Brussels, 17/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - €8.2 million is expected to help fund action targeting women's empowerment in the southern Mediterranean. The European Commission and the UN have worked together to launch “Spring Forward for Women”, a new joint regional programme for the South Mediterranean Region. The programme aims to support national and regional stakeholders to empower women economically and politically in the context of the progress that has followed the Arab Spring. The European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy, Stefan Füle explained that “women in Tunisia and Libya were at the forefront of their revolutions … We need to ensure that women's voices remain at the heart of the transformation process”. He approved this new programme with UN Women Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director Policy and Programmes, John Hendra, who stated that “This programme comes at an important juncture ... This programme is a critical step towards advancing women's rights against the backdrop of the political, social and economic developments taking place in the region”. The programme will respond to the support needed at regional and country levels. It will build on local initiatives, recognising that sustainable change must be locally-owned and led. The work at regional level will focus on several priorities: capacity building; increasing the participation of women in electoral processes. Spring Forward is financed through a contribution of € 7 million from the European Neighbourhood Partnership Instrument (ENPI) and of € 1.2 million from the UN Women core budget. (MD/trans.fl)