From Beijing to Brussels: an Unfinished Journey

The European Women's Lobby Beijing+15 Report on the activities of the European Union.

The global movement for women’s rights in 2010 marks 15 years of activism on the basis of the shared framework and vision enshrined in the groundbreaking Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA). In Europe, this year also represents a milestone for thousands of women’s associations from across the region as it marks 20 years since the foundation of the European Women’s Lobby (EWL).

Over the last two decades, the EWL has acted as a forum for increased exchange, cooperation and integration, allowing the women’s organisations of Europe to play an active role in shaping the European framework for gender equality. As a key part of its activism, the EWL aims to ensure that the implementation of the BPfA by both the European Union (EU) and its Member States remains high on the political agenda.

Available in English and French.

To order printed copies of the summary in EN+FR and the full report in EN, please contact: ewl[at]womenlobby[dot]org

Prof. Helga Nowotny appointed as new President of the European Research Council

the ERC Scientific Council unanimously elected Prof. Helga Nowotny, an eminent Austrian social scientist, as the new ERC President and chair of the Scientific Council. Prof. Nowotny is currently the ERC's vice-President and vice-chair of its Scientific Council. She will take office on March 1st, 2010.

The election followed the resignation of the first ERC President, Prof. Fotis C. Kafatos, announced in January, after three years of intensive and highly respected leadership of the ERC. Prof. Kafatos remains member of the Scientific Council and has been proposed, and unanimously voted, as ERC Honorary President.

Prof. Helga Nowotny was vice-president of the ERC Scientific Council until now. She is Professor emeritus of Social Studies of Science, ETH Zurich, and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of Vienna University. At the moment of the appointment, she commented "I thank my colleagues from the ERC Scientific Council for their trust and I will pursue with vigour and endurance our common endeavour to make frontier research the dynamic element in confronting the challenges ahead".

European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Mrs Máire Geoghegan- uinn, commented on the appointment: 'My congratulations and best wishes to Prof. Helga Nowotny and to the ERC. I am confident that Prof Nowotny will lead with ambition this truly pioneering European project. She is a fantastic role model for young women considering a science career. We need more like her" .

José Manuel Silva Rodriguez, Director General for Research at the European Commission, remarked "I congratulate Helga for her election and I am confident that we will have an excellent cooperation with the ERC to make the best of research in Europe".

Jack Metthey, Director of the ERC Executive Agency, said "The unanimous election of Prof. Nowotny is the obvious recognition of Helga's tireless work and commitment, whilst a vice-chair, in making the ERC a success. My colleagues and I at the Executive Agency look forward with enthusiasm to continuing working with her in her new role."

To read the full press release (PDF), please click here

European Network of Female Entrepreneurship Ambassadors

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

"This project seeks to support the implementation of the Small Business Act, and in particular its Principle 1: ‘Create an environment in which entrepreneurs and family businesses can thrive and entrepreneurship is rewarded’. It sets out to encourage entrepreneurship among women by creating a European Network of Female Entrepreneurship Ambassadors.

The Network of Ambassadors aims to have successful entrepreneurs campaigning on the ground to encourage women — including women in active professional life and students — to set up their own businesses and become entrepreneurs. The ambassadors will seek to make women more confident about setting up and creating successful businesses.

They also will act as role models, to inspire other women to become entrepreneurs by ‘telling their story’. The call is addressed solely to organisations active in the field of fostering, promoting and/or supporting entrepreneurship, with a view to setting up a Network to bring together successful entrepreneurs across Europe to work locally and nationally to inspire and encourage women to consider becoming an entrepreneur as an attractive career option and follow their lead."

To read the full Call (PDF), please click here

Finland: Two female scholars awarded honorary title of Academician

In Finland, the honorary title of Academician is the highest scientific recognition, awarded by the President of the Republic. Only 12 living Finnish scientists can hold this title at the same time.
The first woman Academician, Research professor Pirjo Mäkelä (medicine) was awarded as late as 2003.

History was made in 2009 when two more top women scientists were awarded this honorary title: Academy Professor Leena Peltonen-Palotie (genetics) and Professor Anna-Leena Siikala (folkloristics).

Peltonen-Palotie has played a pioneering role in the study of the genetic and biochemical basis of human disease. Academician Anna-Leena Siikala has studied the religious customs of aboriginal populations in northern Eurasia, shamanism, mythical and historical interpretations of Kalevala-metre poems as well as methods of researching oral tradition.
She has also studied how an ethnic minority group uses its mythology and tradition in seeking to revive and maintain its own language and way of life under the dominance of mainstream culture.

Read Peltonen-Palotie's interview on the Academy of Finland website, here

Challenges for research on gender and science

Final conference of the study ‘Meta-analysis of gender and science research’
19th - 20th October 2010
at the Institut pour l’Egalité des Femmes et des Hommes
Brussels, Belgium

The main objective of the conference is to present the conclusions of the study and to discuss with experts and policy-makers the possibilities and challenges for European and national research on gender and science and policies towards gender equality in science.

To read the full Call (PDF), please click here

Meta-analysis of gender and science research

The purpose of the Meta-analysis of gender and science research study is to collect and analyse gender and science research on the following topics:

» Horizontal segregation in research careers: this topic covers the issue of choice of scientific subjects by girls and occupational choices by women, the perception and attractiveness of science, engineering and technology, the causes underlying these choices (e.g. stereotypes, influence of family and role models, etc.), the causes of success and failure at university level, etc.

» Vertical segregation in research careers: this topic covers the barriers for women to reach top scientific positions ("glass ceiling" or "sticky floor"), mentoring/tutoring initiatives, etc.

» The underlying causes and effects of these two aspects, including work-life balance issues, pay gap, mobility-related obstacles, dual careers, evidence of discrimination, working culture, stereotypes, gender bias in research contents, etc.

For more information, please click here

European Summit of Women in Power

The Spanish Presidency of the EU, in co-operation with the UK, recently organised a "Summit of women ministers" to give new impetus to gender equality, in particular, in decision-making positions.

The text of the Cadiz declaration approved by the Ministers can be found here

For more information on the meeting, please click here

EU 2020 public consultation : first responses

"Around 1500 contributions have been received from a wide range of interested parties: Member States, European and national organisations, European and national social partners, regional and local authorities, business and professional federations, companies, NGOs, think tanks and academics and numerous European citizens. Some non-EU countries and stakeholders also responded.

A first overview of responses has been prepared by the Commission to provide preliminary indications as to the main trends emerging from the consultation.

A more detailed analysis of the contributions will be issued by the Commission in mid-February."

To read the overview, please click here

For more information on the EU 2020 consultation, please click here

To read EPWS' response, please click here