Synaspismos Women’s Section was the proud host of the 3rd Meeting of the Women’s Network of NELF which took place on the 21st of November in the Zappion Conference Centre in Athens.

The meeting focused on the following subjects:

Policy issues on women’s employment – unemployment

The results of the Intergovernmental Conference from a feminist point of view

Meeting of acquaintance with progressive Women from the Mediterraneanregion.

Short presentation on developments on women’s issues in the European Parliament

The Network approved the following document:

Demands of the NELF Women’s Network on European Labour market and employment policy

European labour market and employment policy has to guarantee a special promotion of women’s employment and to find the means of integrating them into the labour market.

Our demands are that the EU member nations support a European labour market and employment policy:

	Which ensures that the promotion of equal participation of women in labour market is an integral part of employment policy, and includes adequate child-and elderly-care provision as a prerequisite.
	which actively promotes the employment of women so as to guarantee their economic independence while maintaining the principle of equal pay for work of equal value.
	which reverses the trend towards low wages, jobs in the informal sector and concentration of women in the domestic and other low-paid sectors. Of increasing concern in this regard is the predicament of migrant women.
	which provides young women and women returners with appropriate education and vocational training/retraining so that they can participate on an equal basis in the labour market.
	which, while recognising that part-time work can be a valid choice for many women and men, provides adequate social protection and full-time rights for part-time work and ensures that no one is forced into part-time or inadequately protected employment.
	which reduces working-time for all – men as well as women – so as to facilitate the reconciliation of work and family life.
	which protects women’s dignity and personality at work.

The participation in decision making structures and the social dialogue must be actively promoted.