On 6-9th June 2024, Europeans voted to renew the European Parliament and new Members of European Parliament (MEP) will convene for the first time in Plenary mid-July in Strasbourg, France.  

While the European People’s Party (EPP), European Conservatives (ECR) and Identify and Democracy Group (ID) have seen an increase in seats, the Greens and Renew Europe have had significant losses. The Socialists have maintained around the same number of seats. The biggest increase has been for the non-aligned MEPs which are a heterogenous group, yet with most of them coming from the far right. It remains to be seen if they will remain non-aligned MEPs or if they will join a political group.  There has been a clear surge of the far right, and at the time of writing, the ECR has replaced Renew Europe as the third biggest political group in the European Parliament.  

While the pro-European parliamentary majority (EPP, S&D, Renew) has been weakened, it retains its majority (around 400) and therefore can continue to function as a strong coalition. Working with the far right cannot be an option. As a European civil society organisation advocating for pluralism, non-discrimination, and human rights, COFACE Families Europe will continue to engage with the European Parliament to defend and protect the interests of the wide diversity of families. We will do this building on our State of the European Union for families (5-year assessment of the 2019-2024 mandate) and our Key Demands for families of today.  The European Parliament will now proceed to form their political groups. The European Council is preparing to elect a new European Commission President. 

More here about the election results, also per country. See also further information on the Good Lobby elections hub. 

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COFACE Families Europe together with its members is very active in addressing the social challenges faced by families of today and advocating for policies to support their well-being.

In 2019, COFACE Families Europe mobilised voters locally through its member organisations (representing families of all types, without discrimination). A call was launched to the COFACE network to vote and speak out in May 2019 using 10 key values as a compass: non-discrimination, equal opportunities, empowerment, internet for all, social inclusion, sustainability, respect of human rights, solidarity, child well-being, accessibility. Following the election of the new European Parliament and the publication of the European Commission’s political guidelines, COFACE Families Europe published its New Deal for Families of Today which is a list of key short-term demands (also available in Easy-to-Read language) to be achieved by the new European Commission from 2020-2024, which are to be seen as concrete steps to meet the long-term goals of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

These demands reflect the needs and challenges of families of today and call for a mix of European actions (policy, law, funding, benchmarking, innovation) to drive real change. These recommendations are addressed at EU-level policymakers in the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the EU, from whom we expect joint leadership to ensure tangible results for Europe’s citizens.  It is on this basis that we have assessed  the European Union’s work from 2019 to 2024, and how it contributes to achieving eight positive outcomes for families of today (see more here). While this assessment refers to various initiatives to support families, it cannot fully assess the real impact on families at local level yet. It is crucial for the EU institutions to conduct monitoring and evaluation of their policies to understand the impacts (positive and negative) on families, in order to review and consolidate existing frameworks under the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and adopt any new measures needed to strengthen the Pillars.

Read the full assessment here.

See the 10 key actions we want integrated into the EU’s 2024-2029 programme here.

The post State Of The European Union for Families: COFACE assessment of the European Union’s work from 2019-2024 appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

On 15th May from 17.30-19.30 in the Schuman area of Brussels, COFACE Families Europe invited friends to assess the results of the last 5-year mandate of the von der Leyen Commission and highlight some key messages ahead of the European elections.

This was also be the occasion to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the International Year of Families.

COFACE Families launched its “State Of The European Union for families” assessment of the last 5-year mandate of the von der Leyen Commission and how it contributed to achieving eight specific outcomes for families. We also presented our #ActNow for Families of Today call to action, which comprises 10 specific actions that COFACE believe should be integrated into the EU’s 2024-2029 programme. Also available in Easy-to-read version here.

Last but not least, a COFACE song has been developed with the aim to push our message in a creative and engaging way.

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Background

In 2019, COFACE Families Europe mobilised voters locally through its member organisations (representing families of all types, without discrimination). A call was launched to the COFACE network to vote and speak out in May 2019 using 10 key values as a compass: non-discrimination, equal opportunities, empowerment, internet for all, social inclusion, sustainability, respect of human rights, solidarity, child well-being, accessibility.

Following the 2019 election of the new European Parliament and the publication of the European Commission’s political guidelines, COFACE Families Europe published its New Deal for Families of Today which is a list of key short-term demands (also available in Easy-to-Read language) to be achieved by the new European Commission from 2020-2024. They are to be seen as concrete steps to meet the long-term goals of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

These demands reflect the needs and challenges of families of today and call for a mix of European actions (policy, law, funding, benchmarking, innovation) to drive real change. These recommendations are addressed at EU-level policymakers in the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the EU, from whom we expect joint leadership to ensure tangible results for Europe’s citizens.

It is on this basis that we have assessed the work of the European Union’s work from 2019 to 2024, and how it contributes to achieving positive outcomes for families of today.

The post State Of The European Union for families appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

Equality and non-discrimination are core EU values and fundamental rights, enshrined in the Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. However, research by the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) shows that discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people persists across the EU. In recent years, social acceptance of LGBTIQ people has declined in some Member States. Gaps remain in the EU’s legislative framework for combating discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. The Covid-19 pandemic has also exacerbated existing inequalities. 

On the 12 of November 2020, the European Commission issued a Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions called ‘Union of Equality: LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025’. This was the European Commission’s first LGBTIQ Strategy. Outlining key objectives and steps against discrimination and for LGBTIQ+ equality, safety and inclusiveness, in the European Union and around the world, the LGBTIQ Strategy was considered a historical milestone. When adopted, the Strategy was received with great hope by LGBTIQ+ civil society organisations, human rights defenders and people. 

In 2023, the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) decided to prepare a report of implementation on the LGBTIQ Strategy. Making use of its conclusions and recommendations, this implementation report shall have two effects: work as a scrutiny tool, making sure the LGBTIQ Strategy lives up to its commitments; and strengthen the calls for a new Strategy for the coming years. 

In parallel, Equinet’s report on “Equality Bodies protecting the rights of rainbow families on the move” focuses on the legal framework ensuring the protection of rights and freedoms of same-sex couples and their children on the move within the EU. The report identifies obstacles faced by rainbow families when exercising their EU free movement rights and highlights disparities in legal protections among EU Member States. 

EU standards concerning mutual recognition of partnerships and parenthood are presented first, by making reference to relevant provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the relevant Directives and cases decided by the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), as well as the most recent policy developments, such as the LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 which includes the ambitious proposal of a Regulation on Mutual Parenthood Recognition. 

Standards developed by CoE Member States are also presented, including the Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)5 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity and relevant case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). 

Despite progressive legal frameworks at the supra-national level, levels of protection for rainbow families vary significantly between European states. Some countries provide adequate legal safeguards, while others lag behind, reflecting an ongoing struggle for equality and recognition. 

Overall, these reports from the European Parliament and Equinet shed light on the ongoing fight for equality and recognition for rainbow families within the EU, highlighting the need for continued advocacy and legal reform to ensure the protection of their rights and freedoms. 

Read the report on the implementation of the EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy here. 

Read the Equinet report on rainbox families here. 

The post Championing Rights of Rainbow Families: Insights from the European Parliament and Equinet Reports appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

19th September 10.30-12.30 CET

REGISTER HERE

This online working group meeting is being organised in the context of the L.I.N.K. education programme, a joint initiative of COFACE Families Europe and KMOP education hub, which is part of the European Family Lab launched in 2020.

The meeting is aiming to create an informal and collaborative space, serving as an education hub, where members from different countries can learn from one another, exchange ideas, build partnerships and explore ways to improve and promote their education practices.

The working group will bring together committed professionals and staff in the COFACE network who are actively involved or interested in education programmes within their organisations, aiming to support both families and professionals through upskilling and life-long learning. REGISTER HERE

For further information, contact Beybin Elvin Tunç, Education Programme Coordinator btunc@coface-eu.org 

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Background about L.I.N.K.

L.I.N.K. (Learning and Innovating through New Knowledge) focuses on key social challenges of our times. L.I.N.K. educational tools and courses of are based on values of human rights, non-discrimination, gender equality, social inclusion, diversity, empowerment, and intergenerational solidarity, and are designed for contributing to addressing important challenges that modern societies face.

The L.I.N.K. programme is a result of the collaboration between COFACE Families Europe and KMOP Education Hub. COFACE offers the programme its extensive knowledge on issues related to families at the European level, while KMOP, based on its long-term experience in actions supporting children and young people, as well as its knowledge in educational planning, provides documented and modern educational methods.

L.I.N.K reflects the joint goal of COFACE and KMOP to create a modern educational center aiming at supporting education and lifelong learning for a range of challenges, in which families, professionals and modern societies in general need support and continuous guidance.

In general, the goal of L.I.N.K. is to develop learning courses and tools. The courses may follow asynchronous, synchronous, and blended e-learning methods, through all the series of educational modules that are developed.  These educational modules provide learners with new skills and solutions to societal challenges affecting families of today, supporting also the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the European Pillar of Social Rights.

More here.

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In March 2023, the European Parliament passed the resolution on Minimum Income ensuring active inclusion and approved the Pay Transparency directive. COFACE Families Europe welcomes both initiatives as they both promote non-discrimination and address the gender pay gap.  

Resolution on adequate minimum income ensuring active inclusion 

On the 15th of March, the European Parliament plenary adopted a resolution noting that an EU directive on an adequate minimum income would make minimum income schemes more accessible and effective. It would also ensure that people currently absent from the labour market are integrated into it. EU countries should regularly evaluate their national schemes and update them if needed, ensuring an adequate level of support that reflects the national at-risk-of-poverty (AROPE) threshold, to establish a social safety net guaranteeing a minimum standard of living. MEPs also want to raise awareness of these schemes and make them more accessible, in particular for disadvantaged groups such as homeless people. They propose measures to address widespread issues in EU countries such as the lack of take-up of these schemes and the digital divide. The text was adopted with 336 votes in favour, 174 against and 121 abstentions. 

In addition, the resolution refers to the European Care Strategy and insists that unpaid care work should be valued, carers’ skills should be recognised and the equal distribution of care responsibilities should be encouraged. It states that informal care can lead to a loss of income, an aggravation of the gender pay and pension gaps, old-age poverty and the feminisation of poverty. 

Pay transparency directive 

On the 30th of March, a large majority in the European Parliament voted in favour of adopting the EU’s pay transparency directive aiming to narrow the EU gender pay gap. During the plenary, 427 members of Parliament voted in favour of the directive, with 79 votes against and 76 abstentions. The directive, proposed by the Commission in March 2021, will now need to formally be adopted by member states and transposed into national law within three years after entering into force. 

The directive seeks to make salaries more transparent by obliging companies with more than 100 employees to report and fix their wage disparities, in a bid to narrow the EU gender pay gap, which currently stands at 12.7%. Employers will need to take corrective measures if the pay gap exceeds 5% without justifications, while employees will have the right to access sex-disaggregated data on salary and know the criteria used to define salary and pay rises, which will need to be gender-neutral. 

The directive will also ensure job seekers have access to information on the pay range of positions they apply for, while employers will not be able to ask about their previous pay, limiting the possibility of their salary history influencing the pay offered to candidates. Member states will need to set up penalties if the principle of equal pay is not respected, while workers will have the right to compensation if companies do not respect equal pay obligations. Moreover, under the new pay transparency rules, intersectional discrimination will be considered an aggravating factor. 

Read more about the resolution on adequate minimum income here.  

Read more about the Pay transparency directive here. 

The post European Parliament Takes Action on Minimum Income and Pay Transparency appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

The European Commission’s Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) published the final report of its Fifth European Summit, which is an annual event attended by EU officials, member states ministers and education stakeholders. The report summarises the main topics discussed at this high-level event which focuses on key trends in education and training. The theme selected for the Fifth Education summit “Bright Young Minds”, was an invitation to the youth to join and make their voices, ideas and visions heard for the future of education and training in Europe. In her keynote speech, Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education & Youth stressed that it is up to the stakeholders attending the summit to actively contribute and make a reality for bright young minds to shape the Europe of the future.  

As the Commission has officially adopted the proposal to make 2023 the European Year of Skills, to upscale trainings and life-long learning opportunities, it is key to work together to ensure that the EU is a thriving place for people to work and develop their skills. 

COFACE Families Europe is also contributing to the European Year of Skills with the launch of a new e-learning course on school bullying management, the first course of the L.I.N.K. education programme for life-long learning on social rights co-launched with KMOP Greece at the end of 2022. The course on anti-bullying measures aims to boost the upskilling and reskilling of professionals in education. It is available in English and Greek and is split into three modules consisting of various activities and organised into learning paths to help students keep track of their progress. It has a double function of boosting education and non-discrimination, with positive impacts on children, families, and communities.  

Try out the course here and spread the word: https://education-hub.kmop.org/l-i-n-k/ 

Photo: ©Getty Images via Canva.com

The post COFACE contribution to the European Year of Skills: life-long learning on social rights appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

As a purpose-driven company, our mission is to create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain, and develop children through play. As part of that, we want to make the faces of all children light up, not only with the joy of play, but with that spark of seeing themselves and others represented.

We are striving to live this mission each day through the inclusive toys and characters we create. Toys like the Hot Wheels remote-controlled wheelchair that honours US Paralympian and five-time Wheelchair Motocross World Champion Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham, as well as our Wheelz scale model of his iconic green chair.

Like many children, Aaron went down his first ramp at a local skate park when he was eight years old. But he wasn’t on a skateboard or scooter, he was in a wheelchair he’d just started to use permanently. Those inspirational early days at the skatepark when he could be creative spurred him on to become a wheelchair athlete – and we hope our collaboration will help to inspire and empower the next generation to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.

Representing children with disabilities

On 3 December, the United Nations (UN) marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which serves to promote the rights and wellbeing, as well as raise awareness, of people living with a disability.

As explained in COFACE Families Europe’s report “From Words to Action: shedding light on the S.H.I.F.T. towards meaningful inclusion in Europe”, Mattel is proud to support the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Article 5 “Equality and non-discrimination”; Article 7 “Children with disabilities”; Article 8 “Awareness-raising”; and Article 9 “Accessibility”.

Around one in 10 children and young people worldwide have a disability, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Children with disabilities are 51% more likely to feel unhappy and 41% more likely to feel discriminated against than children without disabilities. We believe that representing all children through inclusive toys is hugely powerful for two reasons: it empowers children with disabilities, and it educates children without disabilities, so they are more respectful and don’t discriminate against others. We call that “purposeful play”. Disability has rightly moved from being a medical issue to a societal issue, with the focus being on breaking down the physical and cultural barriers people with disabilities face. For toy companies, it means the need for inclusive design is paramount and something our incredible teams at Mattel strive to do every day as part of our roles.

Inclusive design for purposeful play

We make toys for and, most importantly, with children with disabilities and their families, working alongside focus groups and responding to letters from consumers. Our toys aim to build connections through empathy, are customisable and have comfort built in. Often what makes them more user-friendly for someone with a disability also makes them more comfortable for everyone to play with. This year, we collaborated with Rose Ayling-Ellis, a deaf British actor, on a Barbie with a behind-the-ear hearing aid. As a child, Rose used to draw hearing aids on her dolls to make them look more like her, and she says it’s “It’s so important for children to be able to see themselves represented in the toys they play with… so I am thrilled that Mattel is releasing more dolls that encourage kids to celebrate and embrace their differences!”

The Barbie Fashionistas line is where the Barbie brand delivers the most diversity and inclusion, and since its inception, 175+ looks have been introduced, offering children a variety of skin tones, eye colours, hair colours and textures, body types, disabilities, and fashions to choose from, coming in six different body shapes and 22 skin tones, but also in a wheelchair, with a prosthetic leg, with vitiligo and without hair. Through Barbie, we’re also able to pay tribute to disability role models like the Braille pioneer Helen Keller in our Inspiring Women series, and Turkish Paralympian athlete Sümeyye Boyaci.

We need to talk about Bruno

The need to raise awareness of children with disabilities goes beyond toys, to all the interactions children have with the characters we look after. Our diversity and inclusion work also enables us to bring representative characters to life on screen, which can have a huge impact. In September, we introduced Bruno the Brake Car to the Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go series, in collaboration with autistic writers and organisations. Bruno is also voiced by British nine-year-old Elliott Garcia, who has the developmental disability autism. Elliott describes Bruno as “funny, smart, a very relaxed character”. Bruno can become really overwhelmed, but Elliott says he uses comedy to get past situations. “He loves schedules and timetables and when everything goes to plan.” In the UK alone, there are 160,000 school-age autistic children, according to Tom Purser, Head of Guidance, Volunteering & Campaigns at the National Autistic Society, which helped with the casting of Elliott.

“It is important that everyone sees autistic characters on our screens because [autistic children want to see their stories told], but it is also important that non-autistic children get insight and understanding into what it can be like to be autistic.”

Besides supporting the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, our work also supports the 2021-30 EU Disability Rights Strategy, specifically, the objectives “Accessibility – enabler of rights, autonomy and equality” and “Promoting the rights of persons with disabilities globally”.

At Mattel, we strive to live our purpose for every child and disability, to empower the next generation to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.

About the author: Sanjay Luthra is the Executive Vice President for EMEA at Mattel and Chairman of Toy Industries of Europe (TIE). Formerly Managing Director for five years, his challenger mindset and focus on digital strategy led EMEA to become Mattel’s fastest-growing region in 2021. His vast experience in the toy sector spans two decades and several continents, from his native India to the UK. In 2019, Sanjay was elected as Chair of the TIE Board and he has been at the forefront of adapting the toy industry to meet the challenges of a changing retail market throughout the uncertainties of Brexit and COVID-19. Sanjay is an advocate for the power of toys to educate children, and of the toy sector to promote social change, such as encouraging inclusion and diversity. 

**DISCLAIMER: All opinions in this article reflect the views of the author, not of COFACE Families Europe**

The post OPINION: How inclusive toys can help to represent and raise awareness of disabilities appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

COFACE and the Skills4Parents project partners have developed a number of resources for parents, which have also been referenced in a recent statement of the Alliance for Investing in Children.

The resources include the following:

• A Learning Guide for Parents: Empowering families through the development of positive parenting skills

Developed through the expertise of 6 organisations and founded on values of human rights, non-discrimination, social inclusion, gender equality, intergenerational solidarity and empowerment of all families, the Skills4Parents Learning Guide for parents contains learning packages to boost parenting skills in five areas: Communication, Empowerment, Mediation, Problem-Solving, and Digital. The guide adopts a self-learning approach, allowing all learning parents to choose the content (tips, case studies, exercises) that they need to tackle the parenting challenges they are encountering at their own pace. All learning packages follow a self-learning approach enabling learning parents to craft their individual experience and follow it at their own pace.

• A Handbook for professionals

The Handbook contains a learning plan for each of the 5 packages to use as an example. Of course, this is just one of the ways for educators to use the learning guide for parents. But there are also tips for professionals working with parents and families on how to be more inclusive and how to design training that will resonate with different target audiences, including families in vulnerable situations. As professionals being in contact with parents and families, we are delighted to be able to promote the Skill4Parents resources with you as we are sure that you will find them useful.

• An Online Hub

The multilingual Hub hosts the five Learning Packages for parents which include articles, case studies, videos, digital resources, quizzes etc, as well as the Handbook for professionals. The aim is also to use this hub to further build a European community for parent empowerment, helping parents and professionals connect across countries. Hub.skills4parents.eu

For more information, contact info@coface-eu.org

The post Skills4Parents: Empowering families through the development of positive parenting skills appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

 

The European Family Lab L.I.N.K. programme is your virtual gateway to deepen your knowledge to better support families and children in your community.

What does L.I.N.K. stand for? 

 

L.I.N.K. (Learning and Innovating through New Knowledge) focuses on key social challenges of our times. L.I.N.K. educational tools and courses of are based on values of human rights, non-discrimination, gender equality, social inclusion, diversity, empowerment, and intergenerational solidarity, and are designed for contributing to addressing important challenges that modern societies face.

The L.I.N.K. programme is a result of the collaboration between COFACE Families Europe and KMOP Education Hub. COFACE offers the programme its extensive knowledge on issues related to families at the European level, while KMOP, based on its long-term experience in actions supporting children and young people, as well as its knowledge in educational planning, provides documented and modern educational methods.

L.I.N.K reflects the joint goal of COFACE and KMOP to create a modern educational center aiming at supporting education and lifelong learning for a range of challenges, in which families, professionals and modern societies in general need support and continuous guidance.

In general, the goal of L.I.N.K. is to develop e-learning courses. The courses may follow asynchronous, synchronous, and blended e-learning methods, through all the series of educational modules that are developed.  These educational modules provide learners with new skills and solutions to societal challenges affecting families of today, supporting also the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the European Pillar of Social Rights.

 

Who is the programme for?

 

The education and training courses are being developed for three main target groups:

• Families

• Professionals

•Organisations and Institutions

The first L.I.N.K. e-learning course is for professionals, and namely teachers working in any educational setting, students of psychology, education, social sciences, as well as any professional working with children in learning environments on a daily basis.

Learn more below  ↓

Meet your trainer : Dr. Antonia Torrens

Dr. Antonia Torrens is an educational psychologist, General Manager of KMOP and Vice President of COFACE Families Europe. She is the founder and coordinator of the “Live Without Bullying” programme, an innovative programme aiming to prevent and deal with school and cyber bullying in Greece. The programme has so far assisted more than 30,000 children and teachers throughout Greece and it has signed memorandums of cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Sports and other public bodies.

The post L.I.N.K. appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.