WOMEN MAKING PROGRESS IN ALBANIA

Recently I co-signed a letter with my colleagues in the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee to the Albanian Parliament. We congratulated the Parliament for passing a new Gender Equality Law which included gender quotas of 30% for women. We wrote at the request of women's organisations in Albania and asked the Parliament to maintain the gender quotas in the upcoming reform of the Albanian Electoral Code.

The Committee has recently heard back from one of the women's organisations. I have copied the letter below. It is great to hear that our work has helped the situation of women in the Balkans.

'I am writing to say a HUGE thank you for your support to women’s organisations in Albania. The letter you sent to the Albanian Parliament was distributed shortly before the vote took place on the revised Electoral Code and greatly contributed to the outcome. On 20th November, the Committee voted in favour of a 30% gender quota. This is truly a historical moment in Albanian history for women’s rights and gender equality.

Thank you so much for your support and for the great difference you have made.'

CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES STILL MOST LIKELY TO BE MALE

As someone thoroughly committed to Electoral Reform, I'd like to recommend the following briefing. It's certainly worth subscribing to.

http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/downloads/wpe27.pdf

Stories in this bulletin include: Conservative Candidates still most likely to be male - no surprise there then!

AND

Global Gender Gap 2008 showing there's plenty more work and campaigning for me to do.... have a read.

WOMEN IN POWER

Over the summer I published a guide to female Members of the European Parliament. In this short video I introduce some of the findings from the guide.

WOMEN IN POWER

Forty percent of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament are women. Eight out of 19 Labour MEPs are women - a slightly higher percentage. Gender equality is more advanced in the EPLP and the Socialist Group in the European Parliament than the House of Commons where Labour has 256 MPs, 94 of whom are women- that's just 27%.

I have recently published "Women in Power" - a guide to women MEPs. If you would like a copy please contact me.