Campaign for women leaders in EU - Building Gender Balanced Business

A cross-party campaign by a number of MEPs is canvassing for public support for more women representation in the EU’s political institutions. In particular, the campaign, known as “Females in Front”, notes that in the near future four important new political positions will be created, in which women can be candidates.

They are:

• Council President
• High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
• President of the European Parliament
• President of the Commission

The first two new positions will be created when the Lisbon Treaty is ratified. The last two will become vacant after the European Parliamentary elections of June 2009.

The “Females in Front” website lists the present state of women’s political representation. In the EU itself, 67% of the commissioners are men and 69% of the MEPs are men.

Out of the EU’s 27 Member States, only one Prime Minister is a woman and only two Presidents out of eighteen are women.

The campaign is calling for people to sign up if they wish to see at least one woman appointed to one of the new political positions.

Click here to support the campaign.