EU countries should ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health
Jun 24 2021
EU countries should ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health

News | European Parliament

  • Guarantee access to safe and legal abortion
  • Remove all barriers to sexual and reproductive health services
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on women’s health and rights
  • There should be no VAT on menstrual products

MEPs urge member states to protect and further enhance women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in a report adopted on Thursday.

With 378 votes in favour, 255 against and 42 abstentions, plenary states that the right to health, in particular sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), is a fundamental pillar of women’s rights and gender equality that cannot in any way be watered down or withdrawn. 

Parliament declares that violations of women’s SRHR are a form of violence against women and girls and hinder progress towards gender equality. It thus calls on EU countries to ensure women are offered high quality, comprehensive and accessible SRHR, and to remove all barriers impeding them from using these services.

 

Access to abortion, contraception and sexuality education

MEPs stress that some member states still have highly restrictive laws prohibiting abortion except in strictly defined circumstances, forcing women to seek clandestine abortions or carry their pregnancy to term against their will, which is a violation of their human rights. They urge all member states to ensure universal access to safe and legal abortion, and guarantee that abortion on request is legal in early pregnancy, and beyond if the pregnant person’s health is in danger.

MEPs regret that some member states allow medical practitioners, and even entire medical institutions, refuse the provision of health services because of a so-called conscience clause. This leads to the denial of abortion care on the grounds of religion or conscience and puts women’s lives in danger.

Furthermore, the House demands that EU countries ensure a range of high-quality contraceptive methods and supplies, family counselling and information on contraception are widely available. 

MEPs regret that access to abortion continues to be limited during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as the effects the pandemic has had on the supply and access to contraceptives. 

Parliament encourages member states to ensure sexuality education is taught comprehensively to primary and secondary school children, as SRHR education can significantly contribute to reducing sexual violence and harassment.

 

Menstrual products are essential basic goods

Pointing out the negative effects of the so-called tampon tax on gender equality, MEPs call on member states to make use of the flexibility introduced in the VAT Directive and apply exemptions or 0% VAT rates to these essential basic goods. They also ask EU countries to tackle menstrual poverty by providing free period products to anyone in need.

 

Quote 

Rapporteur Predrag Matić (S&D, HR) said: ‘‘This vote marks a new era in the European Union and the first real resistance to a regressive agenda that has trampled on women’s rights in Europe for years. A majority of MEPs have made their position clear to member states and called on them to ensure access to safe and legal abortion and a range of other sexual and reproductive health services.’’

 

A worldwide issue

In a separate resolution taking stock of the results of the Nairobi Summit on population and development, MEPs emphasise that women around the world should be guaranteed proper and affordable healthcare and respect for their sexual and reproductive rights. They add that accessible SRHR services, family planning, maternal, antenatal and neonatal healthcare and safe abortion services are important elements in saving women’s lives and reducing infant and child mortality. The text passed with 444 votes to 182 and 57 abstentions.

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MADAM YALE – A PIONEER IN THE WELLNESS INDUSTRY
Jun 22 2021
MADAM YALE – A PIONEER IN THE WELLNESS INDUSTRY

One April afternoon in 1897, thousands of women gathered at the Boston Theater to see the most captivating lady entrepreneur in the United States, a 45-year-old former housewife whose personal branding talent could rival that of any celebrity on Instagram today. . Her name is Madame Yale. For several hours and numerous dress changes, she preached her “Religion of Beauty”, telling the audience about the most beautiful women in history – a group that includes Helen of Troy, the Roman goddess Diana and apparently Madame Yale herself.

This event is her 11th public appearance in Boston in recent years, and in addition to words about beauty, it also includes various lotions and decoctions – products that Yale, of course, sells – which she says have turned her from a fat and exhausted woman in the beauty of the stage. And indeed: her tall, hourglass-shaped figure is dressed in white silk, and her blond curls fall around her heart-shaped pink-cheeked face. The applause is thundering. The Boston Herald praises her “proposal for health and beauty” in a country where “every woman wants to be good and look good.”

Madame Yale has been making similar public presentations about beauty throughout the country since 1892, presenting herself in a way very familiar to consumers today. She is a true pioneer in what business gurus call wellness – which costs about $ 4.5 trillion worldwide today – and this achievement alone is enough to draw her attention.

Day after day, online, in the press, on television and on social media, women are flooded with ads for wellness products that promise to fix the skin and digestion, hair and mood seemingly at once. Madame Yale, born Maude Mayberg in 1852, used the same techniques more than a century ago. In fact, she is the spiritual godmother of Gwyneth Paltrow, who founded the $ 250 million Goop Corporation.

Like other gurus, Madame Yale is an attractive blonde woman – “as beautiful as a woman can be,” says New Orleans Picayune and “the most beautiful woman known on Earth since Helen of Troy,” according to the Buffalo Times. Madame Yale became famous during a boom for women entrepreneurs in the field of beauty, shortly before Elizabeth Arden and Estee Lauder, whose makeup empires are still alive today. But Madame Yale differs from these tycoons by promising to transform women from the inside out, instead of helping them hide their imperfections on the façade. This in itself is a genius trick: Since wearing visible makeup remains a questionable moral choice during this period, many women flock to Yale’s product offerings in hopes of becoming so naturally flawless that they don’t need to paint their faces. In the 1990s, her business was valued at $ 500,000 – about $ 15 million in today’s money.

In the archives of the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, among yellowed ads for cocaine-soaked toothache drops and opium-soaked tampons, we find a worn-out promotional brochure about Yale’s core business, Fruitcura, the product she advertises most widely. . Madame Yale says she came across the elixir during a dark period in her life – when “my cheeks were sunken, my eyes were hollow and expressionless, and my complexion looked hopelessly pale. Her clients make “sincere and casual” comments in the brochures. One woman wrote that “I suffered from women’s troubles for more than 10 years, was in the hospital and was treated by some of the best doctors, but I did not receive constant relief until I started taking your medication.”

In the late 19th century, medical experts – almost exclusively men – were largely helpless in what could only be described as an epidemic of acute malaise among women, according to Complaints and Disorders: Sexual Policy in Sickness, a story published by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English in 1973.

Especially wealthy women complain of endless malaise, seizures and inability to eat, loss of femininity with advancing age, marriage and childbirth. In response, doctors often attribute their physical complaints to psychological illnesses and say that too much activity in a woman’s mind can lead to uterine dysfunction. They are prescribed endless bed rest.

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MEN ARE MORE VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE THAN WOMEN
Jun 22 2021
MEN ARE MORE VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE THAN WOMEN

Probably no one paid attention to Edward L. Bernays – the author of the book “Propaganda”, which explains completely freely how the world is governed today. If you don’t know him, he is the reason the United States entered World War I. To do this, someone has to provoke the country, and since a sunken ship with several Americans on board is the only thing that psychologists can think of, very soon Bernays – nephew of Sigmond Freud, with the help of a friend journalist, began to inflate the situation to make Americans want war on their own. Isn’t that weird? It is enough to draw a dividing line and watch the two sides enter into a fierce battle. Whether it is war, ideology, sexuality, even religion, the important thing is to have an enemy.

Most likely the enemy at the moment is the approaching Pride, where they talk about each other again, about some crazy division, which most of the time we don’t even remember when and where it is. Of course, this topic is so controversial, that even those who do not want to have anything to do with either side are quick to get involved. Again, it is enough to draw the dividing line and find yourself in enemy fire. That is exactly why we will not comment and we will not look for the sensation – many other people have tried to do that there is simply nothing more to say. Let’s pay attention to the idea for every 3rd.

The situation is so delicate that the only and best that can be provided in this regard is the use of facts. We suspect that you were not unfamiliar with the idea of ​​the Istanbul Convention, for every third and fourth woman – a victim of sexual or violence in general, as well as many additional deviations in the vast study. For the normal and reasonable person, there is a very serious question: if four people are standing at the same table and no one has resorted to violence, what should that mean? Anyone lying? For many, it can be extremely frightening, especially since we have many more than four friends.

Somewhere historically, this line and this phenomenal statistic have been drawn, which today circulates and repeats itself as an axiom. Such a statement can be considered offensive and even frightening, especially for males. If this is true, then we must assume that human evolution is not just going backwards, but that we will soon be running with the bats and waiting for the beloved to come out of the darkness to condemn feelings through brain trauma.

In 2013, the definition changed to carnal contact with a woman who did not give her consent. Many are dissatisfied because the statistics exist only with the given information. Here we refer to the reported cases. Contradictions usually occur. A number of feminist movements claim that the victims refuse to seek protection and the statistics are manipulated, the study itself is wrong and many others. Where does the idea for every 3rd woman come from?

To this end, we must turn our attention to Professor Mary Kos, an active feminist and professor of psychology at the University of Kent. In 1982, he argued that rape was an extreme act that went hand in hand with normal male behavior in society. In other words, the man is not only capable of doing it, but will not even accept it as something so special. The woman was invited to do research on sexual assault at US universities, and after lengthy analysis, she concluded that 27.5% of women there had been victims. There is one detail, one of all the questions is the following:

“Did you have sexual intercourse when you didn’t want to because your husband offered you alcohol or drugs?”

Based on this answer, it is concluded that more than 1/4 of the participants were raped. Of course, after the results are released, most of the respondents do not agree with this statement, at the same time about 3/4 of the participants even state that they are currently living or meeting with their rapist. The magic spell has been launched into the universe and has officially become the slogan of a number of other studies, feminist organizations and more. Few even inquired about the origin of this claim, especially since, statistically speaking, rape automatically shifts leftists, alcoholism, and heart attacks. Thanks to Mary Kos, every time a lady goes out on a date and is treated to a drink and overcomes her sexual worries, she is officially on the list of victims, the same goes for the men who commit this act – for them it is the category of evil. Therefore, we have the line drawn and we start counting the purchased alcohol.

In Canada, we will find that the situation becomes even more complicated because, according to the Minister of Women’s Affairs – apparently there is such a ministry in Canada – the statement for every third or fourth (variations are accepted) is not based on analytical data and statistics, but on the perception of the woman for sexual violence, in which elements such as staring at a woman, whistling after a woman, possibly smiling at a woman, etc. are present, ie this includes any possible behavior that can be counted on assault on sex and sexual freedom by the victim.

At the same time, we find that the refusal of any communication, including greetings, can lead to the rejection by society of the perception of a man as rude, arrogant and many others. To support the idea of ​​this statement, in which few even think, we are ready to destroy the social world as such. It’s not that hard to achieve, think about what exactly the law is doing right now. Gender and racial equality is now not only lost, but constantly strengthened. There is substitution with eternal sacrifice and eternal oppressor, and the role of the court does not seek to judge correctly, but simply to continue to create conflict and to redraw the border over and over again.

Thus, not only do we discover some crazy ideas, but also a change in legislation. We immediately cite France as an example, where no employer wants to hire a person legally, for a number of reasons. Every employee has the right to come to work later, to sleep at work, to call that he is ill every Monday and has no right to be fired without going through a long and complicated legal dispute.

It is enough to add chronic depression, back pain, alcoholism and many other similar elements to recognize his disability and to be released with huge compensation.

So far so good, but do you have any idea what happens if an employee says they will sue their employer for sexual harassment? The number of lawyers who are happy to deal with the case completely free of charge is impressive. Such a statement, including a smile, a look or a conversation without a third party, will officially lead to the company’s bankruptcy. The freedom to count every human look or smile not only paints a rather insane picture, but also guarantees us antisocial relationships forever.

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The World Health Organization wants to ban women from drinking alcohol
Jun 19 2021
The World Health Organization wants to ban women from drinking alcohol

The WHO proposes a ban on alcohol for women of childbearing age, according to the draft Global Plan of Action against Alcohol for 2022-2030.

According to the document, the parties should raise public awareness of the dangers of alcoholic beverages, but special attention should be paid to children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age. This is due to the fact that alcohol consumption before and during childbirth can lead to the development of various diseases and disorders, as well as to the emergence of problems with social behavior and the ability to learn, the text says. It is noted that this also has a negative impact on the physical and psychological well-being of the mother.

In this regard, the WHO concludes that the best option would be for women to abstain from alcohol altogether.

These statements provoked widespread criticism among people on social networks, and the organization itself was accused of sexism.

80 years ago, in 1941, Reich Propaganda Office and the Institute for Hereditary Biology and Racial Hygiene could not stop German women from smoking.

Anyway, it is estimated some 20,000 German women avoided lung cancer deaths thanks to Nazi paternalism, which discouraged women from smoking, often with police force.

Women in Thuringia aged under 25 years were not allowed to smoke in restaurants. In contrast, a similar poster in the region of Emscher-Lippe (Northern Ruhr Basin) in 1941 instructing the restaurant owner to forbid women to smoke, even to ‘make use of his domestic authority’, was criticized for not being approved by any district office (Gaudienststelle). Together with other examples of ‘bad propaganda’, it was brought to the attention of the Health Minister responsible for Reich-wide regulation. In some parts of Germany, there were a number of unapproved anti-tobacco activities (e.g. a poster in Mecklenburg announced that the Führer deplored smoking and smokers damaged the power of the German people) as well as statements by certain individuals (e.g. Robert Ley, head of the German Labour Front, who had trained in chemistry at Jena) or organizations (e.g. German Women’s Alliance for Alcohol Free Culture – Deutscher Frauenbund für alkoholfreie Kultur, etc.). Many of these local initiatives were often so exceptional that they attracted widespread media attention. Thus, a prohibition of smoking in public by boys and girls in Mecklenburg, with breaches punished by 2 weeks in prison or a fine of 150 Reichsmark, was even reported in the British ‘Daily Telegraph’ newspaper on 1 June 1936. Again, many initiatives had more to do with the status of women than with smoking as such. For example, members of the police force in the town of Erfurt were instructed to remind women smoking in public of their duties as German women and mothers, which echoed the verbal abuse of women in Berlin who wore cosmetics.22 These measures were not endorsed by the Nazi leadership and were only local actions.

Thus, on 5 July 1941, an urgent letter was sent by telex from the Reich Propaganda Office (in agreement with the Party Chancellery) to all chief administrators of districts, members of the National Socialist Organization for Propaganda and People’s Enlightenment, and liaison officers in important organizations, establishing guidelines on Reich-consistent anti-tobacco propaganda. These guidelines, which demonstrate a somewhat tolerant view of smoking, were summarized in nine bullet points(Box 1).

Box 1 Reich Propaganda Department guidelines on anti-smoking campaigns, issued on 5 July 1941

  • The magazine Reine Luft must give up its combative character and its polemic tenor. It should become the organ for scientific research and public education about the dangers of tobacco.
  • Physicians must give consistent messages to the population.
  • All anti-tobacco propaganda directed at the public must be approved.
  • The anti-tobacco campaign aimed at young people will be conducted according to the existent plans which are in accordance with the Reichsjugendführung (magazines, educational letters for in-house meetings, illustrations, brochures).
  • A very careful campaign should be directed at women, in particular addressing those who are pregnant or breast-feeding
  • Magazines for young people, women, physicians and sports may be used more extensively for health education.
  • There are no objections to propaganda in support of a further ban on smoking in work places, assemblies, meetings, sports fields and similar.
  • Tobacco advertising by the manufacturers will be reduced incrementally.
  • Campaigns at district level are only permitted within the framework of these guidelines.

This letter was also addressed to the German Alliance for Combating the Dangers of Tobacco (Deutscher Bund zur Bekämpfung der Tabakgefahren), founded after the Nazis came to power. It specified that proposals to use the press for anti-smoking campaigns, to ban women from smoking in restaurants, and to restrict tobacco adverts to statements of manufacturer, brand name and price were not approved by the party. However, it also noted that ‘if the Alliance wishes to be consistent with existing Reich anti-tobacco propaganda’, it could do ‘valuable educational work’.

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In China, unmarried women over the age of 27 have come up with an offensive name
Jun 18 2021
In China, unmarried women over the age of 27 have come up with an offensive name

The Chinese government has taken drastic measures. Now women who are not married before the age of 27 are officially considered a stale commodity and are called “leftover”.

Most of China’s female population is extremely upset that women who did not marry before the age of 30 are now stigmatized and considered white crows in society, reports Raut.

The Communist government has ordered members of the All-China Women’s Feminist Federation to use a derogatory term in published articles about a growing number of educated, professional, ambitious, but single women aged 27-30 who have “failed” to find a suitable husband. They are now declared non-grata.

The government went even further and published an article entitled “Women-eaters (remnants) do not deserve our sympathy.”

The derogatory name was picked up by the state media and spread across the country, causing outrage among millions of ambitious young and educated women who claim to be dumped, although the problem is not their unwillingness to marry, but simply the lack of worthy candidates for husbands.

By doing so, the government intends to counter the growing gender imbalance among the 1.3 billion population. The fact is that 118 boys per 100 girls are born in China.

When June Ding goes on a date, she tries to look as modest as possible. In no case do not wear a short top, do not decorate the neck with a necklace, do not wear a neckline. Her choice is a closed sweater and scarf. A man speaks during a date. June’s role is to listen carefully, show maximum interest and gently stroke the man’s ego every minute of conversation.

27-year-old June such dates are not easy. She is by no means a chamomile girl: a cheerful, sociable, sharp-tongued graduate of one of the best schools in her city, who later graduated from Yale University and worked as a lawyer in New York. Like many of her fellow citizens, June felt homesick and returned to her home country, to her parents. Now they are trying hard to help their daughter fulfill her main purpose – to get married.

“Don’t laugh out loud!” June’s mother warns. One of her main tips is to restrain any expressions of pleasure and fun in the presence of a Chinese gentleman. Father June, a university professor, suggests replacing laughter with Mona Lisa’s restrained smile.

Only the word “wife” and its derivatives have a more ancient root. And let’s take Latin, there we will find: “genere” (to give birth), “genetivus” (genitive case), “genus” (genus) … Or in Greek: “gyne” (woman), “gynaikaion” (gynecology, female) half of the house) … And if a woman refuses to give birth, then who is she? By definition, which is contained in the word itself, denoting it – “giving birth” – is no longer a woman. But he’s not a man! .. Then who ?! “

“Ambitious single women are not worthy of our sympathy.” – The government says. This whole situation is rather strange. Recently, China has been concerned about overpopulation, and now, instead of encouraging such girls, they are openly oppressed.

“Marriage and  raising children are the main reasons for the unfair treatment of women in the job market,” said Guo Sheng, CEO of Zhaopin.

“The stereotype is that women shoulder more duties in a family, such as doing chores and raising children, which distracts them from their jobs and hurts their chances for promotion as a result of unsatisfying work performance. It’s just unfair,” he said.

The Zhaopin report surveyed 86,510 people across the nation.

Another report focusing on the situation of Chinese women in the workforce by Linkedln, an employment-oriented website based in Sunnyvale, California, shows that one-third of the surveyed Chinese women registered with the site changed jobs or chose to freelance after having a baby, and 46 percent said they either turned down job offers or failed to get a job because of pregnancy.

The LinkedIn report covered 1,100 Chinese women who gave birth within the past two years.

Luo Ying, a 30-year-old mother who quit her job after becoming pregnant, said, “I worked for a private company before resigning. I could sense that my boss was unhappy when I told him I was going to have a baby, but he didn’t say anything. When he assigned me to a project requiring a two-week business trip, I quit. My baby is much more important.”

Liang Jianzhang, a professor at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management, said, “Childcare services should be accessible to more women workers to help them return to work. Also, companies are encouraged to employ more flexible work schedules for workers, especially women workers who have just delivered their babies and are still breastfeeding.”

The gender gap, however, does not exist only in China, but is a universal problem that remains to be tackled, according to a report for 2018 released by the World Economic Forum.

The report shows that, globally, women’s salaries were only half those of men in 2018, and female employees occupied only one-third of management posts. Worldwide, the report says, achieving equal work for equal pay would take as long as 202 years to achieve given the current rate of progress.

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EU countries should ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health
May 11 2021
EU countries should ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health

News | European Parliament

  • Guarantee access to safe and legal abortion
  • Remove all barriers impeding full access to sexual and reproductive health services
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has a negative impact on women’s health and rights

MEPs urge member states to protect and further enhance women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in a report adopted on Tuesday.

In the draft report approved by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality by 27 votes in favour, 6 against and 1 abstention, MEPs point out that the right to health, in particular sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), are fundamental women’s rights which should be enhanced and cannot in any way be watered down or withdrawn.


They add that violations of women’s SRHR are a form of violence against women and girls and hinder progress towards gender equality. They thus call on EU countries to ensure access to a full range of high-quality, comprehensive and accessible SRHR, and remove all barriers impeding full access to these services.

Access to abortion, contraception and sexuality education

Women’s Rights and Gender Equality MEPs stress that some member states still have highly restrictive laws prohibiting abortion except in strictly defined circumstances, leading to women having to seek clandestine abortions or carry their pregnancy to term against their will, which is a violation of their human rights. Thus, they urge all member states to ensure universal access to safe and legal abortion, and guarantee that abortion at request is legal in early pregnancy, and beyond if the pregnant person’s health is in danger. They also recall that a total ban on abortion care is a form a gender-based violence.


Furthermore, MEPs demand that EU countries ensure universal access to a range of high-quality contraceptive methods and supplies, family counselling and information on contraception.


They also urge member states to ensure access to comprehensive sexuality education for primary and secondary school children, as SRHR education can significantly contribute to reducing sexual violence and harassment.

The negative impact of the pandemic on women’s health

Regretting that access to abortion continues to be limited during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as the effects the pandemic has had on the supply and access to contraceptives, MEPs urge EU countries to consider the health impact of this crisis through a gender lens and ensure the continuation of a full range of SRHR services through the health systems.

, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20210510IPR03806/

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International Women’s Day 2021: Women leading the fight against COVID-19
Mar 2 2021
International Women’s Day 2021: Women leading the fight against COVID-19

MEPs and national parliamentarians will discuss women’s key role in fighting the pandemic during an inter-parliamentary committee meeting on Thursday morning.

The annual inter-parliamentary meeting marking International Women’s Day gathers MEPs and national MPs to discuss gender equality and women’s rights issues. This year’s theme is ‘‘We are strong: Women leading the fight against COVID-19’’.

After an introductory word by the Chair of the EP Women’s Rights Committee, Evelyn Regner (S&D, AT), opening speeches will be delivered by EP President David Sassoli, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, followed by a keynote speech by the President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

The main panel discussion will deal with ‘‘Women on the frontlines: lessons learnt from the crisis management’’. Khadija Arib, President of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, Dr Isabelle Loeb, Medical Director at Saint-Pierre Hospital in Brussels, Kristel Krustuuk, Founder and Chief Testing Officer at Testlio, Carlien Scheele, Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality, and Concha Andreu, Rapporteur on the Gender Equality Strategy at the European Committee of the Regions, will participate.

Closing remarks will be delivered by Helena Dalli, Commissioner for equality, and by Evelyn Regner.

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Attacks on abortion rights and breaches of the rule of law in Poland | European Parliament
Feb 23 2021
Attacks on abortion rights and breaches of the rule of law in Poland | European Parliament

, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20210219IPR98207/

On Wednesday, MEPs will discuss women’s rights and the rule of law in Poland with Commissioner Dalli and civil society representatives.

The hearing is jointly organised by the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality committees. It will focus on the impact of measures and attacks on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in Poland, such as the right to access healthcare, the right to privacy, and the right to education. The hearing will also examine how various communities still face discrimination, in conjunction with the deteriorating situation of the rule of law.

On Wednesday, MEPs will discuss women’s rights and the rule of law in Poland with Commissioner Dalli and civil society representatives.

The hearing is jointly organised by the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality committees. It will focus on the impact of measures and attacks on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in Poland, such as the right to access healthcare, the right to privacy, and the right to education. The hearing will also examine how various communities still face discrimination, in conjunction with the deteriorating situation of the rule of law.

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Still many challenges ahead to achieve gender equality
Feb 11 2021
Still many challenges ahead to achieve gender equality
  • The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating existing gender inequalities
  • The rise in domestic violence must be urgently addressed
  • Universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights services must be guaranteed

MEPs assessed the progress made in women’s rights over the past 25 years and the many challenges still ahead, in a resolution adopted on Thursday.

More than twenty-five years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) was adopted, MEPs regret that, although some progress have been made, no EU member states have fully attained the targets set in the text, as the 5th review of the BPFA published by the European Institute for Gender Equality in 2020 shows.

In the resolution adopted by 505 votes in favour, 109 against and 76 abstentions, MEPs also express deep concern regarding the current pandemic, which exacerbates existing gender inequalities, threatens to reverse the progress made until now, and could push 47 million more women and girls below the poverty line worldwide.

 

Eradicating gender-based violence

In order to tackle violence against women, MEPs reiterate their call to ratify the Istanbul Convention and urge the Commission to come up with an EU Directive to prevent and combat all forms of gender-based violence. The increase in domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic must be urgently addressed, they add, by providing protection services for victims, such as helplines, safe accommodation and health services.

Specific measures are also needed to eradicate cyber violence, including online harassment, cyberbullying and hate speech, which disproportionately affect women and girls.

 

Towards a more balanced gender representation in the economy

Parliament reiterates its call on EU member states to unblock the Women on Boards Directive, and pushes for EU targets, action plans, timelines and temporary special measures to move towards a balanced representation in all executive, legislative and administrative positions.

Adopting EU legislation to increase pay transparency would help to close the gender gap, MEPs stress, who regret that the Commission proposal on that issue has not yet been presented as planned.

 

Universal access to healthcare is a human right

MEPs are particularly worried by some retrogressive tendencies regarding access to health services in some EU countries. They notably condemn the recent de facto ban on abortion in Poland.

 Access to family planning, maternal health services and safe and legal abortion services are key elements that guarantee women’s rights and save lives, they underline. Finally, MEPs also call for the universal respect for, and access to, sexual and reproductive health and rights services, as agreed in the Beijing Declaration.

Background

The Beijing Declaration was adopted by the UN at the end of the 4th World Conference on Women on 15 September 1995 to promulgate a set of principles on gender equality. The Platform for Action called for strategic actions in a variety of areas (economy, education, health, violence, decision-making, etc.).

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Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025: Parliament’s reaction and input
Jan 21 2021
Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025: Parliament’s reaction and input
  • MEPs welcome the strategy but criticise the lack of concrete targets for 2025
  • Binding measures necessary to close the gender pay gap
  • Concerns about backlash against gender equality, notably in Poland and Hungary

Parliament welcomes the positive measures included in the EU’s new Gender Equality Strategy but calls for additional actions and specific and binding targets.

In their report adopted by 464 votes in favour, 119 against and 93 abstentions on Thursday, MEPs describe the Commission’s 2020-2025 Gender Equality Strategy as ambitious but regret that it is sometimes too vague and lacks defined targets to be reached by 2025 and clear monitoring tools.

Combatting violence against women

With regard to the Istanbul Convention, Parliament welcomes the Commission’s intention to propose measures in 2021 to achieve the Convention’s objectives in case some member states continue to block its ratification.

Deeply worried about the nature, extent and gravity of violence and harassment in the workplace, MEPs call for binding measures to define and prohibit violence and harassment at work. These include access to gender-responsive, safe and effective complaint and dispute resolution mechanisms, training and awareness-raising campaigns, and support services and remedies.

They also push for an EU framework directive to prevent and combat all forms of gender-based violence – particularly female genital mutilation (FGM), forced abortion, sterilisation and marriages, sexual exploitation, trafficking, cyber violence and online hate speech against women.

Closing the gender pay gap

In order to bridge the gender pay gap, MEPs urge the Commission to table binding measures on pay transparency as soon as possible.

In the context of the pandemic, MEPs highlight that 70% of the global health and social workforce are women, often paid the minimum salary. They call for wages and working conditions in strongly female-dominated sectors such as care, health and retail sales to be levelled up.

Countering backlash against gender equality

MEPs express their deep concern over the backlash against women’s rights in some member states, in particular regarding abortion rights and the access to comprehensive sex education in Poland, as well as the adopted reform that attacks transgender and intersex rights in Hungary. They call for the state of women’s rights and gender equality to be monitored continuously, including disinformation and regressive initiatives in all member states, and for an alarm system to highlight when rights are taken away.

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The rapporteur, Maria Noichl (S&D, DE), said: “Today the European Parliament puts gender equality back on the agenda. We say ‘yes’ to a gender equal society and ‘no’ to violence against women and girls of all backgrounds. If nothing changes in the EU, it will take more than 65 years to achieve gender equality. The Gender Equality Strategy and its proposed actions are a faster route to equality between men and women. It also strengthens our position on the backlash against women’s rights taking place in several member states. Rule of law in Europe can only exist with gender equality – without it, democracy is lagging behind.”

Background

The Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, presented in March 2020 by the Commission, outlines a set of key actions including ending gender-based violence and stereotypes, ensuring equal participation and opportunities in the labour market (including equal pay) and achieving gender balance in decision-making and politics.

EU member states scored on average 67.9 out of 100 in the 2020 Gender Equality Index, a score that has improved by just 5.9 points since 2005. The EU gender gap in hourly pay is 16% and increases to 37% when it comes to pension income.

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Improving gender equality during and after the COVID-19 crisis
Jan 21 2021
Improving gender equality during and after the COVID-19 crisis
  • New services essential to protect victims of domestic violence
  • Need for targeted actions to advance gender equality in national recovery and resilience plans
  • The most vulnerable groups of women must be supported

MEPs examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and proposed measures to protect women’s rights and enhance gender equality during and after the crisis.

In a report adopted by 485 votes in favour, 86 against and 108 abstentions on Thursday, MEPs stress the need for a gender-sensitive response to all aspects of the COVID-19 crisis in order to enhance gender equality and to protect women’s rights during the pandemic and post-pandemic period.

New services needed to protect victims of domestic violence

MEPs acknowledge that the public response has been insufficient in addressing violence against women during the pandemic. They ask member states to establish safe and flexible emergency warning systems and to offer new services to assist women in contacting the police directly by phone, email and text message.

In addition, MEPs urge the Commission to develop an EU protocol for violence against women in times of crises, which would include services to protect victims. They reiterate their call that all member states must ratify the Istanbul Convention and ask the Council to add violence against women to the list of EU criminal offences. They urge the Commission to propose a directive to tackle all forms of gender-based violence.

Women hit harder by the economic crisis

Since this economic crisis affects women disproportionately, and will lead to even greater inequalities between men and women, MEPs call on EU countries to incorporate a chapter with targeted actions to improve gender equality in their national recovery and resilience plans.

MEPs repeat that working from home is not a substitute for childcare and that access to childcare services is essential. EU countries should encourage men, through incentive measures, to take up flexible working, as a disproportionate number of women are now making use of these arrangements, they say, adding that member states should fully transpose and implement the Work-Life Balance Directive without delay.

Furthermore, MEPs call on the Commission to support women entrepreneurs, including through entrepreneurship opportunities for mothers or single parents, and to improve access to loans, equity finance and microfinancing through EU programmes and funds.

COVID-19 and intersectionality

Intersecting and structural discrimination creates additional barriers and challenges, as well as having a negative socio-economic impact on more vulnerable groups of women. Appropriate measures must be developed to reflect the varying circumstances in which women find themselves. These include older women in care homes that are now virus hotspots, women with disabilities unable to access their usual support networks or maintain physical distancing, migrant women that are more vulnerable to gender-based violence, but also rural, homeless and Roma women as well as members of the LGBTQI+ community, MEPs add.

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The rapporteur, Frances Fitzgerald (EPP, IE), said: ‘‘COVID-19 has undoubtedly had a differential impact on women, from the increase in domestic violence and care responsibilities to job losses. Yet men have also been significantly affected; for example, initial figures show that older men are more vulnerable to the effects of the virus. The post-virus recovery must take account of this differential impact if we are to build back better, reshaping our society to ensure that it is fully inclusive of all.”

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