The Working Group works on the advancement of the interests of all blind and partially sighted women of Europe, by making women and their often specific situations visible, and by promoting their interests in particular within EBU decision-making bodies.
Working Group members, ranging in age from 25 to 70, strive for equal representation and participation in the boards of EBU and of its member organisations. Only that will provide a firm and good basis for a stronger and more democratic EBU, and will enable us to achieve our goal : equal opportunities for all blind and partially sighted people in society.
Membership list 2007-2011
Coordinator : Luisa Bartolucci (Italy)
Board representative : Birgitta Blokland
Bulgaria : Jivka Pavlova
Denmark : Jeanet Host
Spain : Josefa Luisa Ruiz
Slovenia : Barbara Krejci Piry
UK : Anne Rigby
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Terms of reference 2003-2007
1. This working group is one of three working groups acting under the EBU Commission on Equality and Diversity.
Consistently with the EBU constitution, EBU policies as laid down by the general assembly, and the instructions of the Board, the primary duties for the Working Group to carry out are :
1.1 To protect and promote the interests of blind and partially sighted women in the social, political and economic environment in which they live.
1.2 To monitor the observance of the principle of equality of opportunity for blind and partially sighted women to become active members at all levels in EBU national members, delegations to the general assembly, and in elections and appointments to EBU committees and commissions.
1.3 To undertake leadership and assertiveness training and other programmes to ensure that blind and partially sighted women take their rightful place in organisations of blind and partially sighted people, if desired and if practicable in cooperation with other EBU commissions that also wish to undertake such training.
1.4 To promote equality of opportunity for, and non-discrimination against, blind and partially sighted women in all spheres of life, including education, rehabilitation, vocational training, employment, information, technology, health services, publicity, culture, sports and leisure activities, family life, self-determination and non-violence.
1.5 To promote a culture of equality and diversity within EBU by making sure that women's issues are mainstreamed across all other commissions and working groups, and that the needs of particular groups of blind and partially sighted women are addressed adequately.
2. As soon as possible after the beginning of the work period, the Board will provide the Coordinator of the Working Group with a copy of the Board's Strategic Plan and of the EBU Equality Policy Paper "Towards a Culture of Equality".
3. Having considered the ways in which it can assist in achieving the objectives set in the Board's Strategic Plan and the EBU Equality Policy Paper "Towards a Culture of Equality", the Working Group will immediately prepare, in consultation with the Commission on Equality and Diversity, its plan of action for the work period. Such plan of action must be consistent with the Board's Strategic Plan, and must be submitted to the Board for approval. The Working Group may, during the work period, refer further matters to the Board for consideration, advice and, if appropriate, action.
4. In its plan of action, the Working Group may propose the setting up of ad hoc subgroups to facilitate its work by carrying out specified tasks. Such proposal may not be acted upon until approved by the Board.
5. The Board may, during the work period, refer further matters to the Working Group for consideration, advice, and, if appropriate, action.
6. In no circumstances does the Working Group or any of its members have authority to make any commitment on behalf of EBU without the prior approval of the Board.
7. In carrying out its work, the Working Group will comply strictly with the rules set out in the Status and Guidelines for EBU Commissions and Working Groups (revised January 2004).
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PLAN OF ACTION 2003-2007
A. Long-term action
Our long-term aim is to improve gender and age mainstreaming within EBU itself;
It means first of all that little by little we want to impose a gender and age culture in each EBU member’s mind,
It means that we want that gender and age will be taken into account in each document published by EBU,
It means that all matters considered in each commission and EBU Board, will address from the outset adequate a necessary gender and age view to achieve culture of equality.
To reach this goal, we have to insure that full gender equality is respected in all these areas and then also, at all the levels: European, national and local into employment, social protection, access to the new technologies, to education, to the cultural and leisure areas, equal salaries for men and women for equal qualification, access to decision making, etc… We have to work each other in our own level and after to gather together the results of our different actions: letters to newspapers, to political representatives, to ONG representatives, to EBU board members, conferences, etc.
B. Short-term actions
1) Make our discussion list and the existing women’s network more actives fostering debate about issues in which women have shown interest.
2) Make our EBU website more alive and dynamic.
3) Develop WWG newsletter as a first step towards the birth of an attractive magazine.
4) Ask every WWG member to collect all the cases of discrimination regarding gender equality she hears about, as well as cases of violence faced by blind or partially sighted women and the non respect of their right to adopt children or to benefit from accessible information concerning their maternity right.
5) Bring together this information and compile them in a white paper.
6) Use the EDF reference documents in a more efficient way.
7) Submit our white paper to the board for approval and disseminate it to every national government, and all relevant bodies.
8) Continue to collect information on the position of women by carrying out a study of their specific needs in the different areas of Europe. Therefore it would be necessary to take into account all the factors including age.
9) Be aware of all relevant events, which may happen in Europe with the possibility to comment on them and react to them.
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PLAN OF ACTION 1999 - 2003
A. Long-term aims
Full equality will be reached when blind women and girls have achieved full participation and decent living conditions in our societies and organisations, at all levels. This means full inclusion of blind women and girls into economical, social and cultural life, as well as enjoying their own family life. Blind women have the right to keep their identity as women without suffering from discrimination.
B. Short-term activities
Goal 1 : Set up an EBU women's network
Goal 2 : Produce a Women's Newsletter
Goal 3 : Cooperation with other EBU Commissions
Goal 4 : Continue the work with the " tool documents " of special concern for blind and visually impaired women.
Goal 5 : Investigate the needs of visually impaired women in Europe
Goal 6 : Develop work on gender equality in Europe
The Commission's previous plans of action are available from EBU Office.
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