From: WUNRN ListServe <list@...>
Date: Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 2:33 AM
Subject: European Women's Lobby - 50/50 Campaign Continues

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The EWL 50/50 Campaign Continues!

More Women in the European Parliament - What about EU Top Jobs?

On the eve of the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) General Assembly, the
EWL held a very successful public conference entitled “No Modern
European Democracy without Gender Equality”, on 26 June 2009 in
Brussels, Belgium. The conference analyzed the results of the recent
European Parliament Elections from a gender equality perspective and
discussed the EU “top jobs”, the representation of women in the future
European Commission, the perspectives for women chairing the European
Parliament and its Committees and experiences of the 50/50 Campaign.

The recent European elections led to a slight progress in the
representation of women in the European Parliament (EP), which now
reaches about 35% (compared to about 30% at the beginning of the
1999-2004 term) but still does not attain parity or even the 40%
threshold agreed by Member States of the Council of Europe.

Margot Wallström, Vice-President of the European Commission and strong
supporter of the 50/50 Campaign, was a speaker during the conference,
and stated: “The European Parliament elections are now behind us, but
the work is not yet over. I know some people think quotas should only
be applied to fishing and whales, but I don't agree. I think the only
way to restore what is today a de facto discrimination against women,
is by introducing gender quotas across Europe."

From June 2009, the focus of the 50/50 Campaign will be on actions to
improve the representation of women in internal decision-making posts
within the European Parliament: (President, Vice-Presidents, Chairs
and Vice-Chairs of Parliamentary Committees) and in the European
Commission (the designation of Commissioners). To ensure a 50/50
representation in the European Commission, the EWL is calling for an
improved system of nomination and would like each Member State to
propose a woman and a man as nominate Commissioners. The EC President
would then choose from among the nominees with a view to achieve an
equal representation of women and men in the new Commission.

You are invited to join the current EWL “EU Top Jobs” lobbying actions
to call for gender parity in top decision-making posts in these
European institutions.

European Women’s Lobby 50/50 Campaign for Democracy
http://5050campaign.wordpress.com/