EU Commissioner Margot Wallstrom (whose blog is one of the more grimly entertaining spots on the web):
” 8 March: International Women’s day. Rightly the small daughter of my friend asks: “So, are all the other days men’s day then?” Indeed, what is there to celebrate? The TV is showing a weeping Indian girl who would have liked to go to university instead of getting married to someone she has never met before. Or Lilya from Lithuania, victim of so called trafficking (sounding like innocent transportation, but meaning prostitution) having to “serve” 10 – 12 men per day. Why not call it by it’s right name – sex slavery! Turkish women attacked by police all over with teargas and stopped from demonstrating – No, Turkey, this won’t do if you want to come closer to the EU! So many women all over Europe feel overworked, underpaid and tired, tied up in their many roles between job and family and – some time for themselves!
Every year thousands of women are beaten to death by their husbands. The issue of violence against women and children in the home is a huge hidden problem. Domestic violence is, according to Amnesty International figures, the major cause of death and disability for European women aged 16 to 44. It accounts for more death and ill-health than cancer or traffic accidents.”
But, Margot, fear not. The EU is coming to the rescue:
The Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia are the top candidates for hosting the new EU gender institute.
The European Institute for Gender Equality, announced by the European Commission today (8 March), is supposed to collect, analyse and circulate data to provide a basis for future policies on gender equality.