European Women's Lobby accepts Maltese motions

A delegation from the Malta Confederation of Women's Organisations (MCWO) participated for the third consecutive year at the annual General Assembly of the European Women's Lobby (EWL), held recently in Prague. Dr Romina Bartolo, president, Anna Borg and Kate Bonello Sullivan represented the MCWO.

The MCWO is a full member of the EWL group and as an umbrella organisation incorporates nine local women's organisations which, between them, represent 16,000 women.

The EWL General Assembly is an annual event in which delegates from all EWL national co-ordinations and Europe-wide organisations gather to discuss, debate, and enact newly proposed motions on women's issues related to human and civic rights and socio-economic development.

Last year, the MCWO put forward two successful motions - one on child care and the other on health insurance and agism in relation to the implementation of the principle of equality of services.

This year three motions proposed by the MCWO were accepted, one on prostitution, the second on domestic violence and the third, an emergency motion following the recent decision of the European Court of Justice in the Cadman case regarding the period of time worked in calculating pay (increments) and pensions (contributions), which primarily affect women. All motions are placed before the European Commission by the EWL for approval and action.

Founded in 1990, the Brussels-based EWL brings together some 4,000 women's organisations to support and promote the empowerment of women in all their diversity, to advance gender equality, to combat all forms of discrimination and violence against women and to ensure full access for all women to their human and civic rights through their active involvement in society and in policy development and implementation.

Prior to the General Assembly the EWL adopted a manifesto: "Who Cares? Care Services for all Women and Men in Europe" which was ratified during a seminar. The manifesto points to the lack of affordable, accessible and high quality care services in the EU, which is a major obstacle to women's full participation in all aspects of economic, social, cultural and political life.

The manifesto, which is part of the EWL Care Campaign, aims to raise awareness on issues related to care that need to be addressed to achieve gender equality in European societies, including: gender stereotypes, the economics of care, care and the labour market, migrant domestic care workers, and European Union policies.