Press releases

Tomorrow 18.02, 16h15 - My MEP is just like me?! - High Level Seminar European Parliament Brussels

My MEP is just like me?! – High Level Seminar - European Parliament, Brussels

Gender Equality and Diversity in European Political Life ahead of the European elections 2014

18 February 2014, Room A3G2, 16h15- 18h15
Hosted by MEP Claude Moraes, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, UK

This high level seminar, organised by the European Women’s Lobby(EWL), takes place within the framework of the 50/50 Campaign ‘No Modern European Democracy Without Gender Equality’ and the European Political Mentoring Network.

Speakers

  • Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez, Senior Whip for the Democratic Caucus, United States of America
  • Ms Zakia Khattabi, Member of Parliament Brussels-Capital Region
  • Moderated by the Core Group members of the 50/50 Campaign: MEP Ulrike Lunacek (Greens/EFA), MEP Zita Gurmai (S&D), MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP), MEP Antonyia Parvanova (ALDE) and MEP Claudette Abela Baldacchino (S&D)
  • Ms Petra Maier, Assistant Professor in Politics, University Antwerp
  • With the participation of Board and Staff members from the European Network Against Racism, the European Network of Migrant Women, ERGO Network for European Roma and ILGA-Europe

At this high level seminar, Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez, Senior Whip for the Democratic Caucus, will give an insight on best practices of the USA on parity. She will also discuss with experts from different governmental bodies, academics, NGOs and MEPs the perspective on equal representation of women and men in political life and diversity in governmental bodies and the European Institutions, with a focus on the European elections of 2014.

Interview opportunities with all speakers after the seminar.

Context
EWL’s 50/50 campaign ‘No Modern European Democracy Without Gender Equality’ aims to promote the active participation of women as candidates and voters in the European Parliament elections of May 2014. The campaign also addresses the need for parity in decision-making positions in the European Institutions and gender mainstreaming in policies at local, national and European levels. The main aim of the 50/50 campaign is to increase the number of women among those elected. The 50/50 campaign also incorporates a unique European wide practical tool to have an impact on increasing the representation of women in their diversity in the European Parliament, which is the European Political Mentoring Network (EPMN). The EPMN aims to empower women from ethnic minorities (mentees) ahead of the May 2014 European elections through different capacity-building trainings and by bringing these women together to exchange experience and good practice. The Network addresses the lack of gender parity and ethnic diversity in political decision-making and connects female MEPs from cross-parties (the mentors) with the mentees who are planning to run for the 2014 European elections.


ends--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information, interviews, background or visual materials, please contact:

Elvira Buijink, Media and Communication Officer, buijink@womenlobby.org, +32 02/210 04 40, +32 (0) 496 86 48 26

Note to editors: The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) is the largest umbrella organisation of women’s associations in the European Union (EU), working to promote women’s rights and equality between women and men. EWL membership extends to organisations in all 28 EU member states and three candidate countries, as well as to 20 European-wide organisations, representing a total of more than 2000 associations.

More information

Latest video

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.

Facebook Feed

Get Involved