President Metsola called on the Russian authorities to free all anti-invasion peaceful protesters unjustly detained, at the opening of the plenary session in Strasbourg.
As the shelling of Ukraine continues unabated and the number of civilian casualties increases, President Metsola said: “Our outrage grows with every shell that is fired, as does Ukraine’s defiance and our people’s solidarity”.
She highlighted the immense courage of those in Russia that have continued to stand up and protest against the invasion of Ukraine, despite facing jail and brutal crackdown, expressing Parliament’s solidarity with them.
Under two laws brought in on 4 March that criminalise those protesting and informing about the war in Ukraine, protesters face up to fifteen years in prison and thousands have already been jailed. “Putin will find that the truth is not easily suppressed”, she added.
On behalf of Parliament, the President called on the Russian authorities to allow freedom of expression, to stop intimidating protesters and release immediately all those unjustly detained.
Changes to the agenda
Tuesday
Based on the number of amendments received, the second voting session is cancelled.
Wednesday
The report by Yana Toom (Renew Europe, ET) on EU Citizenship Report 2020 is moved from Tuesday to Wednesday afternoon as the last item.
Information concerning the distribution of votes is available on the website of the European Parliament under the section “Priority information”.
Requests by committees to start negotiations with Council and Commission
Decisions by committees to enter into inter-institutional negotiations (Rule 72) are published on the plenary website.
If no request for a vote in Parliament on the decision to enter into negotiations is made by Tuesday 12.00 midnight, the committees may start negotiations.
Information on the extraordinary remote participation procedure is available here.
“Children without parental care are at a heightened risk of violence, abuse and exploitation. When these children are moved across borders, the risks are multiplied.”@unicefchief and @FilippoGrandi on the situation for children fleeing escalating conflict in #Ukraine.
“Children without parental care are at a heightened risk of violence, abuse and exploitation. When these children are moved across borders, the risks are multiplied. The risk of trafficking also soars in emergencies,” they said.
More than 1.7 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian offensive nearly two weeks ago, according to data from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, which Mr. Grandi heads.
The majority, more than one million, have gone to Poland, while others have headed to Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia and beyond.
Hundreds of thousands of children are among the refugees, including many who are unaccompanied or who have been separated from their parents or family members.
Expand emergency care
The UN agency chiefs said countries should offer safe spaces for children and families immediately following border crossings, and these sites should be linked to national child protection systems.
Given the current situation, the capacity of emergency care arrangements should also be expanded, they added. Screened caregivers should be in place, along with other services critical for protecting children, as well as mechanisms for family tracing and reunification.
Family reunification critical
“For children who have been displaced across borders without their families, temporary foster or other community-based care through a government system offers critical protection,” they said.
“Adoption should not occur during or immediately after emergencies. Every effort should be made to reunify children with their families, when possible, if such reunification is in their best interest.”
Meanwhile, nearly 100,000 children in Ukraine, half of them with disabilities, are living in institutional care and boarding schools. Many of these children have living relatives or legal guardians.
Protect children’s interests
With reports of institutions seeking to move children to safety in neighbouring countries or beyond, the UN agency chiefs underscored the critical need to ensure measures are taken in the best interest of the children, and that their parents or other persons responsible for them have granted consent.
“Under no circumstances should families be separated as a result of relocation or evacuation movements,” they said.
Evacuation of children in institutions in Ukraine must be done in line with instructions by national authorities, they added.
All movements across borders must be immediately reported to the competent authorities in the country and neighbouring States. Children should also be evacuated with their identification and case files, as far as possible.
While grateful for the solidarity and readiness shown by countries, the UN officials stressed that unaccompanied and separated children are particularly vulnerable.
Therefore, their immediate needs and safety must be prioritized in the short term while medium to long term solutions are identified.
Invest in care services to generate jobs, support working parents: International Labour Organization (ILO) report.
Greater investment in care services could create nearly 300 million jobs by 2035, the UN’s labour agency, ILO, said in a report published on Monday ahead of International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on 8 May.
The move would benefit hundreds of millions of workers with family responsibilities who lack adequate protection, such as maternity leave or paid time off to attend prenatal exams.
It would also help to alleviate poverty and encourage gender equality, while also supporting adequate care for children and the elderly.
Re-thinking care
“We need to re-think the way we provide care policies and services so that they form a continuum of care that provides children with a good start, supports women to stay in employment and prevents families or individuals falling into poverty,”said Manuela Tomei, Director of the ILO’s Conditions of Work and Equality Department.
The report provides a global overview of national laws, policies and practices on care, including maternity, paternity, parental, child and long-term care.
Maternity protection lacking
Around the world, three in 10 women of reproductive age, or nearly 650 million women, do not have adequate maternity protection, in line with an ILO Convention that came into force two decades ago.
Of the 185 countries surveyed for the report, 85 did not meet the Convention’s mandate of providing mums-to-be with 14 weeks’ minimum maternity leave on at least two-thirds of their previous salary, funded by social insurance or public funds.
The authors warned that it would take at least 46 years to achieve minimum maternity rights under the current pace of reform.
‘Gender leave gap’
At the same time, more than 1.2 billion men of prime reproductive age have no entitlement to paternity leave, even though it would help both mothers and fathers to balance work and family responsibilities.
In countries where policies exist, paternity leave remains short, on average nine days, creating what the authors called a large “gender leave gap”.
The report further highlights how some workers fall outside the scope of legal protections, such as the self-employed, people working in the informal economy, migrants, adoptive parents and parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or intersex (LGBTQI+).
Pregnant workers unprotected
The authors found that in only 40 countries do pregnant or nursing women have the right to be protected against dangerous or unhealthy work, in line with ILO standards.
Only 53 countries offered a right to paid time off for prenatal medical exams, while time off, income security and appropriate facilities for breastfeeding, were also lacking in many countries.
The need for long-term care services for older persons and people with disabilities has also risen steadily, partly due to increased life expectancy and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, access to residential care, community day services and in-home care remains out of reach for the majority of those who need them.
Plugging the gaps
Transforming care policies would not only help build a better and more gender equal world of work, according to the ILO report, but could create up to 299 million jobs by 2035.
This would require an annual investment of $5.4 trillion, some of which could be offset by an increase in tax revenue from the additional earnings and employment generated.
“Plugging these care gaps should be seen as an investment that not only supports health and livelihoods but fundamental rights, gender equity and greater representation too,” said Ms. Tomei.
One of this year’s award recipients is Lion’s Roar Associate Editor and co-editor of Black and Buddhist, Pamela Ayo Yetunde.
The “Outstanding Women in Buddhism” awards will be held by the International Women’s Meditation Center Foundation (IWMCF) on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2022 at Boonyaniti Temple in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, and online via Zoom.
This year, 19 women have been chosen to receive the award, including Lion’s Roar Associate Editor and co-editor of Black and Buddhist along with Cheryl A. Giles, Pamela Ayo Yetunde, in part for her “ability to inform, educate, and move people to inquire about race, compassion, and Buddhist justice.”
The IWMCF is based in Rayong, Thailand, and aims to create gender equality in Buddhism by “establishing bhikkunis as leaders in society.” The foundation offers a number of services including post-graduate education for bhikkhunis, IT and media services for women dharma teachers, and meditation and Buddhist practice instruction for women and girls.
The “Outstanding Women in Buddhism” award was founded in 2002 by Bhikkhuni Rattanavali and Bhikkhuni Dr. Lee with the objective of recognizing Buddhist women’s accomplishments in celebration of International Women’s Day, and to “celebrate the acts of courage and determination by women in the history of Buddhism.” After 20 years of this annual award, nearly 200 women from over 20 countries have received this award.
The 2022 award recipients for Outstanding Woman in Buddhism are as follows:
Bhikkuni Ani Choejin Samdrup (Thailand)
Bhikkhuni Der-Chia, (Taiwan)
Bhikkhuni Dr. Jian Hui, Taiwan
Bhikkhuni Liao Guo, China
Bhikkhuni Surindra, Thailand,
Bhikkhuni Tsung-Tueng, Thailand
Chen Yun Chang, Taiwan,
Ching Yi Chi, Taiwan
Khenmo Dromla, USA
Kim Behan, USA
Maechee Orawan Maneeratanachot, Thailand,
Martine Batchelor, France
Mei Yun Tang, Taiwan,
Merry Kham Oo, Myanmar
Mingli C. Shih, Taiwan,
Pamela Ayo Yetunde, USA
Saijai Wannual, Thailand,
Thanissara, UK
Venerable Gawa Khandro, Canada
For more information on the award, visit IWMCF’s website.
Dalai Lama temple gate at McLeod Ganj (Photo/VOA Tibetan)
By Choekyi Lhamo
The Thekchen Choeling Tsuglakhang known commonly as the Dalai Lama’s temple here at the seat of the exile Tibetan diaspora is set to finally open its doors for visitors from Thursday, which marks the Tibetan New Year or Losar. From the onset of the pandemic, the temple completely shut down its gates for the public due to fear of the Covid-19 spread since March 2020.
After almost two years, the temple will now be open for all the devotees and visitors with precautionary protocols in place. The notice dated February 28 requested the public to wear masks at all times, maintain proper social distancing and sanitize as and when anyone enters the premises.
However, there are no change in information regarding the schedule in the upcoming months for the patron of the temple, His Holiness the Dalai Lama even though the temple is set to be open for devotees and tourists. The octogenarian leader met with the elected President of the Tibetan government-in-exile Penpa Tsering, and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in December.
The Dalai Lama has also not conducted any mass teachings or appearances in person since February 2020, as he suspended all engagements and meetings following the outbreak of the Covid-19 around the world. He commenced online teachings in May 2020, and was only seen once outside of his residence for his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination at a local hospital in Dharamshala in March last year.
Pope Francis has sent a video message in Spanish to young people involved in preparations for World Youth Day 2023, which will take place from 1-6 August in Lisbon, Portugal.
The Pope said he looks forward to meeting young people for the celebrations just as they do in gathering together from around the globe for the international celebrations.
Instill hope and be creative
The Pope acknowledged the difficult context that we are living today, coming out of the pandemic crisis and now faced with a new war crisis.
Despite these great challenges, he encouraged the volunteers to use all their creative energy to ensure that WYD 2023 will be a youthful, joyful, lively, and memorable experience for all, offering the joyful hope that faith in God brings.
He called on them to be creative like poets to dream up a new experience that will be remembered and not just a repeat of previous WYD gatherings. Everyone can contribute here, the Pope said, saying, “Take courage and strive ahead!”
Crises overcome together
The Pope called on them to see how we can address and overcome the crises the world faces today with the witness of hope that comes from faith.
The crises offer us an opportunity to work for the better and to come out of them better, he underscored, reminding them to unleash their creative zeal in looking ahead to WYD 2023.
The Pope assured them of his prayers and requested their prayers for him and his ministry, asking the Lord to bless them and the Virgin Mary to protect them.
Ukraine addressed the UN’s highest court on Monday to reject as a “grotesque lie” Russia’s claims that genocide has been committed in eastern Ukrainian oblasts, or regions, before calling for emergency measures to halt Russian aggression.
Thedevelopment at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) came on day 12 of the crisis in Ukraine, where more than 1.5 million refugees have sought shelter across the country’s borders and where cities have been surrounded by Russian forces and civilians are subject to indiscriminate shelling.
“Let us settle our dispute like civilized nations. Lay down your arms and put forward your evidence,” said Anton Korynevych, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine, in his opening address.
WATCH LIVE: Ukraine presents its argument on its request for the indication of provisional measures in the case of Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (#Ukraine v. #Russia) before the #ICJhttps://t.co/fvTv03lUKA
“Ukraine respects this court and follows its orders. Russia must as well,” he added. “But if Russia will not return to international law on its own, the court has the power to act. With respect, the court has responsibility to act.”
Also representing Ukraine at the world court in The Hague, international lawyers argued that the Russian offensive was in direct violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention – and that its actions had reduced the global treaty to “confetti”, despite having signed the text.
Russia’s claim that it was duty-bound to intervene to prevent the massacre of people in Donetsk and Luhansk was “absurd”, they maintained- before a row of empty Russian seats -noting that Russia had not provided any proof to back up its allegations of genocide against nearly four million people in Russian-speaking Donetsk and Luhansk.
Unfounded Donbass allegations
Citing violence in the eastern oblasts dating back to 2014, the court heard that international monitoring missions there had reported a dramatic drop in the number of casualties in recent years.
“It would be an understatement to say that Russia has provided no evidence for genocide in the course of this conflict,” said David Zionts, for Ukraine.
“The closest President Putin has come to even explaining his allegation of genocide is to assert as he did on 21 February of this year, and I quote, ‘Not a single day goes by without Donbass communities coming under shelling attacks’, end quote. This is another flagrant lie, for which Russia has offered no support.”
Addressing a 10-strong panel of judges in the Great Hall of Justice, Mr. Zionts insisted that Russia’s narrative was based on “forgeries, fakes and distortions…The consequences are unprovoked aggression, cities under siege, civilians under fire, a humanitarian catastrophe and people fleeing for their lives”.
Sounding the alarm
The ICJ also heard how UN Human Rights Council-appointed monitoring missions in Ukraine raised the alarm in May 2014 about pro-Russian armed groups in the east.
They were responsible for a “rise in intimidation, harassment and killings” and a “reign of intimidation and terror” to maintain their position in eastern Ukraine, Mr. Zionts said, referring to a report by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).
Refugees from Ukraine cross the border into Medyka, Poland.
“Then, as now, Russia’s aggression is based on lies”, he continued, adding that although the death of every single civilian on both sides of the contact line was a tragedy, “to claim that Ukraine targets civilians is to distort facts”.
“If there were attacks on civilians, rising to the level of genocide, allegedly warranting an armed invasion, one would think that there must have been a massive recent escalation in civilian casualties at the least. But that is transparently not the case,” he added.
39-year-old Peter Leather from Eastham, Wirral, will be taking part in his second marathon as he tackles the Brighton marathon on 10 April 2022 for the British Tinnitus Association (BTA). The BTA is the only national charity that solely funds tinnitus research and supports people living with tinnitus.
Tinnitus is a debilitating condition where people hear noises in the head and/or ears which have no external source. There is currently no cure. Tinnitus affects 35,000 adults in the Wirral alone, and one in eight nationwide.
Peter shared, “My late mum, Beryl Leather, suffered with tinnitus most of her life, and struggled with this condition as it had an impact on her life every day”.
“I’ve had a few weeks where I couldn’t run due to Covid, but I’m really looking forward to the atmosphere at the event. I have a goal to finish in under 5 hours”.
The British Tinnitus Association’s vision is “A world where no one suffers from tinnitus” which Peter fully supports. He said: “It’s a pleasure to be raising awareness that the BTA is there to help people like my mum who had this condition, and to raise as much as possible and to offer people support who are living with tinnitus right now.”
The BTA’s Fundraising Officer Jess Pollard commented “We’re thrilled that Peter will be taking on a second marathon to raise funds for our charity. We really appreciate his time, dedication and support for the tinnitus community and the work we do. We’re all wishing him the best of luck in the final few weeks of training!”
The British Tinnitus Association is an independent charity and the primary source of information for people with tinnitus. It helps to facilitate an improved quality of life for people with tinnitus through a range of support options including support groups, a helpline and its website, while also taking steps to bring forward the day when tinnitus is cured. The charity works to inform and educate medical professionals and the community on what tinnitus is and how to manage it. The British Tinnitus Association wants “a world where no one suffers from tinnitus”. It wants to find better ways to manage tinnitus and, ultimately, to help find a cure. In 2020, the publication of its Tinnitus Manifesto led to more than 130,000 people signing a petition for more funding for tinnitus research to find cures.
British Tinnitus Association, Unit 5 Acorn Business Park, Woodseats Close, Sheffield S8 0TB
The British Tinnitus Association is a registered charity. Registered charity number 1011145.
Press release distributed by Pressat on behalf of British Tinnitus Association, on Monday 7 March, 2022. For more information subscribe and follow https://pressat.co.uk/
Amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Parliament will vote on a report with recommendations on how to stop dangerous foreign attacks on democracy.
MEPs will this week in Strasbourg debate and vote on the final report by the committee on foreign interference before its mandate lapses at the end of March.
The special committee for foreign interference in all democratic processes in the EU, including disinformation was set up in 2020 to assess the level of threats in different spheres including for major national and European elections across the EU, disinformation campaigns on traditional and social media, cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure and the financing of political groups and civil society.
“We want to defend our democracy. (…) We see that it’s under attack,” said committee chairRaphaël Glucksmann, a French S&D member. “I don’t care if you think that the Earth is flat, but if there is a foreign government making sure that millions of my fellow citizens believe the Earth is flat, then it becomes a problem.”
Watch our video to find out more
Report author Sandra Kalniete, a Latvian EPP member, said: “Over the past two years, the committee has received comprehensive and established evidence concerning foreign interference and online information manipulation by hostile actors in many liberal democracies around the world.”.
Her report calls on the European Commission to propose a multi-layer and cross-sector strategy to equip the EU and its member states with deterrence tools to tackle hybrid threats and attacks orchestrated by foreign countries. The strategy should focus on areas such as collective sanctions, media literacy, foreign interference using online platforms, critical infrastructure and strategic sectors, covert funding of political activities by foreign donors, cybersecurity and the protection of EU institutions.
“If as recently as two years ago, disinformation and foreign interference may have sounded like ominous, abstract terms, today we can see the direct effect of malicious, coordinated disinformation in combination with the misinformation. People are refusing to receive certified vaccines, leading to excess hospitalisations and countless preventable deaths,” said Kalniete. “We have witnessed ongoing interference and information manipulation campaigns directed at all the measures against the spread of Covid-19, including vaccination across the EU and online platforms have had very limited success in tackling them.”
MEPs will debate the committee report on Tuesday and vote on it on the following day. They will also vote on setting up a new committee to deal with these issue.
“I am convinced that the issues we have covered in the committee work truly extend beyond party politics,” Kalniete said. “Hostile threats to our democratic institutions should concern every single MEP, across the entirety of the political spectrum.”
A survey has confirmed that the increase in unpaid care work and teleworking has hit women’s work-life balance and mental health. Check out our infographics.
The Covid-19 pandemic prompted a surge in telework in many European countries. During 2020, the first year of the pandemic, telework increased drasticly.
The highest share of the people working from home in the EU is in Finland (25.1%), Luxembourg (23.1%), Ireland (21.5%), Austria (18.1%) and the Netherlands (17.8%).
Increased work-life balance issues for women – facts and figures
The higher flexibility and autonomy associated with telework often result in more work and longer working hours, which affects the work-life balance. During the pandemic teleworking posed many challenges for workers when it came to the organisation of working time, work–family balance, well-being and the physical work environment.
How women and men perceived work-life balance during the Covid-19 pandemic here
The pandemic affected many people, but the latest data shows that women were affected more than men. Data collected in February and March 2021 shows that 7.4% of women and 5.7% of men found it hard to concentrate on a job because of family responsibilities. The numbers are even higher for people teleworking full-time, with small children at home (27% women, 19% men). Work is not the only thing that has been affected. About 31% of women and 22% of men who are teleworking full-time, with small children at home, said that their work prevented them from giving the time they wanted to their family.
A new Eurobarometer survey highlights the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on women. Four out of ten respondents (38%) say the pandemic has diminished women’s income, while affecting their work-life balance (44%) and the amount of time they allocate to paid work (21%).
Data shows unpaid labour still mostly on women’s shoulders
Average hours per week spent by women and men on unpaid domestic work during the Covid-19 pandemic
On average women spent more hours (11.1 hours in February/March 2021) per week taking care of children or grandchildren than men (6.1 in in February/March 2021). Data also shows a difference in taking care of elderly or disabled relatives – 4.2 hours on average for women against spent 2.9 hours per week for men in February/March 2021. Women also do more housework and cooking – 14.4 hours per week versus men’s 9.4 hours per week in February/March 2021.
Women’s mental health more affected
The coronavirus pandemicis affecting women and men differently. According to a study requested by Parliament’s women’s rights committee, the pressure of balancing work and family life has taken a severe toll on women’s wellbeing, with more women than men reporting suffering from anxiety because of Covid-19. Women’s informal care role during the pandemic also had considerable effects on their mental health, with women reporting increased anxiety and worry about their family and wellbeing and about finances. Women with younger children have been disproportionately affected.
