European & International News

International news globe All the latest news from the European Union, its member states, and beyond.

European & International News
Open letter to COE Human Rights Commissioner - Please do not ignore survivors of prostitution!

Posted on 5 March 2024 |

[Brussels, 5 March 2024]
Dear Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner Dunja Mijatović,
The European Women’s Lobby is the largest umbrella organisation of women’s associations in Europe with 32 national coordination organisations and 17 European-wide member organisations, representing a total of more than 2,000 women’s rights organisations. We are writing to you today to express our deep concern with your statement entitled “Protecting the human rights of sex workers”.
First, (...) Read more
European & International News
European Women’s Lobby at CSW67

Posted on 25 April 2023 |

The 67th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) finally took place in person in New York from 6-17 March 2023 after three long years of physical absence. This year’s priority theme, ‘Innovation and technological change education in the digital age’, was the first time the issue of gender digital (in)equalities was addressed at international level and resulted in a 26 page outcome document: the Agreed Conclusions.
The CSW is the largest annual multilateral meeting on women’s rights, (...) Read more
European & International News
Get on board with gender equality!

The EU Council adopts the Women on Boards Directive

Posted on 10 November 2022 |

On 17 October, the EU Council adopted the Women on Boards Directive, prompting listed companies to have at least 40% of board non-executive director positions or 33% of board executive and non-executive director positions held by the underrepresented sex. After 10 years of political and legislative blockade, this is a historic moment for women and girls, women leadership, women’s representation and their fundamental rights in the European Union. This significant step toward a Union of (...) Read more
European & International News
Improving gender equality and women’s representation in politics

Posted on 29 April 2022 |

[Brussels, April 2022] Since the end of 2021, the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) has been working on a legislative initiative report (INL) on reforming the EU Electoral Law. The text will be voted in Plenary at the beginning of May. The European Women’s Lobby believes this presents a significant opportunity to improve women’s political representation ahead of the 2024 European elections and has called on the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to include (...) Read more
European & International News
The EWL demands active gender mainstreaming in climate policies after the COP26 and ahead of the CSW66

Posted on 10 March 2022 |

[Brussels, February 2022] Ahead of the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the European Women’s Lobby has prepared a statement with its key demands to address gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes.
The CSW66 will take place on 14 to 25 March in New York, in an unprecedented context as the world faces a growing urgency to tackle climate change challenges (...) Read more
European & International News
European Women’s Lobby calls for peace in Ukraine

Posted on 4 March 2022 |

[Brussels, 4 March 2022] Following a webinar held on 3 March with the National Council of Women of Ukraine, the European Women’s Lobby endorsed its Statement calling on EU leaders and the international community to include women at every stage of the processes to strive for peace in Ukraine.
To this end, it calls on the EU to set up immediately an inter-institutional task force and include women’s civil society to ensure that the voices on the ground are heard, consulted and shape current (...) Read more
European & International News
Shaping Social Europe for Women’s rights in 2022

Posted on 17 January 2022 |

[Brussels, 13 January 2022] As we end another challenging year and despite continuous strain on women and girls in the COVID context, there are however some things to celebrate as we begin 2022, especially the development and shaping of a better Social Europe for women’s rights.
Many policy developments in this area have a direct impact on women and girls’ rights. In 2022, we want to go further and call for a Care Deal for Europe and more robust measures to close the gender pay gap that (...) Read more
European & International News
A Call to Deliver a Just Transition to a Social and Sustainable Europe

A Joint Declaration by the European Alliance for a Just Transition

Posted on 28 September 2021 |

We, the undersigned organisations, movements, networks, and political parties: Underline the depth, seriousness and acute nature of the ongoing climate and environmental emergency, of the social, health, and economic crises, of rising inequality and poverty, of persisting forms of discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, disability, age and other grounds, and of increasing precariousness of work and inadequate working conditions in Europe and the rest of the world. Recognise the (...) Read more
European & International News
International Safe Abortion Day: A call for full access to abortion for all women in the EU

Posted on 28 September 2021 |

“Prohibiting abortion pushes it underground and gives rise to unsafe abortions, violating the rights to life, health and bodily autonomy.” EWL joint statement at the 36th Human Rights Council Session (2017)
[Brussels, 28 September 2021] On the occasion of the International Safe Abortion Day, EWL reiterates its call to make safe abortion legally and practically accessible to all women and girls in Europe.
While we’ve been globally witnessing several significant legal achievements in Ireland (...) Read more
European & International News
Ahead of Istanbul Convention 10th anniversary, women CSOs sound the alarm on women’s rights rollback in Europe

Posted on 14 April 2021 |

Condemning Turkey’s recent decision and Poland’s announced intention to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, in a new report the European Women’s Lobby calls attention to the Treaty’s crucial role in protecting women and girls from male violence. Simply put: the Istanbul Convention saves women’s lives.
[Brussels, 14 April 2021] To mark the upcoming 10th anniversary of the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, the European women’s Lobby (...) Read more