Priorities 2010-2011
Activities are centered around the theme My Body, My Rights, a commitment with three windows of action: calling for universal maternal health (New York, March 2010), combating violence against women (Madrid, June 2010) and an Annual Conference focusing on sexual and reproductive rights (Warsaw, December 2010).
Priorities 2005-2009
Gender equality has always been a priority of the PES and of MEP Zita Gurmai, President of PES Women, full member of the PES Presidency and Vice-Chairwoman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality between 2004 and 2009.
PES Women seeks to promote gender equality on two different levels. Firstly, PES Women is permanently strengthening the external dimension of its work, in terms of formulating and advocating policy recommendations on various issues. Secondly, PES Women pushes for equal representation in PES bodies (such as working Groups and high level Groups) and supports the increase of women in decision-making in PES member parties.
On 2008, PES Women made strong inputs in the drafting of PES Manifesto and included a whole chapter on gender equality, “Championing Gender Equality” showing PES’ commitments towards women’s empowerment. LGBT activists from PES Rainbow Rose Network share gender equality activists’ fights for equality and diversity.
In December 2006, PES Women agreed on four working priorities: equal pay, reconciliation of professional, private and family life, migration, women and decision-making.
On 2005 International Women’s Day, PES Women launched its first pledge card. It served as a communication tool to raise awareness of the work of PES Women and to convey its priorities: more and better jobs for women, equal opportunities and equal pay, better childcare, an end to all forms of violence against women, women’s rights and empowerment.
Moreover, PES Women initiated or took part into several PES campaigns in 2006-08:
- PES celebrates Womens' Day - 2008
- Put Children first - 2007
- Gender pay gap - 2007
- Diversity YES - Intolerance NO - 2006
- Trafficking against women - 2006
Priorities 2004-2006
PES Women Activity Report October 2004 – December 2006 gives an overview of all PES Women events, involvements and commitments during this period.
At the end of 2004, PES Women had decided unanimously on four equally important priorites that provided the guidelines until the end of 2006:
International
(1)Beijing +10 - preparation and follow-up of the meeting to be held under the Luxembourg presidency (early February in Luxembourg) and the UN meeting in New York (late February - early March). To consider in particular the objective of the empowerment of women.
The European Union
(2)Mid-term review of the Lisbon strategy due in March 2005 - the preparatory work for and follow-up work of the mid-term review.
(3)A campaign on gender equality in the workplace throughout the year, in particular on the persistent pay gap between men & women and the need to increase the provision of accessible and affordable childcare.
Within the PES and its member parties
(4)PES Women will continue to pursue the goal of gender equality within the PES and its member parties. Increasing the empowerment and visibility of women within our own political family is linked to the broader objective of the empowerment of women in society at large.
