27 Oct, 2021

European Elections: #AllFamiliesSpeakOut

In 2019, COFACE Families Europe mobilised voters locally through its member organisations (representing families of all types, without discrimination). We launched a call to the network to vote and speak out in May 2019 using 10 key values as a compass (highlighted in the picture above and described below).

Non-discrimination: A Europe recognising all family forms.
Accessibility: A Europe that promotes participation of persons with disabilities and their families in all areas of life.
Child well-being: A Europe which invests in the health and education of children.
Solidarity: A Europe which promotes intergenerational solidarity, with full support and recognition of the role of family carers.
Respect of human rights: A Europe which advances the rights of ALL families and their members.
Equal opportunities: A Europe which believes in equality between women and men, as a cornerstone for achieving reconciliation between family and professional life.
Empowerment: A Europe which gives a voice to ALL families to act as citizens, worker and consumers with strong support for national and European civil society organisation.
Internet for all: A Europe which harnesses the transformative potential of technology.
Social inclusion: A Europe which tackles poverty and social exclusion of families and their members, through access to resources and community-based services.
Sustainability: A Europe which wants to make the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals a reality.

Following the election of the new European Parliament, COFACE Families Europe published 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. They 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 policy-makers 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 during the 5-year mandate. It is on this basis that we will measure and monitor the results of European Union actions.

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