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International Women’s Day: Seminar on the effects of economic crisis on women

International Women’s Day: Seminar on the effects of economic crisis on women

2013. 03. 08.

 

The European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality organized an inter-parliamentary meeting yesterday with the participation of national MPs and international gender equality experts, where Járóka spoke about the necessity of strengthening women's rights organizations and the objectives of her upcoming report on the situation and social inclusion of Roma women. Járóka underlined that Roma women could be identified as probably the most vulnerable group in the EU, who have a higher incidence of poverty than Roma men and that Roma women of special needs – such as disabled and elderly Roma women, those bringing up a child without a partner or growing up in foster homes – were extremely vulnerable to social exclusion and marginalization.
 
Later on today, the European Office of the Oslo Region holds a seminar titled 'Equal suffrage and women’s opportunities in today’s Europe' in the Norway House to celebrate the 100th anniversary of extending the voting right to women in Norway and the International Women's Day. MEP Lívia Járóka, vice-chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, holds a keynote speech on the impact of the economic crisis, to remind that the number of women living in poverty had risen disproportionately in relation to the number of men and that women formed the majority of all groups at risk of poverty and social exclusion. In her speech she will emphasize that the socio-economic status of women – especially mothers – increasingly determines the opportunities of upcoming generations and that the low education and unemployment of women has a long-lasting negative impact on the future prospects of their communities. On the other hand – according to the MEP -, enabling women to fulfil their potential to participate actively at local, regional, national and European level is not only an essential factor for the achievement of greater social inclusion but also for the sound, sustainable and democratic development of their communities. According to Járóka, the potential of social inclusion policies in general and the integration of disadvantaged women in specific to support or even drive economic growth, has largely been neglected when tracing possible ways for economic recovery.