Press Release: Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner to attend first Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Strengthening the Role of Women in Society, 14-15 November

For the first time, the 35 members of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership are meeting at ministerial level to discuss how to strengthen the role of women in society on both sides of the Mediterranean sea. The European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, will represent the Commission at the conference which is being held on 14-15 November 2006 in Istanbul. The conference is being held in line with the Five Year Work Programme agreed on during the 10th Anniversary Barcelona Summit in 2005. The Istanbul conference will approve ministerial conclusions that include a short political declaration and a work plan to boost women’s role in the political, social, economic, educational and cultural spheres, and will guide the mobilisation of funds for gender equality from all Euromed partners.

European Commission: DG Communication: SPEECH/06/734 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/06/734&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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