WUNRN
_______________________________________________________________
EUROPEAN COMMISSION ADOPTS STRATEGY
ON GENDER EQUALITY 2010-2015
21/09/2010
The Commission adopted a five-year strategy for promoting equality between women and men in Europe. The strategy aims in particular to make better use of women's potential, thereby contributing to the EU's overall economic and social goals.
It translates the principles set out in the European Commission's Women's Charter into specific measures, ranging from getting more women into company boardrooms to tackling gender-based violence. Meanwhile, a new Eurobarometer survey shows 87% of Europeans support EU action to tackle domestic violence. One out of four knows someone who has been a victim of such violence.
The gender equality strategy spells out a series of actions based around five priorities: the economy and labour market; equal pay; equality in senior positions; tackling gender violence; and promoting equality beyond the EU. They include:
The Commission will also set up a yearly top-level Gender Equality Dialogue involving the European Parliament, the Council presidencies, European social partners and civil society to assess progress in implementing the strategy.
________________________________________________________________
21 September 2010
The European Women’s Lobby (EWL)
NEW EU STRATEGY FOR GENDER EQUALITY 2010-2015 HAS
POTENTIAL FOR RESULTS SAYS EUROPEAN WOMEN'S LOBBY
The European Women’s Lobby (EWL),
the largest umbrella organisation of women’s associations in the European
Union, today welcomed the launch of the EU’s much
anticipated new five year strategy for
equality between women and men. ‘A number of crucial issues are dealt with in
this new document and some concrete actions are outlined’, said Myria
Vassiliadou, Secretary General of the EWL; ‘what is less clear at this
stage are the ways in which the Strategy translates the Women’s Charter [which
President Barroso and Vice President Viviane Reding launched back in March]
into binding measures.’
Women’s rights groups are positive towards the
envisaged annual top-level Gender Equality Dialogue amongst key stakeholders
and stress the importance of the presence of key women’s organisations at such
fora. On the other hand, the EWL is concerned that the new Strategy does not
envisage new legislation or binding measures to achieve progress on gender
equality. The success of the Strategy therefore will depend on how it will be
implemented.
The EWL calls for concrete deliverables to ensure
women’s rights: ‘It is very important that the Strategy ensures the inclusion
of strong gender equality measures in European socio-economic policies
prescribed in the framework of the Europe 2020 Strategy’, insisted Ms.
Vassiliadou. ‘We also want legislation on all forms of violence against women,
and a dedicated European Year to prioritise this issue. We are confident that
Vice President Reding will deliver results on all these fronts.’
Concerns for gender equality
advocates also include the absence of sexual and reproductive health and rights
from the document and the need for complementarity between the EU’s internal
and external policies as regards women’s rights, especially in this area.
The EWL warmly welcomed Commissioner Reding’s
announcement that she will consider introducing quotas to get more women into
boardrooms: ‘Progress towards the equal representation of women and men in
decision-making has been frustratingly slow, and we are very happy to see the
Commission taking the lead and considering the introduction of binding measures
to change this. We hope this will also apply to the public sector, starting
with the European institutions themselves’, said Ms. Vassiliadou.
The Strategy for Equality between Women and Men 2010-2015 follows up on the European Commission’s Roadmap for Equality between Women and Men 2006-2010, which was accompanied by a Gender Pact endorsed by the 27 member states. The EWL has stressed the importance of coordinated action on gender equality at the European and national levels, calling for strong, visible and well-resourced coordination mechanisms within the European Commission as well as renewed commitment at the national level. According to Ms. Vassiliadou, ‘A political commitment for progress on behalf of the Commission is of course very welcome; at the same time, we must move beyond rhetoric on this issue. First of all, member states need to implement the legislation already in place, and the Commission needs to monitor this process and take legal action when countries are in violation of their obligations.’ The EWL is confident that the current and incoming EU Presidencies will ensure a strong mechanism of endorsement of the new Strategy by the member states, reminding them that they need to commit to a proactive Strategy to promote equality between women and men, including concrete targets in such areas as the gender pay gap, care services and women in decision-making.
For more information, interviews, background or visual materials, please contact Leanda Barrington-Leach, EWL Communications and Media Officer, T: (+32) 2 210 04 41, barrington@womenlobby.org, and see www.womenlobby.org.
_________________________________________________________________
The
European Women's Lobby (EWL) is the largest umbrella organisation of women's
associations in the European Union (EU), working to promote women's rights and
equality between women and men. EWL membership extends to organisations in all
27 EU Member States and the three candidate countries, as well as to 21
European-wide organisations, representing a total of more than 2500
associations.
European Women's Lobby / Lobby européen des femmes
T: (+32) 02/210 04 41 (direct) · F: (+32) 02/219 84 51 · E: ewl@womenlobby.org
A: 18, rue Hydraulique, B-1210
Brussels/Bruxelles, Belgium/Belgique ·