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European Women’s Forum Beijing +15

The Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union (January-June 2010) hosted the European Women’s Forum–Beijing+15 in the Palace of Congress of Cadiz on 4^th- 5^th February 2010.

The Event was attended by official delegations of the 27 Member States and a number of Ministers. Unfortunately the UK Minister Vera Baird, who was due to speak on the second day of the conference was detained in London on political business, and Barbara-Ann Collins, Director of the Women’s National Commission was recommended by the UK Government to speak for the UK. Barbara had been invited to join the Delegation as a representative of UK civil society, together with invited NGO representatives from across the EU.

On 1 July 2009, Sweden assumed the Presidency of the EU. Sweden will therefore be responsible for leading the EU’s work and functioning as the driving-force in the EU’s legislative and political decision-making process for the next 6 months. Read on for information about the Swedish Presidency programme in general, and the plans concerning gender equality in particular.
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Czech Republic EU Presidency Conference May 2009

EU Ministerial Gender Equality Conference

The WNC was successful in obtaining one of the UK places at the Czech Presidency (Informal) Gender Equality Ministerial Conference in late May. There are only four places allocated to each EU member state, including the Ministerial place as head of Delegation. The Minister was unfortunately unable to attend this meeting. The remaining places were allocated to the Government Equalities Office as lead Gender Department, to a representative from the Department for Children, Schools and Families as the conference is looking at stereotyping and, for the first time, the WNC. WNC Commissioner Brita Fernandez-Schmidt represented WNC partners on this occasion.

Places at the Presidency table in Europe are limited and allocated to Government Ministries, one place to the European Women's Lobby (sole representative of Europe's NGOs) and Social Partners (e.g. ETUC). So unless Member States invite a national social partner, the opportunity for interaction for civil society is very narrow. This is therefore an opportunity to share developments in thinking in Europe with WNC partners.

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