(Source: Newsflash, European Women’s Lobby, EWL)

Through its 50/50 Campaign for Democracy, the EWL continued to make its voice heard in the aftermath of the June elections to the European Parliament (EP), and is pleased to report that the representation of women has improved in the new legislature, although it still does not reach parity. While the number of women Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) has risen from 30 to 35%, a new EWL gender-sensitive analysis of the makeup of the new EP highlights also changes at decision-making level in the new legislature. Here also, the overall picture has improved, but the balance of power remains firmly tilted in favour of men.

While equal representation has unfortunately not yet been achieved, the number of women Chairs and Vice-Chairs of parliamentary Committees has increased from 25% to 38%, more than reflecting women’s increased presence in the Parliament (at 35%), and giving them important visibility. Furthermore, while the Presidency of the Parliament is occupied by a man, as it has been for the history of the EP with but two exceptions, 6 of the 14 new Vice-Presidents are women (43%), up from 4 in the last legislature (28.5%). 
On the other hand, women remain by and large excluded from some of the top political leadership of the Parliament, namely the chairing of Political Groups (89% men) and of National Delegations within those groups, where this system applies (63% men). In the Conference of Presidents, the highest governing body of the Parliament, charged inter alia with setting the agenda of the EP, there is currently only one woman, who as a Co-President wields only 5.5% of the vote. This abysmal figure is even worse than during the last legislature, and is largely due to the large absence of women within the leadership of political parties. Between 2004 and 2009, there were still no full woman presidents, but there were at least two women co-presidents, giving women 11% of the decision-making power in this body.
These figures show that while some progress has been made in relation to electoral lists and women entering the European Parliament in larger numbers, the real power over agenda setting, or budgetary decisions still largely lie in male hands. Binding measures for the equal representation of women and men are therefore needed in relation to European elections, but also in relation to internal nominations and election processes within the Parliament. The EWL urges MEPs to reflect upon this issue and to take the relevant measures, which are crucial to establishing a true modern European Democracy.