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European Youth Forum is not satisfied with political declaration on women's issues

On the occasion of International Women's Day, the European Youth Forum (YFJ) highlights its concern regarding the weak political declaration adopted on March 2nd as an outcome of the UN Commission on the Status of Women's (CSW) 54th session in New York. The session is examining the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, 15 years after it was adopted.

"The outcome document of the CSW's 54th session fails to strengthen the commitments undertaken in Beijing. The fact that effective implementation is still not achieved in key areas of life for young women, such as education and training and sexual and reproductive health and rights, will certainly not be contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals", said Tine Radinja, President of the European Youth Forum.

The YFJ calls for a more integrated approach among EU Policies in the areas of education, youth, health, non-discrimination and equality in the follow-up of the EU Roadmap for equality between women and men, and for the effective implementation of existing instruments at the Council of Europe level, so as to achieve the objectives agreed upon in Beijing in 1995.

Although some effective indicators have been established at the EU level, a real need still exists to develop further the Beijing indicators related to education and training for both women and men, including those on Non-Formal Education and Sex Education.

Notes to the editor:

The Beijing Platform for Action was adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women, convened by the United Nations. The Platform for Action concentrates on key issues identified as obstacles to the advancement of women around the world. The Commission on the Status of Women 54th Session (02-13 March) is reviewing the status of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, 15 years on.

Some facts: Education - Whilst the proportion of women studying subjects such as education and teacher training is very high in all EU countries (almost 70% on average at the EU level), less than 40% women on average at EU level study science, mathematics, and computing. Even less (30% on average) study engineering or manufacturing (Eurostat - Key data on education in Europe 2009).
Health - Girls are 1.6 times less likely to use condoms than boys (IPPF-Y safe research report - sex and young people in Europe)