The European Women Lawyers Association called on the governments of EU states to choose a woman for the position of president of the European council or for the EU’s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy High Representative.

Malta is represented on the EWLA board by UK-based employment solicitor Roselyn Knight.

EWLA, representing women lawyer organisations from EU member states as well as from EFTA countries, and women active in all legal professions and on all levels of decision-making in the public and private sectors in all these states recalls that the principle of substantive equality between men and women is one of the constitutional principles upon which the European Union is built and a positive obligation of its institutions and member states.

In addition to being a common constitutional principle of the EU, substantive gender equality also contributes to a more just, more inclusive, and more diverse society. This principle imposes on the EU and its member states an obligation to adopt a pro-active approach and to take measures that actively promote gender equality.

EWLA emphasises that the respect and effective protection of fundamental rights in Europe, including substantive equality between men and women, constitute a core value and an essential element for bringing the citizens closer to the EU. Women’s equal participation in the EU is not limited to their participation in European and national elections, but also extends to their equal participation in decision-making positions on all levels of the EU. Women do not constitute a minority, but more than half of the European citizens therefore their presence in high-level decision-making positions in the EU is both a democratic requirement and a requirement of substantive equality between both genders.