Two Council members of the Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations, Renée Laiviera and Kate Bonello Sullivan, recently participated in a seminar to celebrate International Women’s Day in Brussels, at the invitation of the Equal Opportunities Division of the EU Commission.

The first part of the event featured a roundtable panel discussion: “Women in Economic Decision-Making Positions – successful ways of overcoming barriers for women in management positions”. Four European women in top executive positions recounted their personal experience in achieving and maintaining top management positions. Emphasis was also placed on the low level of female participation in the sciences.

The second panel discussion “Women in Politics – Progress and Challenges”, which was filmed by the BBC, was introduced by Vladimir Spidla, the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities and Anna Zaborska, chairwoman, Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee, European Parliament, with the participation of five of the eight EU women commissioners. BBC journalist Shirin Wheeler referred to Malta as having the lowest participation of women members in a national parliament at nine per cent, with Spain’s highest representation at 47 per cent. A commitment from the Commission on Equality is forecast in their road map 2006-2010 and constitutes the Commission’s framework for action in the promotion of gender equality. EU Commissioner Viviane Reding pointed out that President Barroso, in making his final selection of EU Commissioners, had decided beforehand to appoint a number of women to the post of EU Commissioner.