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 At a conference in the European Parliament on Tuesday October 14, held to promote the initiative for an EU Women's Rights Envoy, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner gave full support to the initiative and called for greater female representation in top EU jobs.
Ms Ferrero Waldner, who was the first female foreign affairs minister in Austria and the first female External Relations Commissioner of the EU, said: "The current situation, in which we have only seven women out of 91 head of delegations, is obviously also far from satisfactory." "The problem, unfortunately, is that women often have to do more to climb the career ladder and sometimes they do not even try or dare to do it. They still have to break through the glass ceiling." The Commissioner is already a supporter of the "50/50 Campaign for Democracy", which calls on the EU to secure equal representation of women among its elected and appointed officials. The event was organised by the Green/European Free Alliance group. Green MEP Kathalijne Buitenweg strongly made the case for an EU Women's Envoy, telling Parliament: "Such an appointment can make a difference. This high-ranking diplomat would ensure that women's rights are effectively taken into account in policymaking." "She could be able to raise her voice or mediate whenever violence is done to women. She could present proposals to the council and commission and be held accountable by parliament, and could spur governments to live up their millennium goal commitments. But first and foremost, she could make sure that Europe has a face and a telephone number for women in the developing world who struggle for the rights of their sisters." Sources: |
