EWLA in 2008

Statements and resolutions of EWLA

  1. 5 July 2008: Resolution on Fundamental Rights in Europe
  1. 5 July 2008: Resolution on Changing Attitudes and Approaches to Anti-Discrimination and Gender Equality Laws in Europe
  1. 5 July 2008: Second Resolution on the Balanced Participation of Women and Men on the Boards of Listed Companies
  1. 9 May 2008: Statement on the Signing of the Treaty of Lisbon by the Member States of the European Union

Other Activities of EWLA

  1. 2 October 2008: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, received an award of 10.000 euros as an influential person in the society for promoting equality and public awareness of legislation, from the WSOY Literature Foundation (Finland).
  1. 30 September 2008: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, was keynote speaker at the Multi country study tour on women in business organized by the European Commission in Brussels. The topic of her speech was Women in the corporate world. Overview issues. Success stories, covering Women in the public administration, Women in economy and business world, and Strategies to improve balance in decision making positions. The participants of the event were representatives of the civil society organisations from the Western Balkans and Candidate Countries
  1. 5 July 2008: EWLA board meeting in Brussels.
  1. 10-11 June 2008: Beate Rudolf, Vice President of EWLA and Dr Maria Alvanou, EWLA member from Greece, represented EWLA and spoke at the consultative expert meeting on Access to Efficient and Independent Justice organised by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).
  1. 2 June 2008: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, attended the first meeting of the European network of women in decision-making in politics and the economy in Brussels.
  1. 1 May 2008: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, gave a presentation on promoting women on company boards and Beate Rudolf, Vice President of EWLA, gave a presentation on gender mainstreaming at the annual German Lawyers Congress (Deutscher Anwaltstag) in Berlin.
  1. 10 March 2008: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, spoke at the conference on the European Private Company (SPE) organised by the European Commission in Brussels. Dace Liga Luters-Thümmel, EWLA board member from Latvia, also represented EWLA at the event.
  1. 7 March 2008: The European Commission invited Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, to become a member of European network of women in decision-making in politics and the economy.
  1. 11 February 2008: Dace Liga Luters-Thümmel, EWLA board member from Latvia, represented EWLA at a public hearing at the European Parliament concerning candidates for the post of Director of the Fundamental Rights Agency, in the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), in Brussels.

8th Congress of EWLA:

4-5 July 2008 in London

"Being Heard in the Future Europe"

The 8th Congress of EWLA was held in London 4th and 5th July 2008, with social program on the evening of July 3rd. The theme of the congress was "Being Heard in the Future Europe". Congress venue: BPP Law School, 68-70 Red Lion Street, London WC1R 4NY.

The plenary session speakers included Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe; Lenia Samuel, Deputy Director General of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, the European Commission; and Diana Wallis, Vice President of the European Parliament, UK MEP.

The second day plenary session speaker was Hanne Severinsen who spoke on “Being heard in Eastern Europe.” Ms Severinsen was a Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for 17 years and Rapporteur Ukraine for 12 years. She is now advisor to Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko and in her speech compared the situation in Ukraine to that of Denmark and the Nordic countries.

With workshops on:

Family Law

Leadership in Business and Public Life

Women in the criminal justice system

The EU constitution/treaty and the FRA

Legal education

Anti-discrimination and diversity law

Work-life balance

Competition law

We were invited to enjoy our Gala Dinner within the Palace of Westminster, in the Member's Dining Room of the House of Lords.Baroness Cohen gave a speech at the occasion.

Conferences and seminars of EWLA

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CONFERENCE IN BRUSSELS

EWLA will organise a Corporate Governance conference in Brussels at the European Economic and Social Committee on 10 November 2008. Among the speakers will be Diana Wallis, Vice President of the European Parliament; Belinda Pyke, Director for Equality between Men and Women, European Commission DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities; Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA and Director at the Central Chamber of Commerce of Finland; MEP Klaus-Heiner Lehne, European People's Party, Member of the Legal Affairs Committee and Rapporteur on European Private Company; Corinna Ullrich, from the European Commission, DG Internal Market and Services; Joelle Simon, Director of Legal Affairs, French Business Confederation, and Member of the Advisory Group on Corporate Governance and Company Law; Vanessa Williams, Partner of Bates, Wells and Braithwaite; London; and Justice Dr. Egils Levits, European Court of Justice.

Director Training Program for Women Lawyers in Helsinki

The program was launched in August 2007 (see year 2007 for details) and continued in 2008. Seminars in 2008:

▪Project Management

▪Process Management

▪A Successful Recruitment

▪Leadership in an International Environment

▪Personal well-being

▪A case-study: Leadership at Marimekko

▪Networking evening

▪Quality Management

▪Time Management

▪Management Group Work

▪Work Well-being Management

▪Leadership and Ethics

▪Corporate Governance and Board Work

▪Securities Markets and Compliance Programs

The closing event of the training program will be held on 12 November 2008 at the Guarantee Foundation. Certificates of the training will be distributed to those participants who attended at least 80 per cent the training seminars and presented a learning diary of the training course.

EWLA in 2007

Statements and resolutions of EWLA

  1. 7 December 2007: Statement on the Consultative Meeting of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency with Civil Society, Brussels, 10-11 December 2007
  1. 29 November 2007: Statement on the Commission Proposal for a Multiannual Framework of the European Fundamental Rights Agency
  1. 15 November 2007: Second Statement on 2007 – European Year of Equal Opportunities for All
  1. 12 May 2007: Resolution on Age Discrimination Against Women
  1. 12 May 2007: Resolution on Combating Gender Discrimination and Promoting Substantive Gender Equality through Public Procurement
  1. 12 May 2007: Resolution on European Network Promoting Women in Decision-Making Positions
  1. 12 May 2007: Resolution on the Future of the Constitutional Framework of the European Union
  1. 12 May 2007: Resolution on Gender Mainstreaming
  1. 12 May 2007: Resolution on Reconciling Employment and Family Life
  1. 5 March 2007:Statement on Women in Economic Decision-making Positions
  1. 28 January 2007: Statement on 2007 - European Year of Equal Opportunities for All and the Period of Reflection on the Future of Europe

Other Activities of EWLA

  1. 14 December 2007: Dr Maria Alvanou, EWLA member from Greece, represented EWLA and spoke at the Conference on the implementation of the acquis on non-discrimination organised by the European Commission in cooperation withthe Ministry of Justice and Public Order of Cyprus, in Nicosia, Cyprus.
  1. 10 December 2007: Beate Rudolf, EWLA Vice-President, represented EWLA at the Consultative Meeting of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency with Civil Society.
  1. 8 December 2007: EWLA board meeting in Brussels
  1. 3 December 2007: Elisabeth Müller, Past President of EWLA represented EWLA at the 51st congress of the UIA (Union Internationale des Avocats) and spoke at the round table on "Positive Action and access to power".
  1. 29-30 November 2007: Beate Rudolf, EWLA Vice-President, represented EWLA at the Conference “Chancengleichheit als Mehrwert” (Equality of Chances as an Added Value”), organized by the German Federal Anti-Discrimination Body, in Berlin.
  1. 19-20 November 2007: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, represented EWLA at the Closing Conference of the Year 2007 – Equal Opportunities for All in Lisbon, and disseminated EWLA’s statement given for the occasion.
  1. 18 October 2007: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, represented EWLA at Frauen Dinner Corporate Governance organised by the German Woman Lawyers Association DJB to promote women’s participation in the boards of listed companies. The German Federal Minister of Justice Ms Brigitte Zypries, Director Belinda Pyke of the European Commission and the leading figure of German Corporate Governance Dr Gerhard Cromme were among the speakers of this high-level event with 150 women attending.
  1. 27 August 2007: Director training program of EWLA and the Finnish Women Lawyers Association was launched in Helsinki. Ms Tuija Brax, Minister of Justice, gave the opening speech.
  1. 26-28 June 2007, Beate Rudolf, EWLA Vice President, participated in the World Women’s Peace Forum in Gwangju, Republic of Korea, and gave a presentation on "Women’s Human Rights and Violence against Women from a European perspective”.
  1. 21 June 2007: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, had a meeting with Dr Unity Dow, the first female High Court judge of Botswana and human rights activist.
  1. 4-5 June 2007: Angelika Nake, EWLA member from Germany, represented EWLA and spoke at the Conference Campaign to Combat Violence against Women, including Domestic Violence, organised by the Council of Europe.
  1. 16 May 2007: Beate Rudolf, EWLA Vice President, represented EWLA and presented the Second EWLA General Assembly Resolutionon Reconciling Employment and Family Life at the exchange of information meeting by the invitation of Dr. Ursula yon der Leyen, German Federal Minister, in connection with the Informal Meeting of the European Ministers for Gender Equality and Family Affairs hosted by the German EU-Presidency in Bad Pyrmont, Germany.
  1. 30 April 2007: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, had a meeting with Mr Vladimír Špidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, in Brussels, to discuss promoting women in decision-making positions.
  1. April 2007: The book “Médicine et Droit, Questions d’actualité en droit medical et en bioéthique” was published based on the contributions at EWLA’s conference LE DROIT FACE A LA MÉDECINE : GARDE-FOU OU TROUBLE FETE? Répercussions du droit dans le cycle de la vie, Brussels, 19 October 2006.
  1. 14 March 2007: Beate Rudolf, EWLA Board member representing Germany, had a meeting with Dr. Martina Köppen, Head of the new German Anti-Discrimination Body, to discuss possibilities of cooperation.
  1. 8 March 2007: Elisabeth Müller, Past President of EWLA represented EWLA at the EP-FEMM Seminar “1957-2007: The European Union and the advancement of women”.
  1. 7 March 2007: Elisabeth Müller, Past President of EWLA represented EWLA at the EP-FEMM Seminar “Female politicians and media”.
  1. 6 March 2007: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, Elisabeth Müller, Past President of EWLA and Sophia Spiliotopoulos, Board member of EWLA, represented EWLA at the Seminar organised by the European Commission WOMEN IN DECISION MAKING POSITIONS, Sharing experiences and good practice in Brussels. The seminar was honoured by the participation of six European Commissioners as speakers. EWLA gave a Statement on Women in Economic Decision-making Positions and intervened in the discussion to present EWLA’s positions.
  1. 30-31 January 2007: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, and Beate Rudolf and Sophia Spiliotopoulos, Board members of EWLA, represented EWLA at First Equality Summit and Opening Conference of the 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All in Berlin.

7th Congress of EWLA:

11-12 May 2007 in Zürich

"European Year of Equal Opportunities for All from Women Lawyers' Perspective"

The venue of the congress was the Sorell Hotel Zürichberg, Plenary sessions had the topics “2007: Year of Equal Opportunities for All” and “Combating Discrimination: EU Constitutional and Legislative Perspectives” with speakers from the European Institutions. The opening and welcome speeches of the congress were given by Regula Kägi-Diener, President of Women Lawyers Switzerland; Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA; and Patricia Schulz, Director of the Federal Office for Gender Equality, Switzerland.

The first congress day included a plenary session with the title “2007: Year of Equal Opportunities for all” 2007” with the following speakers: Lenia Samuel, Deputy Director General of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities; Christa Prets, Member of the European Parliament and Rosmarie Zapfl-Helbling, Switzerland, Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Equal Opportunities of the Council of Europe, President of AllianceF. An address by Rodi Kratsa, First Vice-President of the European Parliament was read. In the afternoon, there were three different workshops: (1) Competition Law: A growing concern for companies and regulators (Chair: Astrid Waser, Zurich/Switzerland; Speakers: Anne Leppälä-Nilsson, Finland, Claudia Seitz, Switzerland/Germany Veronica Roberts, Belgium); (2) Gender Mainstreaming (Chair: Zita Küng, Switzerland, speakers: Susanne Baer, Germany, Elisabeth Holzleithner, Austria and Jackie Jones, UK); (3) Public Procurement and the fight against Gender Discrimination (Chair: Beate Rudolf, Germany; Speakers: Christa Tobler, Switzerland, Sajeela Regula Schmid, Switzerland and Helen Hartnell, USA)

The second congress day began with the plenary session “Combating Discrimination: EU Constitutional and Legislative Perspectives” with the following speakers: Anneli Jäätteenmäki (FI), Vice-Chairwoman of the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament; Professor Dimitris Triantafyllou, Legal adviser of the European Commission; Petra Schott, European Commission, Directory General for Employment, Social affairs and Equal Opportunities, Legal service, and Sophia Spiliotopoulos, attorney and counsellor at law, member of the Commission’s Equality Law Network, past Vice President of EWLA. In the afternoon, there were again three workshops: (4) Company law and representation of women (Chair: Leena Linnainmaa, Finland, Speakers: Vanessa Williams, UK, Kathrin Kilian, Switzerland), (5) Age discrimination against Women (Chair: Christa Tobler, Switzerland, Speakers: Liisa Nieminen, Finland, Patrina Paparrigopoulou, GR), (6) Women and International Trade (Chair: Marion Panizzon, Switzerland; Ximena Escobar de Nogales, Switzerland, Krista Nadakavukaren Schefer, Switzerland).

The General Assembly of EWLA was held at the end of the congress and six resolutions were adopted (see Statements and resolutions of EWLA for details).

Conferences and seminars of EWLA

ENHANCING CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN EUROPE

Conference organised by EWLA, The Representative Office of the EUROPEAN COMMISSION and the Free University of Berlin, 19 October 2007, 9.00-17.00 hrs. Venue: Vertretung der Europäischen Kommission in Deutschland, Unter den Linden 78, 10117 Berlin.

Mr. Jean-Jacques Nuss, senior administrator at the Representation of the European Commission in Germany, and EWLA President Leena Linnainmaa gave the opening speeches. Speakers of the conference were Ms Corinna Ullrich of the Commission Directorate General “Internal Market and Services”, professor Dr. Martin Schwab of the Free University Berlin, British business lawyer Vanessa Williams LLP Partner, Bates Wells & Braithwaite, London, Leena Linnainmaa, EWLA President and Director of the Finnish Central Chamber of Commerce, German business lawyer Dr. Claudia Junker, LL.M. (Cornell) and City treasurer Gabriele C. Klug. EWLA Vice-President Professor Dr. Beate Rudolf of the Free University Berlin gave the concluding speech of the conference.

A networking dinner followed the conference.

Lecture Series of Free University Berlin in cooperation with EWLA and the German Women Lawyers' Association (DJB) continued (see year 2006 for additional details).

The speakers in 2007 were EWLA members Prof. Dr. Christa Tobler (Switzerland), Sophia Spiliotopoulos (EWLA Board member Greece), Sabine Overkämping (Germany), and Beate Rudolf (EWLA Board member, Germany), as well as Gabriele Bischoff, Advisor to the German Presidency in the German Ministry of Labour.

Christa Tobler who teaches European Law at the Universities of Basle, Switzerland, and Leiden, The Netherlands, presented an overview of the development of European law to combat gender discrimination and to promote substantive equality. She emphasised the influence of this body of law on European anti-discrimination law, but also stressed the danger of the latter to consider women a minority.

Gabriele Bischoff introduced the audience to the European Social Dialogue. In her opinion, it could be a means of enhancing the democratic legitimacy of European law in this area provided that women are better represented in the dialogue, particularly in the European and national organisations of the social partners.

Beate Rudolf analysed the European Services Directive in light of women’s concerns. She criticised that the European Commission had not carried out a Gender Impact Assessment (GIA) before introducing its proposal. Therefore, it is a positive development that social and health services will be covered by special legal acts. Here, women’s organisations should lobby the Commission for carrying out GIAs.

Sophia Spiliotopoulos spoke about women’s rights and the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), sharing with the audience her experience from the negotiations leading to the Regulation setting up the FRA. Major achievements are that the members of the Board shall be independent human rights experts, not government representatives, that the scientific work of the Agency shall be under the responsibility of a Scientific Committee composed of independent, highly qualified human rights experts selected by the Board and there must be a balanced participation of women and men in the bodies of the FRA. Moreover, she emphasised that the prohibition of gender discrimination is to be applied by the FRA as a horizontal objective.

Sabine Overkämping concluded the lecture series with a presentation on the European Constitutional Treaty from women’s perspective. She had represented both EWLA and the German Women Lawyers’ Association (djb) in the Convention and explained why women’s rights were weakened during that process. With respect to the debate on the future of Europe, she called for strengthening the social dimension of Europe.

The contributions to the lecture series will be published in winter 2007 (in German).

Director Training Program for Women Lawyers in Helsinki

EWLA is actively promoting women’s advancement to decision-making positions. EWLA launched a regional Director Training Program for Women Lawyers in cooperation with the Finnish Women Lawyers Association in Helsinki. The program included ca 20 evening seminars during one year’s time starting on 27 August 2007.

Forty-one women lawyers were accepted to participate in the program from a large number of applicants. The program gained considerable media coverage in Finland. The program covers different aspects of leadership including for example strategic planning, board work and personal development. The language of the program was Finnish. Ms Tuija Brax, Minister of Justice, gave the opening speech of the program.