- Equal Care: how the EU promotes a gender-equal divison of care work
- Europe elects a new parliament
- Stronger together: democracy and gender equality in Europe
- EU Monitoring: Current socio-political developments in Europe
- Observatory's new publications on the right to abortion in Europe
- Proposal for a directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence
Europe elects a new parliament
The focus issue of the EU-Monitoring provides detailed background information on the 2024 European elections: it gives an overview of the upcoming elections and the fundamental importance of democracy in the EU. It also looks at the role of the Parliament in gender equality and presents selected election plans of the European parties as well as the election demands of various European civil society organisations. The focus issue of the EU-Monitoring was first published in January 2024 and updated and expanded in February and March 2024.The special edition of the EU-Monitoring on the 2024 European elections compiles information researched by the Observatory on all aspects of the elections. In addition to official information from the EU, it also contains references to published election demands and campaigns by civil society organisations in the field of social policy.
Please note that both issues are only published in German.
Stronger together: democracy and gender equality in Europe
The Observatory is currently working on a Dossier on the topic of democracy and gender equality in Europe against the backdrop of the upcoming European elections. The focus is on European achievements and limits concerning equality policies, with a view to an intersectional understanding of gender equality. Such an understanding addresses the entanglements of different categories of inequality and their effects.
The Dossier will be published at the end of May.
Equal Care: how the EU promotes a gender-equal divison of care work
Directive 2019/1158 on work-life balance for parents and carers came into force on August 1, 2019. It regulates EU-wide minimum standards for various types of leave of absence and flexible working hours for care work This is intended to support a more gender-equal division of unpaid care work.
The Dossier introduces the concept of care work and shows how its division impacts socio-economic gender equality. The Dossier also provides an overview of the content and objectives of the Directive with a focus on its gender equality policy dimension. A first introduction is given in the foreword by Irena Moozova, Deputy Director General - International Dimension of Justice Policy, Rule of Law and Gender Equality in the Directorate General Justice at the European Commission. It also includes contributions by Attila Bőhm (COFACE Families Europe) with a civil society perspective on the Directive and by Caroline de la Porte (Copenhagen Business School) on conditions for a higher take-up of leave by fathers.
Observatory's new publications on the right to abortion in Europe
The Observatory has been focussing its research on the right to abortion in Europe. With our publications, we are making a substantive contribution to the Europe-wide debate about this:
Dossier on the right to abortion in Europe: It engages with European, national, and civil society perspectives on the right to abortion. Transnationally linked opponents of abortion do not just seek to ban abortions; they also question gender equality in Europe. As a result, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law are threatened.
Working Paper on regulation and provision of abortion compared: It contrasts regulations and provision of pregnancy termination in five EU Member States with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation and the vision of reproductive justice. It shows what they should do to guarantee the rights and health of pregnant people effectively.
Factsheets: The findings of the Observatory's work on the right to abortion were published as factsheets concisely.
Proposal for a directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence
On March 8, 2022, the European Commission submitted a proposal for a directive to combat violence against women and domestic violence. The Parliament welcomed the proposal and wanted to strengthen it further, while the Council of the EU called for some far-reaching changes. The biggest point of issue was the deletion of an EU-wide definition of rape, as demanded by the Council of the EU. After difficult negotiations, the Parliament, Council and Commission reached an agreement on a final text on February 6, 2024.Please note that the focus issue is only published in German.
EU Monitoring: Current socio-political developments in Europe
In our EU-Monitoring, we provide a regular overview of the activities of the European Union, the Council of Europe and the European civil society organisations in the field of social policy. A special focus is on our key issues in the fields of child and youth policy, family and reconciliation policy, gender equality policy, rights of LGBTIQ* people and policy for older people.Accompanying the EU Monitoring, we publish focus issues in which the European Union's sociopolitical relevant measures and strategies are presented.
If you would like to receive the EU-Monitoring by e-mail, please write us stating your name and organisation: beobachtungsstelle (a) iss-ffm.de
Please note that the EU-Monitoring is only published in German.