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| The National Council of Women Annual General Meeting “Towards a regeneration for the Future” |
| NCW Malta Annual General Meeting 2021 was held at The Palace Hotel Sliema on Thursday 22 July 2021 In her opening address, outgoing NCW President, Mary Gaerty, called on the Assembly to join her in a prayer for past members of NCW, for those who lost their life due to the Covid-19 and for the women whose lives were taken away due to femicide, which saw an increase during Covid-19. |
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| Elimination of Violence against Women - 16 Days of Activism |
| Elimination of violence against women – 16 Days of Activism.
You too can do something about it!
The 25th of November is the kick off date for the annual international campaign of 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence. It starts on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and runs till the 10th of December, Human Rights Day . |
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| Human dignity should be respected at all times. |
| The National Council of Women would like to express its concern about the video posted online portraying men pelting a woman with eggs during a stag party. Human dignity should be respected at all times. As a society, we should condemn any type of abuse even if this is done by consent for financial gain. |
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| OSCE/ODIHR anti-trafficking survey for survivors of trafficking in human beings |
| The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has received numerous responses and has decided to extend the submission due date for the survey of survivors of human trafficking to Monday 26 August 2019. |
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| NEW TASK FORCE AT EUROPOL TO TARGET THE MOST DANGEROUS CRIMINAL GROUPS INVOLVED IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING |
| On 2 July, the Joint Liaison Task Force Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Human Beings (JLT-MS) was launched at Europol. This new operational platform will allow liaison officers from all EU Member States to step up the fight against constantly adapting criminal networks. |
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| Malta is EU country with highest rate of tertiary education graduates in employment |
| A report in the Independent states that Malta stood above the EU average in 2018 when it came to the employment rate of graduates aged 20-34 who had attained a tertiary level education within the previous three years, |
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| European Commission |
| On 2 July 2019, Ursula von der Leyen was nominated by the European Council to the position of President of the European Commission; she will be the first women and the first German since Walter Hallstein |
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| Equal opportunities and access to the labour market |
| 1. Education, training and life-long learning
Everyone has the right to quality and inclusive education, training and life-long learning in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable them to participate fully in society and manage successfully transitions in the labour market.
2. Gender equality
Equality of treatment and opportunities between women and men must be ensured and fostered in all areas, including regarding participation in the labour market, terms and conditions of employment and career progression.
Women and men have the right to equal pay for work of equal value.
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| The gender pay gap in the EU and the European Pillar of #SocialRights |
| 1. The gender pay gap in the EU is 16.2%, that’s 16.2% higher than it should be! Gender equality is the second key principle of the European Pillar of #SocialRights for a reason
2. The European Pillar of #SocialRights supports the right to equal treatment and opportunities regarding employment, social protection, education, and access to goods and services available to the public. Something NCW Malta has supported since its creation! |
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| Gender Equality in the Media Sector |
| This study was commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for
Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the Committee on
Women's Rights and Gender Equality. It examines key elements of the European
policy agenda pertaining to gender equality in the media sector. It also reviews
existing research on women's representation within media content and the media
workforce. The study provides analysis of actions to promote gender equality in
the media at both EU and Member State levels. Finally, it presents case studies
of gender equality in the media sector in four Member States: Austria, Malta,
Sweden, and the UK. |
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| Empowering women and girls in media and ICT |
| On the occasion of the International Women's Day, the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender
Equality is holding an inter-parliamentary committee meeting on empowering women and girls in
media and ICT. The meeting, which will bring together EU institutional representatives, members of
EU national parliaments, experts and stakeholders, will take place on 08 March 2018.
The presentation and debates will deal with the topics of women shaping media, empowering women
and girls through digital inclusion and women’s movements and advancing equality in the digital age. |
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| Digital healthcare / health insurance |
| In the view of the EESC, given the digital revolution in the field of health, it is vital to maintain and promote a health insurance system which serves the needs of everyone, and is solidarity-based, inclusive and non-discriminatory. Inclusion and fair access for all to good quality health services (digital or otherwise) and commitment to these are in fact prerequisites for universal health coverage. |
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| Gender equality in European labour markets |
| In order to improve gender equality in labour markets, the EESC considers it necessary to draw up an integrated and ambitious European strategy to tackle systemic and structural obstacles and lead to adequate policies, measures and EU funding programmes for improving equality between women and men, thus fostering "more equal economic independence of women and men" . This would also contribute to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights. |
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| Services to the family |
| Developing services in private homes in order to achieve a better work-life balance
Every family has a home and clothes to maintain, meals to prepare, children to care for, elderly parents or ill or disabled family members who need help. Women often have to work part-time in order to carry out these tasks, missing out on the career for which they have trained or on time they would use for training. |
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| Women and girls digital gender gap |
| This study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the FEMM Committee, attempts to reveal the links between the different factors (access, skills, socio-economic and cultural), which prevent women from having equal access to digital technology. It then suggests ways of dealing with online and offline inequalities to the effect of closing the digital gender gap and improving women’s and girls’ digital inclusion and future technology-related career paths. |
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| Plastics, human health and environmental impacts: The road ahead |
| Plastics have been with us for more than a century, and by now they’re everywhere, for good and for ill. Plastic containers and coatings help keep food fresh, but they can also leave behind neurotoxins such as BPA in the human body. PVC is used for everything from pipes and flooring to furniture and clothes, but it contains compounds called phthalates that have been implicated in male reproductive disorders. Studies have also shown that childhood exposure to environmental pollutants can have significant negative effects later in life, including reduced labor force participation and even earnings. |
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| European Commission aims to significantly reduce the gender pay gap |
| The European Commission plans to use a series of measures aimed at significantly reducing the pay gap between men and women over the next five years. The average gender pay gap in the EU currently stands at 18%. To lower this rate, the Commission plans to raise awareness among employers, encourage initiatives to promote gender equality and support the development of tools to measure the gender pay gap. |
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| NCW Annual General Meeting 2019 |
| NCW Annual General Meeting 2019
The Annual General Meeting of the National Council of Women was held on Saturday 26th January 2019, at The Victoria Hotel, Sliema. President Mary Gaerty spoke about the work which the Council has embarked on during 2018. This included pensions, education, violence against women, work and entrepreneurship, work life balance and the challenges faced by women on a daily basis.
She also highlighted the fact that the National Council of Women is looking ahead at the constant changes |
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| Work-life Balance |
| Better work-life balance for EU citizens: Presidency reaches provisional agreement with the European Parliament |
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| The National Council of Women supports the Act to provide protection for human embryos |
| NCW has always advocated for legislation of alternative IVF treatment not least because of the sensitivity and the consequences for both parents and society if it had to remain unregulated. NCW believes that IVF treatment should be for heterosexuals within a stable family environment The Council has always supported the protection of embryos as the first cell of a human life and, with the development of alternative treatment over the past years this has become possible successfully. |
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| Women on Boards: Vice-President Viviane Reding meets with leaders of Europe's business schools and i |
| Today, EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding met with European Industry Associations, European Business Schools and Senior Executive Women to discuss progress being made on improving the gender balance in company boardrooms.
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| UfM adopts new project to support women’s empowerment in the Mediterranean |
| A project aimed at developing women’s empowerment in the Mediterranean through the development of effective field projects and the setting up of networks and platforms, was adopted by Senior Officials of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) at a meeting held last month. |
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NCW AGM 2012 highlights quota systems for women in forthcoming Local Councils and General Elections
The Annual General Meeting of the National Council of Women was held on Saturday 21 January, 2012 at the Palace Hotel, Sliema. Outgoing president, Grace Attard spoke about the evolvement of NCW over the years, including crucial developments which NCW has been been quick to respond to. NCW has been addressing gender equality areas that are becoming more relevant to our society today, both at national and EU in the fast changing scenario that we are living in - women in science and research, women’s role in the financial crisis, women entrepreneurs, youth and domestic violence, the follow-up to the extension of matenity leave, the EU Years for Volunteering and Active Ageing and many others. Grace Attard thanked all the Executive Committee members and NCW members who worked with her throughout her term of office as a team, without which NCW cannot move strongly ahead in its vision for a better society. In its resolution, the AGM Assembly highlighted the importance of quota systems in forthcoming Local Council and General Elections urging political parties to rethink their strategies and adopt action plans for recruiting an equal number of women & men making party politics more inclusive. The principle of capitalising on the potential of all individuals (over 50% women) in decision-making should be the foundation for any democratic decisions to be taken in the immediate future. NCW urges political parties is to introduce more concrete measures (quota systems) such as the zipper system, on ballot sheets, alternating women and men throughout the list, to ensure a mass of at least 30% participation of women, as required to be realistically effective in the decision making process of our political system.. Due to the short time available for elections, Government and political parties should immediately reach agreement within their decision-making internal structures and make public the measures they are to take to comply with the above recommendations for elections 2012-2013. Political Parties and Government need to study and explain clearly what gender quota measures are, as misconceptions in society give the impression that meritocracy is not a priority. In her message to the Assembly, incoming President Mary Gaerty made an emphasis on Intergenerational solidarity and the importance that people of all ages meet, share experiences, knowledge and skills. The Council , she said can be a showcase of this solidarity where women of all ages can contribute and gain from one another. She also asked all members for their support and participation to keep up the important work that the Council has been doing since its inception. Touching on the subject of entrepreneurship, the president emphasised the need to assist women, especially those self emplyed. The General Assembly discussed and approved a number of resolutions, dealing with Engaging Youths in the Elimination of Domestic Violence, Women’s Representation in Local Councils and Parliament; Oocyte Vitrification as an alternative to Embryo Freezing during IVF Treatment; Proper Designated Space in the Breast Clinic at Mater Dei Hospital; an Adequate Prosthesis Fitting Room; Follow-up to the Extension of Maternity Leave; the 2012 EU Year for Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity; Addressing Alcohol Consumption during Pregnancy; NCF - Lejn Edukazzjoni ta' Kwalita' ghal Kulhadd and Improving Measures regarding Refugee Status to Asylum The Assembly approved Honorary Presidency on Dr Mercedes Schembri Wismayer MD for her pioneering work in gender equality in particular in the field of medicne and health and Honorary Life Membership on Dr Irene Sciriha for her outstanding contribution in the field of research and science, in particular as Maltese female representative on the Helsinki Group The Executive Committee Members for 2012 are President Mary Gaety, Vice Presidents Grace Attard MQR, Pauline Azzopardi, Nadyanne Mangion Hon. General Secretary Doris Bingley, Hon. Treasurer Therese Cassola. Members: Roselyn Knight, Evelyn Vella Brincat, Maria Stivala, Judith Debono, Doreen Micallef, Priscilla Muscat, Diane Xuereb, Mary Rose Zahra, Helga Ellul MQR and Dr Claudine Zarb, NCW Legal Advisor Mary Gaerty President NCW
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