It is under the slogan Taste of Freedom: Power to Women that the Global Progressive Forum with its Partners, PES Women, the S&D Group, Solidar and the Arab Social Democratic Forum (ASDF), wanted to mark its presence at this year's World Social Forum in Tunis.

Dear friends,

I am writing this in New York, where I am spending some days at the occasion of the 59th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) of the United Nations. The week was very fruitful for PES Women. I was pleased to talk about our issues at several side events, on the subject of economic crisis and sexual exploitation with our friends of the European Women’s Lobby; the new generation of women in politics with our Irish Gender Equality Minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin; and the vision of the Socialist International Women. 

In solidarity with the victims of ‘Charlie Hebdo’ and defenders of freedom of media and in the name of freedom of expression and democracy, we need to remain united and firm in our fight for liberties and values that we have fought for so long. We condemn all acts that jeopardize these principles of fundamental rights. I call everyone to take a pencil and keep drawing.

On Friday 12 December, I was in Barcelona to participate at the seminar organised by the Foundation of European Progressive Studies and the Rafael Campalans Foundation as part of the “Beyond austerity, towards employment” research project (led by the FEPS).  This one focuses on “Progressive economic policies for equitable growth and job creation”, creating opportunity to discuss the effect or gender-blind austerity policies on the situation of women in Europe. The seminar was hosted and supported by the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC).

I was happy to hear this week’s good news as on Tuesday 26 November, Germany decided the introduction, from 2016, of a quota requirement of at least 30% of women in supervisory boards. Although, this was part of the coalition agreement, its confirmation is an important signal for Germany and the EU, who has worked on similar legislation in the past years.

Le texte qui suit sont mes remarques à la Convention de la fédération des Français de l'Etra du 26 Août.

Il était plus qu'heureux de partager ce panneau avec Richard Gabriel, Antoine et Marie-Rose, qui sont des membres actifs de la politique européenne de la famille du PSE..

Today, the Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business, Dr Chris Cardona had a formal discussion on Female Entrepreneurship with Ms Zita Gurmai PES Women President and Former MEP

If we take a quick look at the countries of the European Union, and make a quick comparison with the rest of the world, we might get the impression that we have made so much progress in Europe that equality between women and men has been reached. Often we hear that the fight of the feminists is over, and the feminist movement itself is not relevant as such any more.

Last year on 2 October 2013, I hosted the screening of a truly moving documentary, “The Threshold of the Desert”, in the European Parliament and had the pleasure of meeting the documentary main star Najat Aziz, who shared with us her story of women’s empowerment.