Tallinn hosting European women's congress

TALLINN (BNS) - The 10th European congress of the world-wide
organization Business and Professional Women, with nearly 600
participants, opened in Tallinn on June 8.

The two-day congress could be called a meeting of the East and the
West, Business and Professional Women European coordinator Ilse
Spritzendorfer told a press conference.

Twenty-six European countries are currently represented in the
organization, and its Tallinn congress was organized by Eesti
Ettevotlike Naiste (Association of Enterprising Estonian Women),
which represents BPW in Estonia.

Sirje Kuttis, president of BPW's Estonian branch, said the
organization had a status of observer both in the United Nations and
the Council of Europe.

She said the organization had done a lot for women and had achieved
sufficient attention. She added that EENA must do a lot of work to
encourage women to be more active and to have a say in the society.

Spritzendorfer said women still suffer discrimination throughout the
world, and a lot had to be done to change the situation. You can't
say it is democratic that women make up 50 percent of the society but
only one in four members of governments are women, she said.

The main theme of the congress, taking place in the Estonia Concert
Hall in Tallinn, was women's new opportunities in the new millennium.

EENA, founded in 1992, has gained recognition by its election of
Woman of the Year and charity action. Woman of the Year 1999 is
conductor of the Ellerhein girls' choir, Tiia-Ester Loitme.

The BPW Tallinn congress marks the organization's 70th anniversary.

Presidents of all BPW European organizations attended the Tallinn
congress. Patron of the congress was conductor Eri Klas and
Parliament speaker Toomas Savi made an address to the congress.

About 10 Estonian women spoke at the congress, some at the plenary
session and some in working groups.