14508/09 ADD 1 PL/vk 1 DG G COUNCIL OF THE ... - Europa

The follow-up to the Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women was
the subject of a series of oral questions put to the Commission and the Council within the context of
the European Parliament debate on International Women's Day, 8 March 2005.
2.5. European Women’s Lobby and the Empowerment of Women
With more than 2500 member organisations, the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) is the largest
network of women’s organisations in the European Union (EU). The EWL promotes the realisation
of equality between women and men in all areas. The EWL primarily aims to influence the
institutions of the EU but also works with the Council of Europe and the United Nations.
The most important aspect of the activities of the EWL in the 2004-2009 period is related to its
growth: in 2009, the EWL comprises member organisations in the 30 EU Member States and
accession countries (compared to 15 national coordinations in 2004) and 20 Europe-wide member
organisations. This has improved diversity and brought new perspectives and concerns, which are
reflected in the priorities adopted by the EWL.
In 2004-2009, the EWL monitored the most important political and legislative developments related
to equality between women and men at European and international level, including the meetings of
the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (follow-up of the Beijing process),
the adoption and implementation of the European Commission Roadmap for Gender Equality, the
2004 Intergovernmental Conference, the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs and the adoption of
various European directives.
The EWL also developed its work in relation to the diversity of women, in particular regarding the
need to both give a voice to migrant women’s organisations at European level and to integrate a
gender perspective into immigration, integration, asylum and anti-discrimination policies as well as
the need to tackle multiple discrimination in anti-discrimination legislation.
Another important part of the EWL's work is to cooperate with other women’s rights or civil society
organisations at European and international level on a wide range of issues and to play a strong role
in contributing to civil dialogue at EU level.
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