Lisbon Treaty is good for women
Lisbon builds on Europe’s good track record on women’s rights
At a public meeting on the Lisbon Treaty hosted by the Feminist Open Forum last night in the Central Hotel in Dublin, the Green Party’s spokesperson on European Affairs, Senator Deirdre de Burca said that the Lisbon Treaty represented a ‘good deal for women’.
“The European Union has a very good track record in relation to women’s rights generally and has been responsible for our domestic legislation on equal pay, non-discrimination, maternity leave and parental leave” she said. “The Lisbon Treaty builds upon, and consolidates this” she said.
Senator de Burca told those present that the Lisbon Treaty would mainstream gender into all EU activities and would combat discrimination based on sex. She said that the Lisbon treaty would help the EU to fight against human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women and children.
“The Lisbon Treaty also contains an objective to combat all kinds of domestic violence and requires Member States to take all necessary measures to prevent and punish such violence” she said.
The Green Party Senator also told her audience that the Lisbon Treaty contains strong policies that would help to tackle poverty in the developing world, make the European Union more accountable, democratic and transparent and enable its Members States to be better able to tackle major environmental challenges.
Senator de Burca urged Irish women to vote Yes to the Lisbon Treaty in the referendum on October 2nd
