics in Turkey

Do women have enough access to politics in Turkey? What obstacles do they have to overcome to participate in the political arena? Do they have any real agenda on women’s problems in Turkey? “What a Beautiful Democracy!”, a documentary by the Istanbul based filmmakers collective, looks for the answers while chronicling the campaign of women [...]

EP: positive action needed to bring more women to politics

Positive action is needed to advance women in decision-making, says an own-initiative report on equality of men and women in the EU, adopted in the Women’s Rights Committee of the European Parliament on 16 July. MEPs back a twin-track approach to gender equality, which on the one hand ensures equality between women and men in [...]