For a Feminist Europe!

The consequences of the EU neoliberal priorities have had a strong impact on the women in Europe, both citizens and migrants.
They were the first who involuntarily paved the way for the deregulation of and the transition to a flexible labour market. The majority of the unemployed, poor, and uninsured people living outside of society are women.
The welfare state has been ripped apart, including those services that support women in entering into the labour market and enabling men and women to combine work and family life. These, e.g. are nurseries, kindergartens, children’s education and care, care for the elderly and disabled, and mothers’ support. EU policy must stop the discrimination and segregation of women with handicaps, enabling their complete participation in society.
We are experiencing the privatisation of human reproduction. The unpaid work of women at home and with their families leads to poverty of elderly women. We are against this and other aspects of discrimination of women in old age.
Women have to face a double challenge: on the one hand the labour market requires them to be flexible and mobile; on the other hand they have to carry the load of reproduction.
At the same time we are experiencing a strategic, ideological, and political attack on the rights achieved by the women’s movement in all European countries. Abortion rights are questioned or revoked. The family law has been reversed.
The situation will be getting worse in the light of the current economic crisis.
The EU policy for gender equality has been cancelled by neoliberal actions.
All kinds of discrimination against women must stop in order to reach a feminist EU. Regulations, directives, and action programmes are not sufficient, especially if oriented towards neoliberal goals.
We want equal participation and representation of women in politics and in all decision-making institutions, including 50% of all seats in the bodies of the EU.
We want gender equality in the labour market, the same chances for women and men at work!
We want equal pay for equal work.
We want the possibility of combining work and family life though the reduction of working hours and the introduction of public services for the care of children, sick and the elderly.
We demand that the sexual and reproductive rights of women be guaranteed.
We are in favour of all different ways of a self-determined life, including the form of how we live together. The institution of traditional marriage cannot be the only accepted family union.
We are in favour of a European law on free abortion within the first 16 weeks (European terms law).
We demand a European law against gender-based violence. This should be applied to all women, regardless of the residence status. All women, regardless of their residence status, have to have free access to public health services, especially for gynaecological care, and to any other public service.
We demand European laws and policies facilitating the prosecution of those involved in the trafficking of women and minors.
We condemn the sexist and xenophobic image of migrant women in the media, as it promotes violence against them.
The law against gender-based violence must include coordinated policies that guarantee assistance to women in all spheres: prevention, health, education, employment, housing, social and judicial help.
The Europe we want must not accept a gender hierarchy and exploitation.
The EU we want has to be based on gender equality through political, cultural, economic and social means.
Berlin, 29 November 2008
EL-FEM

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