Summary : The note reviews gender equality legislation and policy developments in Cyprus in six key thematic areas including economic independence, the reconciliation of private and professional life, equal representation of women and men in decision-making, the eradication of all forms of violence against women, and the elimination of gender stereotypes, and women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Authors : Susana Pavlou and Josie Christodoulou (Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies, Cyprus)

Committees : Gender equality

Summary : The study sets out 83 indicators for the inclusion of the gender perspective in the evaluation of the Europe 2020 Strategy during the European Semester process. The indicators encompass the five EU 2020 headline targets and will introduce a gender perspective into the indicators dashboard of the European Semester. The proposal for a WIKI EU Semester & Gender Equality Web Platform is put forward as an option enhancing contributions and the follow-up of the European Semester process from a gender equality perspective by civil society organisations.

Authors : Paola Villa, Elvira Gonzalez and Silvia Sansonetti (Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini, Italy)

Committees : Gender equality

Summary : Even though the most obvious forms of sex discrimination have been considerably reduced in the USA society, discrimination takes much more subtle forms. This note offers an overview of the situation in the US (at federal level) regarding gender equality and is based on 5 themes: sex discrimination in the workplace; reconciliation of private and professional life; access to health care; equal representation in decision-making; eradication of all forms of genderbased violence. It appears that, depending on the issue at stake, the US situation can be comparable to the one of some of the EU countries or be particular notably because of cultural specificities.

Authors : Konstantina Davaki (London School of Economics and Political Science)

Committees : Gender equality

Summary : The note reviews the evidence on the effectiveness of legal instruments as compared with voluntary regimes in narrowing the gender gap on corporate management boards. It finds that legal instruments to enforce quotas are an effective and fast means of achieving change. The use of voluntary regimes has led to some increase in the proportion of women on corporate boards, but the effects are significantly smaller and slower. The only instance of achieving 40% of each gender was through the use of legal instruments to enforce quotas. The note identifies and reports on the positions and recommendations of nine international bodies on this matter.

Authors : Jo Armstrong and Sylvia Walby (UNESCO Chair in Gender Research Group, Lancaster University, Lancaster, the UK)

Committees : Gender equality

Summary : For the enclosed five briefing notes, a gender budgeting methodology has been developed on purpose to analyze in a gender perspective the MFF proposal for 2014-2020. The MFF 2014-2020 assumes a very high relevance in the context of the financial and economic crisis as the EU Budget will finance the EU 2020 Strategy that is conceived as a pivotal tool for recovery. Despite the official declarations according to which:  the EU 2020 Strategy was conceived as an opportunity to reform the economy in order to achieve more gender equality, and  the intention to make gender mainstreaming the pivotal strategy for gender equality, the gender budgeting exercise has revealed that the gender perspective is far from being assumed in all policies, at all levels and at every stage of the policy making process. More precisely the analysis has been conducted the following five gender relevant policy issues: Economic Independence, Education and Training, Health/Wellbeing/ Environment, Fundamental Rights, External Relations showing that the attention to gender is not evenly given by issue and that evaluation/monitoring in a gender perspective is still not as widespread as it should be to ensure an actual implementation of gender mainstreaming. The study has also revealed that it is possible to design and apply a gender budgeting methodology to the EU Budget. This is a very relevant result in view of a future introduction of gender budgeting in the EU budget procedure.

Authors : Fondazione Giacomo BRODOLINI, Italy

Committees : Gender equality

Summary : This note reviews gender equality in Turkey with a focus on the existing legislation and programs. The issue of gender equality in Turkey is particularly important for Turkey’s adoption of EU norms and acquis. The main challenges in this respect are violence against women, equal opportunities at the work place, paid and unpaid labour, hidden forms of discrimination and access to political decision-making and representation.

Authors : Meltem MÜFTÜLER-BAÇ (Sabancı University, Istanbul, Turkey)

Committees : Gender equality

Summary : In March 2011, on the basis of the Council Directive 2004/113/EC implementing the principle of equal treatment between men and women in the access to and supply of goods and services, the Court of Justice applied the prohibition of direct discrimination which does not permit any specific justification, unlike indirect discrimination, in the sector of insurance which is particularly important from an economic perspective. From 21 December 2012, dicrimination based on the gender will be prohibited. What is the impact of this decision on the insurance companies, on the consumers?

Authors : Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini, Italy ; Laura CALAFA (University of Verona, Italy) and Olvia BONARDI (University of Milano, Italy)

Committees : Gender equality

Summary : This study analyses au pair arrangements in six EU Member States (Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain) through descriptions of national and international legal frameworks and practices of au pairing. The findings show different patterns of au pair migration and different situations of au pairing as well as different strategies to protect the au pairs. The overall recommendation is to separate current au pair immigration into two programmes: one of cultural exchange and one of domestic and care work.

Authors : Helle Stenum (in cooperation with Hanne Marlene Dahl)

Committees : Gender equality

Summary : The briefing paper describes current Danish policies, practices and legislation within the area of gender equality. It addresses economic independence, reconciliation policies, participation in decision-making, gender-based violence and trafficking, gender stereotypes, and gender equality in development policies. The former liberal-conservative government (2001-2011) has focused on equal opportunities, gender equality as a means to economic growth, voluntary measures and freedom of choice. Increased attention has been paid in recent years to ethnic minorities and to men’s role in gender equality.

Authors : Lise ROLANDSEN AGUSTÍN (Centre for Equality, Diversity and Gender - EDGE, Aalborg University, Denmark)

Committees : Gender equality