Released on 06/06/03

CONVENTION ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE: CURRENT DRAFT MIGHT THREATEN ACCEPTANCE BY WOMEN OF FUTURE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION

Once again, the European Women’s Lobby (EWL), representing thousands of women across the European Union and beyond, joining voice with women Parliamentarians, some members of the Convention, experts and other NGOs, expresses its deep disappointment at the complete lack of strengthening of gender equality in the new revised text.

“We believe that further neglect of this issue by the Convention would greatly jeopardise the acceptance by European women, voters and citizens of a constitutional text, which does not support the full realisation of their human rights”, stated Mary Mc Phail, Secretary General of the European Women’s Lobby.

EWL is urging Convention members to fulfil two fundamental demands of women:
Introducing equality of women and men as one of the values of the European Union and;
Integrating a strong article on the elimination of sex discrimination in the first part of the draft Constitutional Treaty.

For more information, contact the Secretariat of the European Women’s Lobby.

With more than 3000 member organisations in all EU Member States, the European Women's Lobby is the largest coalition of women’s organisation in the EU.