Deadline: 6 September 2019
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is seeking applications for its 2019 Civil Society Prize to reward innovative initiatives carried out by civil society organisations and/or individuals on the territory of the EU which aim to raise awareness of and fight for gender equality in the EU.
The aim of the Civil Society Prize, which is awarded annually, is to reward and encourage tangible initiatives and achievements by civil society organisations and/or individuals that have made a significant contribution to promoting European identity and integration. Its overall objective is to raise awareness of the contribution that civil society organisations and/or individuals can make to the creation of a European identity and citizenship in a way that underpins the common values that shore up European integration.
The overall objective of the prize is thus to raise awareness of the contribution that civil society organisations and/or individuals can make to creating a European identity and citizenship in a way that underpins the common values that are the foundation of European integration.
The Theme of the 2019 prize: “More women in Europe’s society and economy.
Prize Information
The prize, which has a total value of 50 000 € and will be awarded during the EESC plenary session on 11-12 December 2019, is open to civil society organisations officially registered within the European Union and acting at European, national, regional or local level. It is furthermore open to individuals.
Eligible Candidates
- The EESC Civil Society Prize is open to all civil society organisations (hereafter: “CSOs”) officially registered within the European Union and acting at local, national, regional or European level. It is also open to individuals.
- Civil society organisations as defined in the EESC opinion on The role and contribution of civil society organisations in the building of Europe are “organisational structures whose members have objectives and responsibilities that are of general interest and who also act as mediators between the public authorities and citizens”.They are actively involved in shaping public affairs on the basis of their own concerns, drawing on their own specific knowledge, abilities and scope for action. They act autonomously and membership entails a commitment by members of the general public to take part in the work and activities of those organisations. This definition includes the so-called labour-market players, i.e. the social partners, organisations representing social and economic players, non-governmental organisations which bring people together in a common cause, such as environmental organisations, human rights organisations, consumer associations, charitable organisations, cultural organisations, and educational and training organisations, etc.; community-based organisations, i.e. organisations set up within society at grassroots level which pursue member-oriented objectives, e.g. youth organisations, family associations and all organisations through which citizens participate in local and municipal life; religious communities. Civil society organisations set up by a legislative or regulatory act and/or to which affiliation is partially or totally mandatory (e.g. professional associations) are also eligible.
- Individuals are natural persons. EU citizens are eligible, regardless of their country of residence. Third-country nationals are also eligible, provided they are legally resident in the territory of the EU. EESC members, CCMI delegates, staff of the EESC, members of the evaluation panel and their relatives are not eligible to submit an entry.
Eligible Initiatives
- The specific objective of the 2019 Civil Society Prize is to reward innovative initiatives carried out on the territory of the EU which aim to raise awareness of and fight for gender equality in the EU. In the context of this prize, gender equality is understood to mean not only equal rights, but also equal opportunities, responsibility, empowerment and participation in all spheres of economic and social life.
- These initiatives must have already been implemented or be still ongoing. Initiatives which are planned but which have not begun implementation by6 September 2019 (closing date for submission of applications) are excluded.
- To be eligible, activities/initiatives must cover at least one of the following areas:
- Combating gender stereotypes, discriminatory social behaviours and prejudices in all spheres of economic and social life, included those which can limit the development of the natural talents of women and men and those linked to their educational and professional choices;
- Raising awareness of the consequences of gender stereotypes produced by media content;
- Combating horizontal segregation in the labour market both as regards fields with a predominantly male workforce, such as science and technology, and those with a strong female presence and often lower remuneration, such as education, healthcare and welfare;
- Combating vertical segregation in the labour market, promoting equal opportunities for the participation of women in highly skilled jobs and leading positions on corporate boards;
- Combating gender segregation patterns in education and training;
- Promoting female entrepreneurship, especially in non-traditional sectors, strengthening women’s access to finance and addressing the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs;
- Raising awareness of the importance of women’s economic independence;
- Combating gender pay and pension gaps;
- Promoting gender equality in decision making;
- Tackling the specific needs of women with family responsibilities (children and adult dependents), promoting gender-related work-life balance, for instance through initiatives to split care and domestic tasks fairly and through the development of an affordable and accessible social and economic infrastructure for the exercise of equal rights (care facilities, work patterns, etc.);
- Addressing the specific challenges facing vulnerable women, such as women with low qualifications, single mothers, female workers re-entering the labour market, women with disabilities, migrants, ethnic minorities;
- Raising awareness, promoting mutual learning and disseminating good practices concerning the above.
How to Apply
Interested applicants can apply online via given website.
For more information, please visit https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/agenda/our-events/events/2019-eesc-civil-society-prize#downloads