Gender equality strategy: Commission encourages wide participation
Europolitics, 21 September 2010
by Sophie Petitjean
The idea of establishing an annual
tripartite meeting of the EU institutions
to ensure progress on gender equality,
defended by the European Parliament
in its resolution of 17 June, has
made its mark. The European Commission
endorses it in the new strategy
for gender equality
2010-2015, presented
by Commissioner
Viviane
Reding (justice
and fundamental
rights), on 21
September.
According to the
EU executive, this
annual high-level
dialogue, in which the European Parliament,
the Council Presidencies, social
partners and civil society would participate,
could serve to assess progress on
implementing the new EU strategy.
Based on yearly reports, advances
would be analysed in the light of the
strategy’s five priorities:
1. equal economic
independence;
2. equal pay
for equal work;
3. equality in decision
making;
4. dignity, integrity and a halt
to gender-based violence; and
5. the
promotion of gender equality outside
the EU.
These five priorities form an integral
part of the Women’s Charter, adopted
in March this year.
In parallel with this high-level meeting
of the institutions and civil society,
the Commission intends to sound out
European enterprises with a view to
increasing women’s participation in
decision making.
“I’ve never really been in favour of
quotas for women in management positions
in companies until now, but given
the lack of progress
in this area,
we could be forced
to consider new
initiatives at EU
level,” commented
Reding. “I intend
to meet the CEOs
of major European
public enterprises
in spring 2011 to
discuss the situation and the scope of
voluntary regulation. Depending on
the results of these talks with industry,
I will study whether new initiatives are
needed in 2012,” she added.
More jobs, less violence
Among other actions, the Commission
plans to make it easier for women
to participate in the labour market by
encouraging work-life balance and thus
to attain the 75% employment target
(for both genders) set in the ‘Europe
2020’ strategy. Access to quality jobs will
be encouraged and entrepreneurship
and self-employment among women
will be supported at European level through targeted initiatives.
In accordance with the Women’s
Charter, the Commission will also
promote the principle of equal pay for
equal work, including the launch of a
European day for equal pay.
It would be held annually to build
awareness that women earn an average
of 17.6% less than men in the
European Union.
The executive will also work with
member states to eradicate violence
against women and will give priority
to fighting female genital mutilation.
It will kick off an integrated strategy
to combat violence against women in
March 2011, including an information
campaign at European level. “Europe
was a precursor with its inclusion of the
principle of equal pay for equal work in
the Rome Treaty in 1957. We can continue
to be precursors today for women’s
participation in decision making
and the fight against gender-based violence,”
said the commissioner. Some
61% of Europeans find that the EU
should be proactive on these problems.
In a recent Eurobarometer survey, 87%
of respondents called for tackling the
problem of violence against women.
Women’s lobby pleased
Myria Vassiliadou of the European
Women’s Lobby welcomed the new
strategy, stating that women’s associations
were expecting tough monitoring
and concrete results, especially as
regards all forms of violence against
women and the equal participation
of women in decision making. "What
we need is binding measures and full
implementation,” she said.
