Az ülések szó szerinti jegyzőkönyve

2016. április 27., Szerda - Brüsszel

22. A nemek közti egyenlőség és a nők jogainak erősítése a digitális korban (rövid ismertetés)

  El Presidente. – El punto siguiente en el orden del día es la breve presentación del informe de Terry Reintke sobre la igualdad de género y el empoderamiento de la mujer en la era digital (2015/2007(INI)) (A8-0048/2016).

  Terry Reintke, rapporteur. – Mr President, the report empowering women in the digital age breaks with two very stupid, yet still very widespread, stereotypes. The first is that digitalisation is only about technological development. It is not. Digitalisation will completely shape our societies and will have an impact on all areas of our lives. So digital policies are in fact societal policies, and that is exactly why gender equality should be at the core of this debate.

The second stereotype is that women are not interested in the digital revolution. I must tell you that they are. Working on this report, talking to many women who are already active in the digital sector today, I became convinced of this myself. The problem is just that they very often face obstacles in the ICT sector or in STEM education. What we need to do is to create the right preconditions for them to fully conquer the digital arena.

These stupid stereotypes are not our fate. We can challenge them and that is exactly what this report is doing. The report does indeed show the challenges, but it also gives concrete tools to overcome them and the amazing potential that the digital world holds both for women and for the enhancement of gender equality in our societies, be it the Bulgarian game developer who is facing everyday sexism in her job, be it the French Cameroonian digital entrepreneur who does not get access to funding because she is not considered creditworthy, or be it the Irish mother of two who is being stalked by a troll on Facebook.

This report provides answers to all of these examples. It calls for more efforts to make the educational sector more inclusive and e-skills attainable to all. It calls for more funding opportunities for female entrepreneurs, and it asks for better cooperation between police authorities to combat stalking and harassment online European-wide.

So we can see that the tools are there. Now we will just have to make them reality. Ms Jourová, I hope that not only you, but the whole Commission, will stand behind this and push this in the future. All this great work and the great results that we see in this report could not have been possible without input from great activists, civil society, female entrepreneurs and many other people who have given input, and the great work of all my colleagues who have shadowed this report and contributed a lot to making it such a success. I thank you all for your constructive work.

I think that we can really build a digital agenda together in the European Union that will be inclusive and that will give equal chances to both men and women. I hope that this report will be a starting point and that it finds a broad majority tomorrow because actually that is the best day to work on it as tomorrow is Girls in ICT Day. So I hope that it will find your support.

Intervenciones con arreglo al procedimiento de solicitud incidental de uso de la palabra («catch the eye»)

  Therese Comodini Cachia (PPE). – Mr President, a strong digital economy is vital for innovation, growth, jobs and competitiveness – and so are women. Recent studies show a decrease in the number of young people, in particular girls and women, studying and choosing careers in ICT, and most Member States also have a skills gap in this sector. Yet Member States and the EU look at the digital sector as a socio—economic boost. Consequently, Member States must recognise that compulsory education is to include a relevant ICT education from the earlier stages of education that will enable women and girls to obtain the necessary e-skills to fully participate in socio-economic development, as well as to foster amongst them the understanding that they, too, are contributors to digital innovation and are able to obtain skills for employment in the digital sector. An education policy – be it for compulsory education or in lifelong learning – that provides women and girls with skills to participate and contribute within the digital economy will also bring about further empowerment and continue to break down barriers based on gender.

  Νότης Μαριάς ( ECR). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, η ενδυνάμωση των γυναικών στη ψηφιακή εποχή και η μείωση των ανισοτήτων μεταξύ των δύο φύλων στον τομέα της Τεχνολογίας της Πληροφορίας είναι αναγκαίες όσο ποτέ. Αρχικά, στα κράτη μέλη της Ένωσης, παρατηρούμε ότι μόλις το 9% των προγραμματιστών είναι γυναίκες, ενώ μόνο το 19% των εργαζομένων στον τομέα της Τεχνολογίας Πληροφοριών και Επικοινωνίας έχουν γυναίκες διευθύντριες, σε σχέση με το 45% των εργαζομένων σε άλλους τομείς. Αυτό, φυσικά, είναι αποτέλεσμα του σημαντικού χάσματος που υπάρχει μεταξύ των δύο φύλων, όσον αφορά την πρόσβαση σε επαγγελματικές και εκπαιδευτικές ευκαιρίες που σχετίζονται με τον τομέα της Τεχνολογίας της Πληροφορίας.

Βέβαια, οι διακρίσεις μεταξύ των δύο φύλων φαίνονται και στον εργασιακό χώρο, γενικότερα, αφού οι μισθολογικές διαφορές και οι διαφορές στις συντάξεις είναι αρκετά μεγάλες, ενώ σε χώρες όπως η Ελλάδα που πλήττεται από τα μνημόνια, οι γυναίκες αποτελούν την ομάδα του πληθυσμού που έχει πληγεί περισσότερο. Είναι, επομένως, αναγκαίο να προωθηθεί η ισότητα των δύο φύλων στον τομέα της ψηφιακής οικονομίας, να αυξηθεί το ποσοστό των γυναικών σε ηγετικές θέσεις και να εξαλειφθεί κάθε μισθολογική διαφορά μεταξύ των δύο φύλων στην εργασία.

  Ivan Jakovčić (ALDE). – Gospodine predsjedniče, nažalost i digitalno doba danas svjedoči neravnopravnosti. Industrijsko doba, doba poljoprivrede kada je trebalo biti jak, visok ili u industriji kada je trebalo dizati nešto teško, može se djelomično razumjeti takve probleme ravnopravnosti.

Međutim danas to apsolutno nije opravdano. I zato ne samo kroz obrazovni sustav koji je naravno itekako važan da bi se sve djevojčice i mlade žene mogle obrazovati informatički, mi moramo ipak iskoristiti nešto što danas imamo, a imamo dobrih primjera.

Ovaj izvještaj je, naravno, nešto što ću rado podržati jer govori upravo sva ona uvjerenja koja ja osobno imam, ali pozivam izvjestiteljicu da pokaže i dobre primjere jer je upravo to važno. Vidjeti koji su dobri primjeri, dobre prakse unutar Europske unije, gdje su žene uspjele i u ovom digitalnom dobu i na taj način pokazati primjerom kako se može uspjeti.

  Daniela Aiuto (EFDD). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, ringrazio la relatrice per l'ottimo lavoro e c'è stata una grande collaborazione su questa relazione perché contiene proprio i punti cardine di quello che è il nostro movimento politico: c'è la proposta della democrazia diretta, della maggiore partecipazione delle donne in politica attraverso le votazioni elettroniche e c'è il concetto dell'Internet gratuito, soprattutto nei luoghi pubblici.

La domanda che sorge spontanea è come mai alcuni gruppi, penso al PPE, abbiano chiesto la votazione per parti separate proprio su questi tre concetti che ho enunciato. Che cosa spaventa determinati colleghi e determinati gruppi rispetto a una votazione elettronica o al concetto di democrazia diretta attraverso il web? Ecco, queste sono un le perplessità che abbiamo. Per il resto, credo che sia veramente un'occasione unica di utilizzare le nuove tecnologie per aiutare le donne a emanciparsi.

  Janusz Korwin-Mikke (NI). – Nie potrafię sobie wyobrazić, jak można serio mówić o dyskryminacji kobiet w dziedzinie cyfrowej. No chyba tylko tak, że w tenisie mężczyźni grają pięć setów, a kobiety tylko trzy, mężczyźni pchają kulą siedmiokilową, a kobiety pięciokilową – więc w takim razie jedynym rozwiązaniem jakie widzę, to wprowadzić zasadę, że dla kobiet wprowadza się liczenie tylko przy siedmiu cyfrach, a nie dziesięciu. To bardzo by kobietom ułatwiło wejście w technologię cyfrową.

  Romana Tomc (PPE). – Malce bolj resno, kot moj kolega pred menoj... Hvala lepa. Ne bom se ozirala na to, kar je moj kolega ravnokar povedal, ker se mi zdi popolnoma deplasirano.

Bom povedala kaj drugega. Kakšno bolj resno zadevo o tem, da dejansko gre za ne dovolj zaposlenih žensk, predvsem v IKT sektorju. Kljub vsemu napredku danes še vedno smo priča temu, da je v tem sektorju zaposlenih manj žensk. In razvoj tega sektorja seveda nudi pa v nadaljevanju več možnosti.

Vendar za izkoriščenje teh možnosti bomo morali tudi podjetja nekako stimulirati, jim dati dodatno možnost, da zaposlujejo ženske. Jaz mislim, da pametni delodajalci sami spoznajo, da je uravnoteženost spolov pri zaposlovanju koristna, ne samo zato, da pomagajo ljudem priti do boljših plač, pač pa prinaša tudi njim samim večji dobiček.

Upam seveda, da bo razvoj IKT sektorja prinesel tudi razvoj uravnoteženosti na tem področju.

  Julie Ward (S&D). – Mr President, I would like to thank all the colleagues who have worked to produce such a strong report, and particularly the rapporteur, with whom I have a very good working relationship – thank you, Terry. Digital technology shapes every aspect of our lives and will continue to transform our society in profound ways. As we move ahead, gender inequalities are reflected in the digital world, but we must grasp the nettle and use the opportunity these transformations provide to eliminate inequalities. There is an urgent need to act to involve more women and girls in the IT sector and to close the gender gap in digital industries. We often talk about women and girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), but I would like to emphasise the need for us to build bridges between the arts and the STEM sectors, turning STEM into steam. We need more creative, artistic young people to come into STEM fields. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring more women and girls into the IT industries, and I hope the Commission and the Member States take note of that vital synergy.

  Neena Gill (S&D). – Mr President, I welcome this report and this debate on equality and empowering women and really would like to echo the points that the rapporteur has made. Firstly, having worked in the IT sector, I am concerned about how few women are actually working other than in administration in the IT sector, and it is really important that we address these issues at a very early age – at school level, even at primary level – to encourage young girls to take up the subjects that would enable them to be programmers, to be analysts, and to be very active in the IT sector. Secondly, I was speaking the other day to a couple of young female entrepreneurs in the digital sector who had both chosen to leave the EU. They were from Europe and they had gone to the US, because they felt that was where the opportunities were. It is really important that we do not lose that talent and that we address these issues: that we take women entrepreneurs in technology as seriously as we take men.

(Fin de las intervenciones con arreglo al procedimiento de solicitud incidental de uso de la palabra («catch the eye»))

  Věra Jourová, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, I am happy to have the opportunity today to discuss with you the current situation regarding gender equality and empowering women in the digital age. This is a topic that deserves our undivided attention. The fact that women are under-represented throughout the ICT sector is a key challenge that we need to tackle. The report by Mrs Reintke very much contributes to raising awareness of this challenge and offers solid recommendations that are aimed at strengthening women’s participation in the ICT sector. The report brings us a step closer to closing the gender gap in the sector, and for this reason I would like to thank the rapporteur of this excellent and forward—looking report.

The Commission is fully committed to take further action in this area, as outlined in the ‘Strategic Engagement for gender equality’. The Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs, for example, is a multi-stakeholder partnership, which tackles the lack of digital skills in Europe. Some of the pledges target only women. The Strategic Engagement includes a key action that focuses on using the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs to support measures enhancing digital skills among women and girls and promoting female employment in the ICT sector.

The Commission has been active in promoting opportunities for girls and women in the sector as well. The ICT sector is rapidly growing, creating around 120 000 new jobs every year. In view of the good job and salary prospects, we would like to see more women take advantage of this situation and consider a career in the sector. Women active in this sector generally enjoy higher flexibility to arrange their working schedules and will be less susceptible to unemployment.

When considering economic arguments for increasing female participation in the ICT sector, the Commission’s study on women active in the sector found that more women entering the digital jobs market can create an annual EUR 9 billion GDP boost in the EU area. Furthermore, women working in the sector earn almost 9% more than women in similar positions in other service sectors.

In order to increase women’s opportunities in the digital age, it is of the utmost importance to tackle women’s under-representation in the sector. At this moment, only nine in 100 European app developers are female; 19% of ICT managers are women and less than 30% of the ICT workforce is female. When we look at the educational aspect we see that, today, only 29 out of every 1 000 female graduates have a computing or related degree.

The Commission supports several initiatives that promote getting more women into digital jobs and encourage girls to pursue ICT-related subjects. For example, the European Network of Women Web Entrepreneurs Hubs (WeHubs) is the first network of partners which specifically supports women to create and scale-up their web enterprises, building links between women entrepreneurs, investors and the web entrepreneurship ecosystems.

The Digital Single Market with its e-society dimension constitutes a great opportunity for women in digital. But we need more role models, mentoring, greater engagement of business and industry by offering even more targeted programmes to study and work in the ICT sector. More grass-root initiatives like the Code Week are needed – during the 2015 EU Code Week half of the almost half a million young coders were young girls!

We also need to get men involved in the debate on diversity. I strongly believe that tackling gender stereotypes will contribute to creating equal opportunities in the workplace and will attract more women to the sector.

As also highlighted in the report, the increasing digitalisation of society also poses some threats to gender equality, including cyber—bullying, cyber—harassment, cyber—stalking and sexist forms of hate speech. The Fundamental Rights Agency survey on women’s experiences of violence shows that one in ten women has experienced sexual harassment or stalking through new technologies. All forms of violence against women and girls, including cyber-violence, are rooted in gender inequalities and reinforce them further.

The EU is committed to fighting against such violence as affirmed in a number of strategic documents. An important action that the Commission has undertaken in this area is the proposals for the European Union to sign and conclude the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, a comprehensive international treaty on combatting violence against women and domestic violence. This includes provisions to encourage the participation of the information and communication technology sector in combating this phenomenon, also in the online sphere.

Considering the excellent recommendations outlined in the report, it is clear that there are significant challenges ahead of us. Let us take advantage of the new and great opportunities and explore ways to advance women’s empowerment in the digital age. I look forward to tackling the challenges together in order to break down gender stereotypes and use the technological innovations as drivers of progress towards gender equality.

  El Presidente. – Se cierra este punto.

La votación tendrá lugar mañana.

Declaraciones por escrito (articulo 162 del Reglamento)

  Pirkko Ruohonen-Lerner (ECR), kirjallinen. – Työ- ja talouselämän digitalisoituminen on yksi suurimmista 2000-luvun yhteiskunnallisista muutoksista. Uusi teknologia ei ole mullistamassa ainoastaan tapaamme työskennellä. Internetin myötä myös ihmisten sosiaalinen elämä ja tavat viettää vapaa-aikaa ovat muuttumassa. Tämän vuoksi onkin tärkeää, että kaikille kansalaisille yritetään tarjota yhtäläiset mahdollisuudet osallistua digitaaliseen yhteiskuntaan. Miesten ja naisten välisestä tasa-arvosta on pidettävä kiinni myös verkossa. On erittäin tärkeää, että nuoria naisia kannustetaan entistä enemmän hakeutumaan matemaattis-luonnontieteellisille aloille. Tarvitsemmekin lisää naisia suunnittelemaan ohjelmistoja, käyttöliittymiä ja verkkosisältöjä.

  Jutta Steinruck (S&D), schriftlich. – Die Digitalisierung verändert unsere Arbeitswelt. Was sie nicht ändert, ist die Ungleichverteilung von Frauen und Männern – vor allem in den gut bezahlten Jobs. Ich fordere deshalb Kommission und Mitgliedstaaten auf, sich dringend um die Förderung der Gleichstellung in diesem Bereich zu kümmern. Wir müssen die Sichtbarkeit der Frauen in digitalisierten Berufen erhöhen. Dazu brauchen wir mehr Anreize für Frauen, ein Studium im Informatikbereich oder einen Beruf mit informatikbasierten Schwerpunkten zu ergreifen. Neben der Ausbildung muss auch die Weiterbildung und lebenslanges Lernen eine zentrale Rolle spielen.

Wir brauchen sichtbare weibliche Vorbilder. Dafür ist eine Geschlechterquote in den Vorständen längst überfällig. Die Kommission und die Mitgliedstaaten sind hier gefordert, als einen ersten Schritt die Richtlinie zur Einführung einer europaweiten Frauenquote in Aufsichtsräten endlich umzusetzen. Darüber hinaus muss – auch von Seiten der Sozialpartner – bei der Umsetzung der Digitalen Agenda stärker auf den Gender-Aspekt geachtet werden.

Wir müssen die neuen Formen der Beschäftigung analysieren. Sie können natürlich – insbesondere für Frauen – zu einer besseren Work-Life-Balance beitragen. Allerdings müssen dabei grundlegende Arbeitnehmerrechte und eine soziale Absicherung sichergestellt werden. Die Digitalisierung darf nicht zu einer Weiterführung des geschlechtsspezifischen Lohngefälles führen!

  Marc Tarabella (S&D), par écrit. – La société de l'information ainsi que les technologies de l'information et de la communication (TIC) peuvent servir de tremplins pour l'émancipation des femmes et l'égalité hommes-femmes.

Je regrette qu'à l'heure actuelle les femmes soient sous représentées dans le secteur des TIC. Il est donc nécessaire de remédier à cette situation. Pour ce faire, il est primordial d'orienter la stratégie pour le marché unique numérique dans ce sens, et d'insister que la prochaine stratégie pour l'égalité hommes-femmes propose des mesures spécifiques afin de soutenir l'intégration et la participation des femmes à la société de l'information et de promouvoir activement les réseaux de femmes en ligne. Je pense notamment à l'éducation, qui doit promouvoir la culture numérique ainsi que l'éducation des femmes et des filles dans le domaine des TIC grâce à l'intégration des nouvelles technologies dans les programmes d'enseignements de tous les niveaux, je pense aussi à l'apprentissage continu, qui doit accorder une attention particulière aux femmes de 50 ans et plus, dans le but de les protéger contre l'exclusion du marché de l'emploi, et je pense enfin à la lutte contre la violence à l'égard des femmes dans le monde numérique, en particulier les problématiques relatives au harcèlement sur l'internet.