This project aims to raise awareness amongst women about this new instrument. Its objective is to inform them and provide a platform in order to take part actively in the debate on major issues that affect their daily life such as: reconciling private and professional life, access to positions of responsibility, wage inequality, education, social integration, and persistent stereotypes.
It aims to inform women about the progress the European Union has already achieved in terms of gender equality. It intends to provide women with a sense of command, bringing them closer to a Europe which is often perceived as being distant and inattentive to their needs. A series of debates will produce concrete proposals for the European institutions to reduce gender discrimination.
European women should be informed about this new instrument in order to take part in the elaboration of policies regarding issues that concern them. They will subsequently become more active European citizens who will contribute to shaping Europe in the way they want it.
This project has two goals:
- contribute to the debate on the European Citizens' Initiative ;
- raise women's awareness and motivate
them to use this new instrument in order to highlight issues of their concern in Europe.
Conference in Brussels (21st September 2011)Download the program of the conference of 21th September 2011
Opening Speech
Maros Sefcovic,
Vice-President of the European Commisison, responsible for Inter-institutional Relations
and Administration
Irena Woycicka,
Undersecretary of State for social affairs
in the Chancellery of the President of Republic of Poland.
Panel 1 moderated by Nathalie de Baudry d’Asson
Panel 2 moderated by Pascale Joannin
Panel 3 moderated by Anne Glémarec
Closing Speech
The Robert Schuman Foundation in partnership with the European Commission's DG Education and Culture, the Polish Robert Schuman Foundation, the Karamanlis Institute for Democracy organised a conference on Wednesday 21st September 2001 at the European Parliament entitled "Women for Europe and the Citizens' Initiative”.
Consult the results of our survey on Women, Europe and the Citizens' Initiative
Consult the page with the main conclusions of the conference that took place on 21st September
Read the inaugural speech by Commissioner Maros Sefcovic
The Konstantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy held on May 13th, as part of the project Women for Europe and Citizens' Initiative, a conference on the theme of
« More Europe for Europe: the European Citizens' Initiative ». On this occasion, the speakers were: Evangelos Meimarakis, President of the Konstantinos Karamanlis Institute
for Democracy, Katerina Papakosta, Secretary for Women Issues of Nea Demokratia, Marietta Giannakou, MEP, Head of the Greek EPP Delegation, Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, MEP,
Vice President of the European Parliament, Laura Alipranti-Maratou, PhD in Sociology, Researcher at the National Centre for Social Research, Teta Diamantopoulou, Deputy
Secretary for Social Cohesion and Solidarity of Nea Demokratia, Vice President of Women's Political Association, Chara Karagiannopoulou, Deputy Secretary for Women Issues of
Nea Demokratia, Konstantina E. Botsiou, Associate Professor at the University of Peloponnese, Director General of the Konstantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy.
Read the account
The Robert Schuman Foundation of Poland held on March 7th, as part of the Women for Europe and Citizens' Initiative project, a conference on the theme of « Women and
authority in European Union ». On this occasion, the speakers were: Krzysztof Iszkowski, sociologist, Centre for the Study of Democracy SWPS, Krystyna Koftan, writer,
Anna Radwan, Chief of the Robert Schuman Foundation of Poland, and Lidia Geringer de Oedenberg, deputy of the European Parliament, who spoke by video conference.
Read the account
* provisional timetable
Seminar in Athens (13th May 2011)
Seminar in Warsaw (7th March 2011)
