WIDE+, which unites civil society organizations in Europe that are promoting gender equality in the global South and in Europe is hugely concerned about the recent proposal from the Hungarian government to abolish the existing gender studies programmes in Hungary. This is part of an ongoing backlash towards hard-fought policies and laws that aim to protect women’s rights and promote gender equality. It is particularly distressing that women’s rights defenders in civil society and the academic arena are attacked and blackmailed though they are contributing substantially to democracy and social justice.
WIDE+ has called on the EU commissioner for gender equality, Věra Jourová, to publicly condem the proposal and has asked János Áder, President of Hungary and Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary to withdraw this proposal. The proposal is against the fundamental values that the EU has firmly committed itself, in particular to promoting and ensuring gender equality and academic freedom, which are both an integral part of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
Read the letters here:
letter Ader and Orban 23 8 2018
letter_vera_jourova_23_8_18