European & International News

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

European & International News
Binding legislation needed to ensure equal representation of women on boards

Posted on 7 June 2011 |

[Brussels, 7 June 2011] The past few weeks has brought the intensive debate about the lacking female membership on management boards back on the European agenda. Acknowledging the under-representation of women in senior posts the Women’s Committee of the EP (FEMM Committee) voted on 25 May a text encouraging Member States to make policy proposals or adopt legal measures to address the issue. Currently, research shows that only 10 per cent of the board members of the EU’s largest (...) Read more
European & International News
Portugal reopening the abortion debate?

Posted on 6 June 2011 |

[Brussels, 6 June 2011] Following the resignation of the Portuguese minority government earlier this year, yesterday on 5 June, Portugal voted in early parliamentary elections. According to the official government’s election results, the centre-right Social Democrats won the most votes and seats and are the party to issue the next prime minister.
The name of the Social Democrat leader Pedro Passos Coelho emerged as the most probable country’s new prime minister. A lot of media attention was (...) Read more
European & International News
European organisations’ untapped funding potential

Posted on 6 June 2011 |

European foundations are willing to support philanthropic causes but the intentions are not always reflected in funding and real action.
[Brussels, 06 June 2011] A study of 145 organisations across 19 countries has recently pointed out that philanthropy is not uncommon to European foundations. A number of these foundations are making grants or supporting different programs intended to benefit women and girls in a variety of ways, ranging from financial independence of single mothers in (...) Read more
European & International News
Belgium and the Netherlands vote on non-binding quotas

Posted on 3 June 2011 |

[Brussels, 01 June 2011] Only one week after the European Parliament’s Women’s Rights Committee voted in favour of proposals to impose quotas, allowing competent women more equal access to top jobs, some worrying news has emerged from two EU Member States. MEPs may be sympathetic to quotas but national governments are still afraid to back proposals for binding measures.
Belgium
Such is the case in Belgium, where the debate has been on the agenda this week. The Trade Law Commission at the (...) Read more
European & International News
Turkey - UN Concerns about Disparities in Enjoyment of Economic, Social & Cultural Rights between Women & Men & between Regions

Posted on 3 June 2011 |

[Roj Women, London, 31 May 2011] The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which reviewed Turkey in May 2011, has recently produced its Concluding Observations. Roj Women’s Association welcomes the support of the Committee to our key demands, reflected throughout the document. The following are the most remarkable points in it: Turkey is called to adopt a general law on non-discrimination, There is concern about the absence of a legislative framework for the (...) Read more
European & International News
UN Women Wraps Up Global Listening Tour

Posted on 3 June 2011 |

[UN Women, New York, 2 June 2011] The new U.N. superagency for women is preparing for a June vote by its country executive board on its strategic plan.Preparations for this kick-off positioning statement have been long and global.
Under the guidance of Executive Director Michele Bachelet, the former president of Chile, the group has conducted about 70 consultative sessions in 71 countries from January to early April this year.
One session - representing Mexico, Central America, the (...) Read more
European & International News
Malta votes YES to right to divorce

Posted on 3 June 2011 |

[Brussels, 01 June 2011] Malta, one of only two countries in the whole world where divorce is still banned, on Sunday made a historical step towards a major social change. In a referendum on 28 May, more than half of Maltese voted in favour of legalising divorce, bringing about a new era for social rights in Malta, defined by renewed freedom of choice for women and men. Previously, married couples could only go through a slow process to either obtain a legal separation through the (...) Read more
European & International News
MEPs sympathetic to gender budgeting within the next EU long-term budget frame

Posted on 3 June 2011 |

[Brussels, 01 June 2011] The European Parliament’s position on the EU’s long-term budget frame acknowledges the importance of gender responsive budgeting as a good governance tool and calls adequate financing for gender equality.
Members of the European Parliament’s Policy Challenges committee voted on 25 May on a report that outlines Parliament’s views on the EU’s next multi-annual financial framework (MFF) that will set the EU’s policy priorities and spending ceilings for several years after (...) Read more
European & International News
MEPs sympathetic to quotas for women in business leadership

Posted on 27 May 2011 |

[European Parliament, Brussels, 24 May 2011] Only 10% of the board members of the EU’s top 10 listed companies are women and Parliament vice-president Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou wants to introduce legally binding quotas to improve gender balance in boardrooms. Parliament’s Women’s Committee will vote 25 May on proposals to impose quotas, allowing competent women access to top jobs.
The introduction of legal requirements at national level has helped in some EU countries, but statistics show (...) Read more
European & International News
WHO issues plan to improve maternal & child health through Better Nutrition

Posted on 27 May 2011 |

[New York, UN, 23 May 2011] The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has drafted a plan committing Member States and development partners to implement priority nutrition interventions and policies on health care, education and agriculture to improve the health of mothers and their children.
The measures, which will be included in a WHO report to be entitled Maternal, infant and young child nutrition: implementation plan, were discussed today at WHO’s ongoing 64th World Health (...) Read more