MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
4 March 2004
pursuant to Rule 42(5) of the Rules of Procedure
by
- –Lissy Gröner on behalf of the PSE Group,
- –Lone Dybkjær on behalf of the ELDR Group,
- –Patsy Sörensen on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group,
- –Marianne Eriksson, Geneviève Fraisse and Luisa Morgantini on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group,
B5‑0121/2004
European Parliament resolution on the European Union's policies on gender equality
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Rule 42(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas on 8 March we celebrate International Women's Day,
1. Expresses on this day, International Women's Day, its solidarity with all those women who still cannot enjoy their basic women's rights, who are still suffering under oppression inside and outside the family, who are deprived of their dignity as human beings, who are to a greater extent than men victims of violence, rape, sexual mutilation, trafficking and sexual exploitation and other severe forms of discrimination;
2. Supports all groups of women and individuals, often having to fear prosecution, who are active in promoting women's rights in all their forms and calls on them to continue their struggle for a better and more humane world and full equality for all;
3. Acknowledges that the European Union has played an essential political role over the last 30 years in promoting equality between women and men, and in this way has set other countries an example, and therefore calls on the Council to take an initiative at UN level to organise a Beijing + 10 Conference;
4. Regrets that a number of Member States, while having incorporated all gender directives in their respective legislation, are reluctant to introduce the necessary supporting measures to achieve real equality between women and men in everyday life, as is underlined by the first Commission annual report on gender disparities, which confirms the inequalities which still exist between women and men;
5. Is disappointed that the Member States have not properly followed up the Council recommendations on gender equality and that the decisions taken at the Lisbon and Barcelona Councils concerning better participation by women in employment and concerning the quality and quantity of child care have not been followed up with adequate policies at European and national level;
6. Calls on the Council to uphold its decision made at the Nice Council in December 2000 that a new directive based on Article 13 is needed covering gender discrimination outside the scope of employment and vocational training and to proceed without delay to approve such a directive, taking full account of Parliament's opinion;
7. Appeals to all 25 Member States after 1 May to put forward a list of three candidates of both sexes for the post of Commissioner as decided by the Convention on the Future of Europe;
8. Points out that in the history of the European Union the post of President of the Commission has never been held by a woman, calls on the Member States in their search for a President of this institution, especially now that the European Union is entering a new and historic chapter of its existence, to actively look at women candidates for this post;
9. Calls on the next President of the Commission, even if he is a man, to give one of the Commissioners women's rights and equal opportunities as her or his main task and ensure that this Commissioner receives adequate staff and financial resources to carry out her/his task, preferably in the form of a new women's rights DG;
10. Calls on the Council in the framework of its foreign, development and aid policies to ensure that women's rights are respected, in particular in countries where constitutional changes are taking place, such as Afghanistan and Iraq;
11. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States to put women's rights and gender equality at the top of their political agenda and points out that in the new Member States extra efforts should be made to reverse the current decline in women's participation in social, political and economic life;
12. In view of the forthcoming European elections, addresses a last call to all leaders of political parties in the European Union and accession countries to respect gender equality and draw up gender-balanced lists for the next Parliament;
13. Calls on the Commission to speed up the efforts leading to the setting-up of a European Gender Institute, as has been requested by Parliament;
14. Calls on the Council and Commission to declare 2006 European Year against Violence against Women;
15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the governments of the Member States and accession states.