Closer ties between women and the European Union

The perception women have of the EU, the way the economic and financial crisis is affecting women and the lessons to be learnt ahead of the 2014 elections are among the issues to be tackled during a colloquium being held at the European Parliament on Tuesday.

The colloquium centres around three topics: the nature of the relationship between women and the EU, media behaviour towards female candidates and the best means of communication for building better links between women and the EU.  The event will be chaired by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (EPP, EL), Silvana Koch-Merin (ALDE, DE), vice-presidents of the EP, and Edite Estrela (S&D, PT), vice-chair of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality.   Speakers will include Paul Stamper, director of TNS Opinion, and Susan Banducci, professor of political science at the University of Exeter, as well as the communications agencies Ogilvy and Mortierbrigade.   The colloquium takes place on Tuesday 2 March from 2pm to 5.30pm in room PHS 1A002.

Quantitative studies held before and after the 2009 European elections, as well as a qualitative study conducted in every Member State among women aged 30 to 55, will form the basis for discussion.

What are women's perceptions of the EU?

The quantitative studies as well as the qualitative study show that women are concerned about the financial, economic and social crisis. Unemployment, the loss of purchasing power, the fall in living standards and uncertainty about the future are among their main concerns. In this context, women - more than men - want EU policy to pay greater heed to social, societal and environmental issues.

The EU is perceived as remote by Europe's women, largely because of a lack of information, according to a large majority of them. However, they know the EU is important, both in external policy and in the impact it has on their daily lives, although they cannot say why or how.

Lastly, even taking account of differences between Member States, all women criticise the male-female inequalities that persist in all areas of society.