Terry Reintke to submit #MeToo petition to President of the European Parliament
International Women’s Day
To mark International Women’s Day (Thursday 8th March), Greens/EFA MEP Terry Reintke will submit a petition to the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani.
The petition, which has surpassed 100,000 signatures, came in response to the #MeToo campaign and revelations of sexual assault and harassment within the European Parliament. It demands changes in the culture and rules of the European Parliament to prevent future harassment and calls on the European Commission to propose a directive on violence against women.
Please see below a quote from Greens/EFA Women's Rights and Gender Equality spokesperson Terry Reintke. For the benefit of radio journalists and podcasters, an audio version is also attached.
“Me Too isn’t just media hype. Together, we are challenging abuse of power and demanding real change.
“In the wake of the revelations of sexual harassment within the European Parliament, there was cross-party consensus that change was needed. But warm words are not enough. When women are unsafe in their own workplace there has to be concrete action.
“More than 100,000 people have now backed our calls for zero tolerance towards sexual harassment. The President of the European Parliament must show that he is listening and ready to act.”
Background
The petition was created and promoted alongside Period, a Brussels based feminist network that connects, empowers and educates women in Brussels. The full text can be viewed here: https://www.change.org/p/europarl-en-stop-sexual-harassment-in-the-european-parliament-metooeu-2
