Speakers

(In order of appearance)

Morten Kjaerum
Morten Kjaerum has served as Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights since June 2008. Before joining the FRA, Mr Kjaerum served as the founding Director of the Danish Institute for Human Rights. Over 17 years in top executive roles, Mr Kjaerum built the Institute, Denmark’s national human rights institution, into an internationally recognised institution. An expert in human rights implementation, Mr Kjaerum has been a member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the President of the International Coordination Committee for National Human Rights Institutions, a network coordinating relations between the United Nations and national institutions. Mr Kaerum has written extensively on issues relating to human rights, in particular on refugee law, the prohibition against racial discrimination, and the role of national human rights institutions.
   
Vasso-Kollia
Vasso Kollia is Secretary General for Gender Equality in the Hellenic Ministry of Interior. From 2004 to 2007 she was Secretary General for Youth of the Ministry of National Education. In this capacity Ms Kollia has received several awards, including “Politician of the Year” by civil society in 2006 and an award by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) for her efforts supporting youth entrepreneurship and her activities and legislative support of citizenship. From 1999 to 2003 Ms Kollia served as Secretary General of the European Union of Women, a pan-European institute, bringing together representatives of women’s section of the centre-right, Christian-democratic and liberal parties of Europe. Ms Kollia is Member of the Nea Demokratia political party in Greece.
   
Joanna-Goodey
Joanna Goodey is Head of the Freedoms and Justice Department at FRA. Ms Goodey has a PhD in criminology. From the mid-1990s she held lectureships in criminology and criminal justice – first in the Law Faculty at the University of Sheffield, and then at the University of Leeds. Subsequent to that she was a research fellow at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime for two years. Ms Goodey is the author of the academic textbook ‘Victims and Victimology: Research, Policy and Practice’ (2005), and co-editor of the book, together with A. Crawford, on ‘Integrating a Victim Perspective within Criminal Justice: International Perspectives’ (2000). To date, she has published over thirty academic journal articles and book chapters on issues ranging from the criminalisation of migrants, through to human trafficking and survey research.
   
Sylvia-Walby
Sylvia Walby is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and UNESCO Chair in Gender Research, Lancaster University, UK. She has an OBE for services to equal opportunities and diversity; and is an Academician of the UK Academy of Social Sciences. She has conducted research on gender based violence against women for the European Commission, European Parliament, the European Institute for Gender Equality, UNECE, the UK Economic and Social Research Council and Equality and Human Rights Commission. For the UK Home Office, she produced Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking: Findings from the British Crime Survey (with J. Allen, Office 2004), and for the Women and Equality Unit, The Cost of Domestic Violence (2004). Her books include: Globalization and Inequalities (Sage 2009) and: The Future of Feminism (Polity 2011). Reports can be downloaded from her website.
   
Rosa-Logar
Rosa Logar is co-founder and board member of the European Network Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE); Executive Director of the Domestic Violence Intervention Program Vienna, a victim/survivor service established with the Domestic Violence Act (1997); and co-founder of the first women’s shelter in Austria (1978). Ms Logar has also been member of the EU research project Coordination Action on Human Rights Violations CAHRV (2004-2006); member of the UN Expert Group Meeting Good practices in legislation on violence against women (2008); member of the Council of Europe Task Force to Combat Violence against Women, including Domestic Violence (2006-2008) and representative of the Austrian Government in the Ad Hoc Committee on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (2008-2010), which drafted the new Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (2011).
   
Marietta-Giannakou
Marietta Giannakou is member of the European Parliament, where she has served in total four terms since 1984. She is the head of the Greek Delegation of the European People’s Party (EPP) since 2009, and Member of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and Committee of Foreign Affairs (AFET). She was member of the Committee of Civil Liberties (LIBE) for the period 1999-2000 and Vice President of the Committee of Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) from 1984 to 1990. During her political career in Greece, Ms Giannakou served as Minister of Education and Minister of Health, Welfare and Social Affairs. She was also member of the Convention on the Future of Europe, representing the Hellenic Parliament. From 1986 to 1994 she was a member of the European Union of Women.
   
Antonyia-Parvanova
Antonyia Parvanova is Member of the European Parliament and Vice-President of the Alliance of the Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE). She is also ALDE group coordinator for the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. Since 2009, Ms Parvanova has been playing a key role on a number of gender equality issues, such as the gender pay gap, the role of women in business leadership, work and life balance. Ms Parvanova authored a report on the social integration of women belonging to ethnic minorities, and of women with disabilities. She initiated the Gender Equality Award. Dr Antonyia Parvanova is currently the EP rapporteur for a legislative own-initiative report on combating violence against women. This report intends to set the ground for a future European legislation crucially important for the European society.
   
Helena-Dalli
Helena Dalli is Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties of Malta. She was elected to the Maltese Parliament for the first time in 1996 and served as Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister between 1996 and 1998. During her tenure as parliamentary secretary, she piloted the Domestic Violence Bill. Dr Dalli was re-elected to Parliament in all subsequent national elections. Between 1998 and 2013 she served as shadow minister for the public administration, public investment and gender equality. Following a change in government in March 2013, Ms Dalli was appointed Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties. She is currently championing various ambitious human rights and equality bills, including a Civil Union Bill and a Cohabitation Bill (both open to heterosexual and same-sex couples), a Gender Identity Bill and a process that leads to the setting up of a human rights institution in line with the Paris Principles.
   
Mikael-Gustafsson
Mikael Gustafsson is Chair of the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee (FEMM) of the European Parliament. In this capacity Mr Gustafsson has been actively promoting gender equality, including as rapporteur on the on the role of women in the green economy, rapporteur on the impact of the economic crisis on gender equality and rapporteur on women’s rights, gender mainstreaming in the work of the European Parliament and more. Prior to European Parliament, Mr Gustaffson has held various positions in the Swedish local government and served as Member of Tyresö Council (1998-2008). He is member of the Left Party in Sweden.
   
Daniela-Bankier
Daniela Bankier is currently the acting Director for Equality and Head of Unit for equality between women and men in the European Commission’s Directorate General for Justice. Previously she was heading the legal unit for equal treatment and non-discrimination. From 1999-2004 she was a Member of the Cabinet of the German budget Commissioner Michaele Schreyer and in 2005 became Deputy Head of Cabinet of Vladimir Spidla, Commissioner responsible for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. Ms Bankier has been working for the European Commission since 1999.
   
Snezana-Samardziz-Markovic
Snežana Samardžić-Marković is since 2012 Director General of Democracy at the Council of Europe, in charge of the Organisation’s action promoting democratic innovation, governance, participation and diversity. Her responsibilities include the policy areas of education and youth, local democracy, cultural policies, election assistance, the protection of human dignity, gender equality, children’s rights, and the rights of minorities, societal defences against discrimination, democratic citizenship, social cohesion, intercultural dialogue and democratic responses to crisis situations. Previously, Snežana has held numerous positions in the Serbian Government including as Deputy Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Neighbouring Countries; Assistant Minister of Defence (2005-2007) and Co-President of the Serbia-NATO Defence Reform Group; member of the Foundation Board of WADA, Minister of Youth and Sports (2007-2012) and President of the Fund for Young Talents.
   
Rafael-Fernandez-Pita-y-Gonzalez
Rafael Fernández-Pita Y González is the Director-General at the Council General Secretariat in charge of Justice and Home Affairs, a position he has held since 2012. From 2007 to 2012 Mr Fernández-Pita was Deputy Director-General in the same DG. Previously, Mr Fernández-Pita held numerous high level positions in the Spanish Foreign Service, including Director-General for Consular Affairs, Advisor and Deputy Director General for Justice and Home Affairs at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador of Spain to the Republic of Angola and many more. Mr Fernández-Pita is also the chair of the Joint Committee on Equal Opportunities (COPEC) at the General Secretariat of the Council. [Download speech]
   

Moderators:

Cristina Gallach
Cristina Gallach is Head of Public Relations at the Council of the EU and an expert on foreign and security policy issues. She is an active promoter of gender equality. For 15 years she was the spokesperson of and senior communications advisor to Javier Solana (1995-2009). In 2010 she was the spokeswoman for the Spanish Presidency of the EU. Before her professional experience in the EU and NATO, she developed a long career as a journalist, in particular as correspondent in the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, the Balkans and other crisis areas. She has a degree in Journalism from the University of Barcelona and a Masters degree in International Relations from Columbia University (New York).
   
Friso Roscam Abbing
Friso Roscam Abbing has served as Head of Communication Department at FRA since 2009. Prior to this, Mr Roscam Abbing was a Member of Cabinet of the European Commission Vice-President Jacques Barrot, the Commissioner for Freedom, Security and Justice. From 2004–2008, he was the spokesman of European Commission Vice President Franco Frattini, the Commissioner responsible for Freedom, Security and Justice issues. Between 2000 and 2004, he headed the EU Asylum Polices sector at the European Commission's DG Justice, Freedom and Security. Before this, he led the EU Office of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE, 1994-2000) after starting his career as Head of the Legal Department at the Dutch Refugee Council (1986-1994).