European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Rosamund Shreeves
Beijing +25: Spotlight on young women and girls
In 1995, the ground-breaking documents adopted at the UN’s World Conference on Women drew attention both to the persistent discrimination facing girls worldwide – and to their potential to advocate for themselves and their communities. In adopting the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), 189 countries committed to uphold women’s rights and take measures in 12 interrelated areas where urgent action was needed, including the specific area of girls’ rights. Continue reading
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 2019
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November is a time to take stock of what has been done to root out this violation of women’s and girl’s human rights. Continue reading
Marking International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
Over the 2014-2019 legislature, the European Parliament has strongly condemned all forms of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, trans-sexual and intersex (LGBTI) people. Parliament has stressed the urgency of tackling increasing levels of hate speech and hate crime motivated by bias against a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, and put forward concrete proposals for combating hate speech and harmful stereotypes in the media. Continue reading
Measuring gender equality
During the events held at the European Parliament this week to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, a number of speakers referred to the slow progress made towards gender equality in the EU over the past decade. How do we know how much progress has been achieved? Continue reading
Spotlight on Women in Politics
With the 2019 European elections fast approaching, the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) is focusing its International Women’s Day event on the theme of women in politics, highlighting the contribution women have already made and urging more women to get involved, both as voters and as candidates. Continue reading
Zero tolerance for female genital mutilation
The European Union is committed to working collectively to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM) as part of broader efforts to combat all forms of violence against women and girls, and to support the efforts of its Member States in this field. Continue reading
EU policies – Delivering for citizens: Promoting equality between women and men [Policy Podcast]
The European Union (EU) is committed to eliminating inequalities and promoting gender equality ‘in all its activities’ and has made considerable advances over the years. Continue reading
EU policies – Delivering for citizens: Human Rights [Policy Podcast]
In the 70 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – the first international document to set common standards of achievement for all states – the pivotal role and moral, legal and political significance of human rights in the international arena have become indisputable. Continue reading
International Day of Persons with Disabilities – Leave no woman behind
Written by Ingeborg Odink and Rosamund Shreeves, According to the UN, an estimated one in five women worldwide live with disabilities and the prevalence of disability is actually higher among women than men (19.2 versus 12 %). Women and girls with disabilities are also among the most vulnerable and marginalised, because of the multiple and intersecting … Continue reading
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
This year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November marks just over a year since revelations about harassment by a prominent film industry executive and the resulting global sharing of women’s personal experiences on social media raised public awareness of the scale and omnipresence of sexual harassment. Continue reading
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia 2018
To mark this year’s International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) on 17 May, the Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBTI Rights – an informal forum for MEPs – is organising a specific event to highlight the situation of LGBTI people seeking asylum in Europe. Continue reading
Spotlight on gender equality in the media and digital sectors
When we turn on our radio or TV, open our newspaper, or power up our smartphone to surf online, what – and who – do we see? Do the images, narratives and messages fully represent us and convey our voices? Behind the scenes, how are we represented among the people who shape this media content? And why does this matter? Continue reading
Gender equality in the EU’s digital and media sectors
As the ‘digital revolution’ expands into more areas of our lives, from the way we work, to how we consume, look after our health, learn and take part in politics, it is increasingly clear that this is not just a purely technical – or economic – process, but also a social one, and one which is not gender-neutral. Continue reading
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 2017
This year, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, takes place against a backdrop of revelations about sexual harassment, that were followed by women sharing their personal experiences on social media, highlighting the magnitude of the problem, helping to raise public awareness, and igniting conversations throughout the EU. Continue reading
Empowering Women requires Women in Power
Written by Rosamund Shreeves, As the British historian, Mary Beard, highlighted this week, although women now sit alongside men in parliaments and government, powerful women – and the association of women with power – continue to elicit strong, negative reactions. For a telling illustration, Beard cites the use of Greek mythological imagery to depict the … Continue reading
International Women’s Day 2017 – Empowering women in the EU and beyond
Written by Rosamund Shreeves (EPRS) and Gaby Umbach (Globalstat), Graphics by Christian Dietrich and Giulio Sabbati. To mark this year’s International Women’s Day, the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) will join the European Commission, UN Women, the OECD, members of national parliaments and activists from Europe and across the world, … Continue reading
Work-life balance in the EU
Written by Ulla Jurviste and Rosamund Shreeves, Finding a suitable balance between work and daily life is a challenge that all workers face. Families are particularly affected. The ability to successfully combine work, family commitments and personal life is important for the well-being of all members in a household. The EU recognises the importance of reconciliation … Continue reading
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Written by Rosamund Shreeves, This year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November marks the start of a new campaign to end gender-based violence across Europe. The European Commission has chosen the international day to launch a year of focused action to combat violence against women in 2017. The package of … Continue reading
International Women’s Day: Highlighting the interconnections between global and local
Written by Rosamund Shreeves, From its roots in early 20th century women’s activism, International Women’s Day – 8th March – has become a time for celebrating women’s achievements and a time to measure and commit to parity, both globally and in our own European region, countries and communities. The interconnections between the global and the … Continue reading
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Written by Rosamund Shreeves On this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, this 25 November, crisis and conflict are more than ever on our minds – and on the political agenda. As recent research from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) highlights, conflict and displacement exacerbate violence against vulnerable groups, including women. … Continue reading
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