In the European Parliament in Brussels, a public hearing analyzes the dimensions of poverty affecting women and the overall objective of reducting poverty.

Brussels

public hearing

ZIMMER, Gabriele (GUE/NGL, DE)

Women's rights / Equal opportunities (T2)

PLUMB, Rovana (S&D, RO, S&D, RO)

SVENSSON, Eva-Britt (GUE/NGL, SE)

fight against poverty (T)

How poverty affects women in the EU: extracts from the public hearing

SOUNDBITE (Swedish), Eva-Britt SVENSSON (GUE/NGL, SE), We are very much aware that there is a feminization of poverty going on at the moment. Women are suffering the most and that is one of our priority issues to have this public hearing on this subject.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Rovana PLUMB (S&amp;D, RO), 2010 is the European Year to fighting against poverty and social exclusion and that is why we are doing this report to try to draw people's attention to women and also look up at the plight of single mothers or children from migrant families or from job seekers families. Currently, women are often in situations which put them in risk of poverty. For example if they are pregnant or if they don't have a necessary training or education to have access to the labour market.

SOUNDBITE (English), Regina WEBHOFER, Project Coordinator-Women against Violence Europe, Besides legislation it is very important also to have enough services that can provide support to women survival of violence. Many women organizations they lack of funding and for this reason they cannot fulfil the international standard of services for women survival of violence.

SOUNDBITE (German), Gabriele ZIMMER (GUE/NGL, DE), The objectives of 2020 strategy are not enough to leave 20 million people out of poverty. That figure is far too low in the light of the fact that there are at least 90 million people officially living in poverty. The ethnic minorities, Roma, migrants are the most common actors of the European Union poverty statistics.