MEP Radka Maxová and MEP Katrin Langensiepen co-signed a joint letter inviting the European Parliament (EP) bureau to discuss a possible permanent membership of a Disability Intergroup representative in the EP High-Level Group on Gender Equality and Diversity (HLG).
The HLG on Gender Equality and Diversity is chaired by the EP Vice President Dimitrios Papadimoulis and is formed by the Parliament services. Their goal is to guarantee that the Parliament as a public institution actively adopts the internal policies to ensure gender equality and that the Parliament is an inclusive and diverse institution. The HLG adopts roadmaps setting actions to achieve this objective and ensures coordination among the EP services.
The HLG also counts with the participation of the chair of the Women Rights Committee and the participation of the Disability Support Group in the Parliament, both as observers. Hence, the Disability Intergroup formally requested last October to become members of this group to ensure that the policies adopted by the Parliament will also be consulted with the MEPs working on disability matters.
After the renewal of the EP leadership in January, the Disability Intergroup has sent a follow-up letter in which they state that “closer cooperation between the Disability Intergroup and the HLG would be of mutual benefit and give a needed boost towards achieving equality.”
Given the Disability Intergroup and HLG coinciding values and fights for equality and non-discrimination, as well as the obvious impact of discrimination at the intersection of disability and gender, a permanent representation of the Disability Intergroup, which deals specifically with the issues of persons with disabilities, in the meetings of the High-Level Group on Gender Equality and Diversity would be a key for ensuring the compliance with the obligations as public administration under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Read the full letter below.
Brussels, 11 February 2022
To: Bureau of the European Parliament
Subject: Membership of a Disability Intergroup Representative in the High Level Group on Gender Equality and Diversity
Dear colleagues,
The Disability Intergroup contacted the European Parliament’s Bureau in October 2021 in regards to the Membership of a Disability Intergroup Representative in the High-Level Group on Gender Equality and Diversity. Following the reorganisation of the Bureau we would like to come back to you on this issue.
Equality and non-discrimination have strong foundations in the European Union and the High-Level Group on Gender Equality and Diversity (HLG) was established to promote these values in the Parliament’s administration.
However, while the HLG does have a permanent member from the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, there is no similar political representative that could ensure alignment with disability-related policies.
Given that the latest mandate of the HLG (2014-2019) was not renewed,
we would like to point you to that opportunity and discuss with you a permanent membership of a Disability Intergroup Representative in the HLG.
A permanent representation of the Disability Intergroup, which deals specifically with the issues of persons with disabilities, in the meetings of the High-Level Group on Gender Equality and Diversity is key for ensuring effective design and implementation of the HLG Roadmap and for disability mainstreaming in the Parliament’s administration.
We believe that closer cooperation between the Disability Intergroup and the HLG would be of mutual benefit and give a needed boost towards achieving equality.
Kind regards,
MEP Radka Maxova (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament)
MEP Katrin Langensiepen (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance)