62 posts
In His Very Own Saintly Words, Part II
"The Negro is indolent and lazy, and spends his money on frivolities, whereas the European is forward-looking, organized and intelligent."- Ernesto "Che" Guevara,erudite toleration promoter...
Menderes Yılmaz, the racist of the month
Mr. Yılmaz is the head of the judges in the KCK trial. When one of the defendants began to speak Kurdish, Mr. Yılmaz stopped him and stated that the defendant spoke an “unknown language”, so-called Kurdish. The judge thus became the emb...
An ever closer (civil) Union
With a reticent Commission afraid of upsetting member states, it is up to European citizens to fight to have same-sex unions recognised in all countries. No related posts.
Ryanair is still Plane Sexist
Thanks to Ryanair I seem to have achieved some notoriety. I appear in a report in today’s Telegraph which appears to congratulate Ryanair on producing its fourth charity calendar. The Telegraph headline “Ryanair cabin crew strip off for...
“The special social role of women”: the Strasbourg Court does not buy it (Konstantin Markin v. Russia)
Last week, the Court delivered what might well turn out to be a landmark judgment on the issue of sex discrimination; Konstantin Markin v. Russia. The facts seem simple enough: a military serviceman was not entitled to the same parental leave as a mi...
"Europe’s Hidden Inequality" by Michael Dauderstaedt
The European Union, in its founding treaties, set itself the aim of economic, social and territorial cohesion.[i] This aim is generally interpreted to mean that the EU will strive to reduce income inequality within its area of integration. Reducing i...
Is the demand for Gay Marriage down?
This is a question no one is asking after LGBT Noise’s March For Marriage on Sunday. In 2009 Over 3,000 people took part in that Year’s March For Marriage. This year the number is down to 2000 (Figure from Irish Times). That is compared...
Melek Çetin begins to comment on Constitutional changes: Equality before the Law
Erkan’s Field Diary is really proud to present a new regular “guest author”: Melek Çetin. She will prepare a series of posts that discuss the proposed changes… Equality before the Law What do two sentences bring to women, chi...
Now Sweden considers restrictions on the Burka
The education minister was talking to public radio and said,“Teaching is communication. It’s about being able to look at each other in the eyes and communicate with each other,” Jan Bjoerklund told Swedish public radio.“In that way, I mean it...
Europe: Speak up on Rights and Citizenship!
It's been disturbing over the last week or so to read about the state of politics in Europe when it comes to the Roma community and immigration. There's a great post over at 1848 that picks up on a Guardian story of the treatment of the Roma across t...
Michael McDowell supports gravity shock!
It’s pretty much par for the course now that when Michael McDowell’s possible reentry into politics is discussed, some on the left dig up what is deemed his now “infamous” remarks about inequality. What he said was that a libe...
Well, we’re all good at something
Chris says he doesn’t like hierarchies: For as long as I can remember, I’ve hated hierarchies. I didn’t like school, for example, until I entered the less hierarchical sixth-form. One reason I wouldn’t want to be an academic or a civil se...
Female actresses face up hill struggle against male executives
The film industry was blasted last week by veteran actresses Juliet Stevenson and Bridget Jones’ diary star Gemma Jones who said male executives only cast ‘nubile and beautiful young women’. Actors of their age are only offered ‘mother roles
European sub-culture & gender clichés
Just amazing. A European film about sub-culture that might also destroy some gender clichés. Girl Power! Can't wait for 2011!
Anti-...WHAT?
You want to hear a good joke? Yes?! Here it comes: "Progress Report"! The first time that I wrote about this proposal for a new anti-discrimination directive was in August 2008; the proposal itself is from 2 July 2008, the second day of this blog. I...
Majority of Conservative MEPs oppose greater Gender Equality
Every year, at the request of the European Council, a report is produced on the progress towards the achievement of gender equality in the EU. It also presents challenges and priorities for the future. This year my fellow Socialist and Democrat (S...
Portugal legalises gay marriage
I welcome the fact that Portugal's parliament has approved plans to legalise gay marriage, paving the way for the country to become the sixth in Europe to allow gays and lesbians to get married. As the Socialist Portuguese Prime Minister Jose S...
"What Is Living and What Is Dead in Social Democracy?"
"What Is Living and What Is Dead in Social Democracy?" is a speech by Tony Judt I came across via Concurring Opinions. While it's addressed to America, and is concerned with the lack of political space to properly discuss ideas outside the conservati...
So, how large is the global plutocratic class?
The Financial Times' US editor Chrystia Freeland has an article today which can be interpreted...
Gender equality in Belgium
In the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index 2009, Belgium ranks well in education levels between men and women. But when we get to economic and political decision-making, Belgium drops to the 60s..."The lack of equality in economic life is...
1/3 of women in the EU commission = Gender equal Europe?
After the nomination of the commissionners, a satisfaction feeling may have filled European governments and the President of the future European Commission. At least this bad moment is over, there are 1/3 women in the next European Commission, now le...
Reinventing the Notion of Equality
It is time to rebuild the consensus for equality that was destroyed by neoliberal hegemony. The social-democratic contracts adopted throughout the West in the aftermath of the thirty years of war and depression of the first half of the twentieth cen...
Van Rompuy, Ashton & Gender Politics
In the latest episode of Chasing Brussels, three men sit around and talk about gender politics in the EU and Baroness Ashton as EU High Representative.
A European Blog Action against a Commission without gender balance (UPDATED)
UPDATE: This post has become reality with the Campaign For A Gender Balanced Commission! Dear fellow bloggers, in case Barroso proposes a Commission with less women than in the last one, we should call for a European Blog Action addressing as many...
Quote of the week: Margot Wallström
“It’s just a matter of believing that the right man in the right place can be a woman” Margot Wallström, interviewed by La Oreja de Europa...
EQUAL PAY
I have just returned from voting in the Women's Committee where a report on equal pay was passed with a large majority.br /br /There remains a persistent gap between pay of men and women with the latest figures showing a 15% difference between gross...
Violence at Pride parades
I was very upset to hear the reports of violence at the Pride parades in Prague, Riga and Sofia in the last few weeks, and also very disappointed that pressure from various sources meant the Pride parade in Moldova scheduled for May did not take plac...
