National NGOs’ campaigns within the project “Mobilise against sexism!” were conducted by the member organisations of the European Women's Lobby (EWL) in Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania and Spain in 2020-2021 to raise awareness and combat sexism in key sectors of society.
A first phase of the project was conducted in 2020 in nine countries. The second phase was implemented in seven countries (all except Belgium and Ireland).
The NWC held events specifically addressing targeted sexist and racist attacks on women in public life, and the need for Hate Crime Legislation that included misogyny.
Review of Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989: NWC is optimistic that the advocacy and lobbying undertaken in 2020 linked to the project and the Council of Europe recommendation, highlighting how sexist speech, misogynistic behaviour and other forms of sexism are part of a spectrum of behaviours that enable environments that allow violence against women and girls to continue, will lead to gender being a protected category in new hate crime legislation.
Women’s Political Leadership
Maternity leave rights for national/local government politicians - new (private members bill) legislation providing for maternity leave for national politicians has been tabled for consideration in 2021 and looking at the language from the Council of Europe recommendation which could potentially be included. State funding for women’s caucuses, legislation for quotas for local government and a review of legislative possibilities has been committed to in the Programme for Government 2021.
webinars
Webinar on women in politics, 2 October 2020
This event was held in partnership with the European Parliament, the ‘Women in politics: online abuse' and highlighted the wider implications for democracy when many women do not run for office out of fear of being abused and harassed, because they are women. It was streamed live on NWC’s Facebook with a 2.3K reach. The event was live tweeted with the hashtag #StopOnlineAbuse trending at No.1 on in Ireland during the webinar.
Webinar on women, misogyny and racism, 21 October 2020
With the National Traveller Women’s Forum and AkiDwa (national network of migrant women living in Ireland), the webinar ‘Women and Racism’, highlighted the need for Hate Crime Legislation that included misogyny. The webinar was part of the Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival. 405 people registered for this event on Eventbrite. This event was also live streamed on NWC’s Facebook live with a 6.7K reach.
A first phase of the project was conducted in 2020 in nine countries. The second phase was implemented in seven countries (all except Belgium and Ireland).
The project was implemented by the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWC) in Ireland.
The NWC held events specifically addressing targeted sexist and racist attacks on women in public life, and the need for Hate Crime Legislation that included misogyny.
National government: Hate Crime Legislation
Webinar on women in politics, 2 October 2020
Jennifer McCarthy Flynn, Head of Policy, National Women’s Council of Ireland