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EUROPEAN UnION OF WOMEN
EUW member sections are invited to co-ordinate members for their country’s delegation to the 2025 Europe Alive in Malta from 16-20 October.
Europe Alive gives members an opportunity to visit another EUW country for social, political and cultural exchange and to develop friendships across Europe. The deadline for bookings and deposits from each member section is 31 May 2025. British Section of EUW is pleased to announce details of the 2025 Spring Lunch. Please email [email protected] to book.
We’re proud to invite you to the special on line event on Monday 17th March at 6.30pm CET in parallel event with the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women running in New-York on: Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document. President Margaret Hales, who lives in Spain, was invited to talk to 35 Ukrainian women, all psychologists, about the European Union of Women. Gathered in a villa high above the Mediterranean, EUW in Spain cooked a meal for all and Margaret then introduced them to EUW. She explained that EUW was born in the ruins of World War II and that good things would come out of the horrors of the war in Ukraine. The women expressed great interest in EUW and have already made contact. Some of them also hope to link into the Parallel events.
The 2025 Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) will take place from March 10 to March 21, 2025, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. This session marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted in 1995, focusing on the review and appraisal of progress made in women's rights and gender equality.
At the same time as government representatives meet, there is also a meeting in New York of all the NGOs with consultative status with the United Nations. For those who are unable to attend, and post the pandemic, digital meetings by zoom etc are organised. These are called Parallel Events. The European Union of Women will be organising three such parallel events and they are available to all members of EUW and their friends. Tuesday 11 March 18.30pm GMT (NOTE) for 90 minutes, in English Exploring Europe's new laws for preventing violence against women'. Hosted by the British Section and organised by the Chair of British Section, Aminda Leigh. Monday, 17 March 18.30 CET for 90 minutes, in French Girls' right to education and a healthy environment: a lever for health, well-being and equality in society. Because women's rights continue to be violated around the world and indifference must stop, we will be debating initiatives to ensure that girls' rights are respected. Organised by the French Section. Thursday, 20 March 18.30 CET for 90 minutes in English The responsibility of European women in bringing about change for equality, peace, climate, and more generally for their participation in decision-making processes. Organised by the French Section in English together with EUW Vice President Walburga von Lerchenfeld. One of our active EUW members, kindly facilitated some excellent training on Artificial Intelligence to fellow members across all sections in November 2024. Four sessions were held (translated live by AI into German, Spanish, English and French) and after onboarding attendees with the technology, sessions were held introducing artificial intelligence, and then included real-time, hands-on training using various applications and chatbots to see how they can help with everyday tasks! It was most interesting, and participating members learnt lots – many thanks for organising!
Since its inception in 1952, the European Parliament had only 31 women members until the first elections in 1979. Among them were notable figures like Maria Probst and Diane Elles, who later became presidents of the European Union of Women (EUW). In 1979, women made up 15.9% of the Parliament, and as of February 2024, this has risen to 39.8%.
We as EUW are proud see strong women leaders like Gisela Grabow in Germany and Sarka Slaviková Klimová in the Czech Republic in running in the upcoming elections. We also support Rozália Biro, President of the EPP Women, in her candidacy for the mayoralty in her home town Oradea in Romania. Our best wishes go to these women and all others who are dedicated to making a difference in politics today. But sending good wishes is not enough. Women have the opportunity to achieve equal representation in the next European Parliament. We must vote and encourage others to do the same. Participation in the democratic process is a core value of the European Union of Women. While some of us are affected by Brexit and cannot vote, we urge everyone to make a special effort in the upcoming elections. Encourage everyone—women, men, and especially the young voters who are eligible to vote for the first time in countries like Germany, Austria, Belgium, Malta, and Greece. Democracy thrives when we all participate. Thank you for your efforts. Photo credits: European Parliament Today, the EU commemorates 20 years since the last large round of enlargement when ten countries – Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia – joined the bloc. EUW is proud to have women in most of these countries as members. 2004 to 2024 and beyond! 10 new Member States + 20 years of transformation = 1 stronger Union On the 1 May we mark the 20th anniversary of the EU's biggest enlargement. Since 2004 Europe has changed every Member State, and every Member State has equally changed Europe. Here's to many more years, because we're stronger together! OVERVIEWOn 1 May 2024, the European Union celebrates the 20th anniversary of its largest enlargement, often referred to as the "Big Bang" enlargement[5]. This historic event occurred on 1 May 2004, when ten countries joined the EU simultaneously: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia[3][6].
This enlargement was significant for several reasons:
The benefits of this enlargement have been substantial:
To commemorate this anniversary, various EU institutions are organizing celebrations. The European Parliament held a formal sitting with current and former EU leaders, including a Q&A session with young people born around the time of the 2004 enlargement[3]. The European Commission and other EU buildings are being illuminated with the message "20 Years Together" in blue and yellow[5]. This anniversary serves as a reminder of the EU's commitment to integration and the positive impact of enlargement on both new and existing member states[1][8]. Citations: [1] https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/news/20-years-together-eu-celebrates-2004-enlargement-2024-04-30_en [2] https://www.intereconomics.eu/contents/year/2024/number/4/article/twenty-years-after-the-big-enlargement-integration-within-the-single-market.html [3] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240419IPR20538/parliament-celebrates-the-20th-anniversary-of-the-eu-s-biggest-enlargement [4] https://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/european-issues/747-twenty-years-after-the-largest-ever-enlargement [5] https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/05/01/eu-celebrates-largest-ever-enlargement-anniversary-with-colourful-display [6] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/2004-enlargement-facts-and-figures/ [7] https://learning-corner.learning.europa.eu/news-and-competitions/20th-anniversary-eu-enlargement-2024-05-01_en [8] https://commission.europa.eu/20-years-together_en [9] https://www.ceps.eu/ceps-events/celebrating-the-20th-anniversary-of-the-eus-big-bang-enlargement-identifying-lessons-for-the-future/ [10] https://www.perplexity.ai/elections/2024-11-05/us/president |
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