Small steps to a Feminist Europe will make a difference!!!

This is my (Arina Angerman) last contribution to the electronic IAW Newsletter (June 2021) as a Board Member (BM) of European Women's Lobby (EWL). I want to thank Marion Boeker, Lene Pind, Jocelynne Scutt and Joanna Manganara very much. They supported me after elected BM in Lisbon in October 2014. I have reread my IAW report of 2019 and will give five small steps to celebrate and continue! 1. My 1st GOAL representing IAW in EWL's Board was to share information and spreading knowledge by Twitter in order to strenghten the visibility both of IAW and EWL by posting or sharing at least twice a week (social media mobilization) at this social media platform. I carried out these doable social media actions every week. 2. My 2nd GOAL to write a story about an activity / new knowledge within EWL. I published many, many stories and my most important insights are: 3. In July 2019 new European Parliament with 40% (plus 8%) women voted in favour of the first female President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Both can be seen as important steps and the result of the 50:50 Women for Europe, Europe for women campaign by EWL. In May 2020 EWL membership extends to more than 2000 women's associations in 26 EU Member States, three Candidate countries, one former EU Member State and one European Free Trade Association (incl. UK, Turkey and Iceland). IAW (I, Arina Angerman) was one of 10 European-wide non govermental organizations in the EWL Board (October 2014 - June 2021). 4.Fight against the rise of anti-feminist forces in Europe. One action against the rise of anti-feminist forces in Europe was sending a strong letter of continued support by European Coalition to End Violence against Women and Girls - supported by more than 3.800 organisations representing millions of voices in 49 countries - to the Council of Europe in support of the Istanbul Convention. IAW is a member of this European Coalition. In the approved EWL Work Programma 2021 "EWL would have organised actions to influence governments to ratify and implement the Istanbul Convention " (page 6). 5. I enjoyed being a representative of IAW in the Board of EWL very, very much! I will miss strategizing, learning and mobilising together for women's rights. In the Charter for EWL Women's Forum June 2019 I like the core value 'Equality between women and men' and the key principle 'Women's Rights are Human Rights'. My years from October 2014 - June 2021 were full of 'politics and friendship' and I hope (new) IAW representatives to EWL: IAW Vice-President Marion Boeker and 'young' feminist Lea Boergeding will have the same experience!