WOMEN’S EUROPEAN COUNCIL
17 JUNE 2020

WOMEN LEADING THE WAY
TOWARDS A NEW ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL MODEL
A GENDER PERSPECTIVE IN THE COVID-19 RESPONSE

 

The pandemic of Covid – 19 has had serious consequences on all areas of our lives. When facing the current challenges, we have to consider the very important aspect of gender equality.

Women have been and still are at the forefront of all the most vital sectors of our society: in the hospitals, at the supermarket cashes, as nurses or carers in private houses or long-term care structures, assisting elderly people or persons with disabilities, as mothers taking care of children’s education, or of family needs while smart-working.

The European Women Alliance (EWA) cooperates with EU institutions and EU leaders through a series of initiative aiming at influencing public policies, to make economic and social model fairer and more inclusive, for all.

Since 2018 EWA launched the Women’s European Council, a high level summit gathering the Presidency of the Council of the EU, European Commissioners, Members of the European Parliament and outstanding women from civil society in order to discuss the agenda of the European Council with a gender perspective.

During the last year EWA has been deeply committed to support women’s leadership in the top jobs of the institutions. Nowadays, female representation in European institutions has increased significantly, with a woman leading for the first time a more gender balanced European Commission and more women than ever elected at the European Parliament or appointed as Heads of States and Governments.

These positive changes have the potential to bring a positive and unprecedented impact on public policies with a unique opportunity to reshape the EU on the basis of a sustainable, fair and resilient economic and societal model.

EWA, in partnership with the 2020 Croatian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Minister for Demography, Family, Youth and Social Policy, Ms Vesna Bedekovic, Assoc. Prof. Phd, is delighted to invite you to the next Women’s European Council, taking place on 17 June 2020 from 13:00 to 15:00 via videoconference, to share your views and discuss a document of proposals together with your fellow Commissioners, distinguished MEPs and representatives of the Council of the European Union.

WEUCO will adopt a set of targeted conclusions focused on streamlining the gender perspective throughout all European policies and financial instruments to contrast economic consequences of the pandemic.

Priorities are: strengthening women’s participation to the labour market, ending pay and pension gap, acknowledging the value of care work with adequate remuneration, investing in social and care services, support the establishment of a Gender Equality Council configuration with a view to up holding women’s rights and effectively streamlining gender equality policies and measures at EU and national level. The conclusions of the Women’s European Council are submitted to the Presidents of the European Parliament, Commission and Council with the request to take into account gender equality when setting the political priorities of the Union.