Verbatim report of proceedings

Wednesday, 1 February 2006 - Brussels

18. Equality between women and men in the EU

  President. – The next item is the report (A6-0401/2005) by Mrs Edite Estrela, on behalf of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, on equality between women and men in the European Union (2004/2159(INI).

  Vladimír Špidla, Member of the Commission. (CS) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I should like first to congratulate Mrs Estrela on her report and on the motion calling for a resolution on gender equality in the European Union. Gender equality is not only a cornerstone of the European Union, but is also an area in which Europe has blazed a trail and has always been one step ahead of social developments. The position of women in Europe has changed considerably thanks to Community-level action, first via legislation, and then via the structural funds and Community-wide inclusion of gender issues in all areas of policy. The Member States made it clear on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the platform for action on women in Beijing, which was celebrated exactly a year ago, that the issue of gender equality receives their wholehearted support. Although progress has undoubtedly been made in the area of gender equality, important tasks lie ahead for us. The Commission points this out in the report on gender equality, which is tabled every year at the spring summit of Heads of State or Government leaders. We must persevere and strengthen the legal bases. The motion for a resolution clearly refers to this and emphatically points out that the promotion of equality rests on three pillars, which are as follows:

1. legislation ensuring equal treatment for men and women and the fundamental rights of all people, whilst safeguarding the effective implementation of such legislation;

2. incorporating gender equality questions into our policies, especially the Lisbon Strategy and policies aimed at social inclusion, backed up by the principles of good governance and political commitment at the highest level;

3. the implementation of special measures to support specific groups and objectives, such as access for women to decision-making positions and the integration of female immigrants and women from ethnic minorities.

The Commission has pursued this approach in the past and will continue to pursue it in the future. Its commitment in the area of gender equality will be reaffirmed in the roadmap on gender equality, of which President Barroso and I gave notice a number of months ago and which the Commission intends to table in March. This roadmap will set out tasks and measures intended to support equality between men and women for the period 2006 to 2010, and will detail how the Union intends to address these issues with its policies. Most of the measures referred to in the motion for a resolution will be flagged as priorities in the roadmap, along with support for the economic independence of men and women, equal access to decision-making positions, compliance with the principle of equal treatment and the fight against domestic violence and human trafficking.

  Edite Estrela (PSE), rapporteur. – (PT) Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the Commission’s report on equality between men and women in the EU sets out the progress that has been made on gender equality, but concludes that much remains to be done if we are to end all forms of discrimination and if women are to enjoy a level playing field with men in both public and private life. To this end, there needs to be reconciliation between family life and work life, enhancement of the status of women in the labour market, more facilities for looking after children and other dependents and gender mainstreaming in the areas of immigration and integration.

There are two major challenges at the root of any gender equality policy. One is to close the gender pay gap, and the other is to facilitate the reconciliation of work and family life for both men and women. It is unacceptable that women are the last to have access to jobs and the first to be made redundant, even though they are efficient and dedicated workers. The gap between men and women in employment stands at 15.8%, whilst the percentage of women in part-time work stands at 30.4%, compared to 6.6% for men. The employment rate among women with small children is 13.6% below the figure for women without children, whereas men with small children enjoy employment rates 10% higher than men without children.

Women do the lion’s share of work in the home and therefore have less time for paid work. In couples with children up to the age of six, men do less than 40% of domestic chores and are responsible for 25% to 35% of childcare. The provision of suitable childcare facilities remains a key instrument in enabling women to enter the labour market and to stay there. There is a lack of women in all areas of work, especially in those areas traditionally considered male. It has been proven that women are good managers, and their creative and innovative abilities in urban planning and construction are widely acknowledged. As one successful female Italian architect once said, it is because men do not wear high heels, or walk with prams, that they do not design properly proportioned walkways or concern themselves with architectural obstacles.

Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to take this opportunity to share some concerns that are worthy of further reflection. It is the responsibility of politicians to be able to read the signs so that they can stop the situation from becoming any worse. Mention was just made, as it was in the latest report, of domestic violence, and I should like to draw attention to youth violence and to the fact that it is on the rise. The images of the recent events in France seen around the world raised the question of what leads hundreds of young people to use violence to draw attention to their problems. Families, political decision-makers and societies as a whole must talk to one another to ascertain where they went wrong and why. This problem is not confined to France. There is a high level of violence among young people everywhere, and this is a very serious problem. What leads young people between 13 and 17 years of age to attack and even kill defenceless individuals as a form of entertainment? The facts that have come to light are shocking. A group of youths robbed beggars and immigrants simply for kicks and recorded everything on their mobile telephones in order to show off to their school friends afterwards. Another group threw petrol over a homeless woman and set fire to her. The woman died of her burns. We cannot turn a blind eye to such cruelty. It is not sufficient simply to condemn; what is needed is action, so that we do not come to feel a sense of regret later, and say, as the father of one of these youths said, I feel a failure as a father.

The principal cause, according to the experts, is the absence of parents. There are thousands of young people in the EU who have been consigned to the television, the Internet and the street since they were children. Parents spend over 12 hours outside the home, leaving the children unattended and at the mercy of all manner of negative influences, leading to academic failure, children leaving school early, indolence, drugs and exclusion. The second cause is idleness. With nothing to do, no school or no job, young people become irresponsible. Add to this a permissive culture in which people have few or no duties and all the rights they want; there is no discipline, no demands are made and no value is placed on work or merit.

I should like the Commission, the Council and Parliament to look into this problem and to take appropriate measures while there is still time. I hope that the Commission’s next report is able to talk about more progress in the area of equality. I should like to express my gratitude to those Members and the secretariat of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality for their help in drawing up this report.

  Edit Bauer, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group. – (HU) It often seems that there is nothing new to be said about the equality between men and women. Very often we just repeat the same things all over again. Unfortunately this does not mean that there is nothing left to be said about this issue. What it actually means is that we are talking about the same concerns over and over again, because in practical terms progress is relatively slow, and one step forward is sometimes followed by one step back. The best proof of this situation is that in spite of the countless directives and proposals concerning equal opportunities for men and women, created since the Rome Agreement, the situation has not been changing very fast.

The report (for which I congratulate the author) repeatedly points out that Directive 75/117/EC, enacted exactly 30 years ago, prohibits different levels of remuneration for men and women, but also mentions that according to the latest figures, the difference between remuneration levels of men and women is still on average 15% (between 4% and 25%). Another question is, how many countries have actually implemented and executed the latest Directive 113/2004? Or let us take a look at the fate of the undertakings adopted by the Council in Barcelona in 2002, to facilitate reconciliation between family life and a professional career. These are relevant to the higher employment rate of women, but could also represent a turning point in the demographic crisis.

The legislation of the European Union is becoming unreliable. Regulations may be breached continuously, without any consequences. The authority of European Union institutions is damaged if its undertakings exist on paper only. I trust that in the future the Commission will inspect the implementation and execution of the acquis more seriously.

  Justas Vincas Paleckis, on behalf of the PSE Group. – Mr President, until now the majority of voices that have been heard on this important question – and on the previous report – has been those of women. Hence, it is my honour to bring this discrepancy into balance to some extent and to emphasise that gender equality can be achieved only with the support and energetic participation of men. I hope this point and the report in general will be applauded by an absolute majority of all men of the European Union.

A very important pledge of this report is to close the gender pay gap and to create pension schemes which are not discriminatory against women. The experience of the Nordic states shows that the highest living standards and quality of life can be achieved in those countries where women are by no means less successful than men in occupying the highest political posts.

We should concentrate more on the revolting and alarming rate of trafficking in women, which is, in a way, comparable to the drug trade and for which, unfortunately, there is a huge demand in the new and old Member States. Such crimes deserve stronger punishment across all the Member States of the EU.

Gender equality has always been one of the most important indications of European values for the new Member States. I am pleased to underline that today these states, including Lithuania, have in many cases surpassed the ‘old’ members.

Together with my colleagues, I am happy that the European Institute for Gender Equality is being created. The new Member States have a strong argument for establishing this institute on their territory. Lithuania, which in many cases, has a leading position in the implementation of gender equality policies, is more than ready to establish this institution in Vilnius.

Once again, I should like to congratulate the rapporteur, Mrs Estrela.

  Raül Romeva i Rueda, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – (ES) Mr President, I am once again pleased to congratulate Mrs Estrela on having produced a report that is essential to the fight for equality between men and women in the European Union, since, regrettably, the way the different genders are treated is still entirely unjust, particularly in terms of wages, recognition and opportunities.

Nevertheless, the degree of this injustice varies according to the Member State. The Commission must therefore monitor seriously the application by the States of the Community legislation relating to equal opportunities and take the necessary measures in cases where it is not respected.

Furthermore, since I will become a father in two months’ time, I am also concerned about the lack of attention generally still paid to the reconciliation of work and family life and, in particular, the difficulty many men still have in many countries in playing a responsible paternal role, which means that women have to take more responsibility within the family at the expense of their own professional careers.

In short, we must support measures to guarantee equality in employment and in access to goods and services and to their provision.

  Věra Flasarová, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group. – (CS) Ladies and gentlemen, as both the Lisbon Strategy and Mrs Estrela’s report make clear, an integrated community is based on freedom, solidarity and equality, yet there continues to be inequality between men and women in a number of areas. I wholeheartedly endorse calls for a narrowing of the pay gap between men and women and for European legislation to be implemented. I must warn, however, that women are disadvantaged not only in terms of salary, but are also often the victims of discrimination; employers are often insensitive towards pregnant women, for example. In the Czech Republic women have suffered what is referred to as silent discrimination. Employers often assume that pregnant women are weak and defenceless. Anti-discrimination laws intended to protect women have yet to be introduced in the Czech Republic. In some countries there is silent discrimination against employees particularly on the grounds of age, maternity, health and disability. The time has come for change.

  Urszula Krupa, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group. – (PL) Mr President, I am a woman who was brought up in Poland, where Christian values are universally recognised. I can assure the House that I have never been discriminated against in the home, at school, in higher education or at work. Sadly though, women are in danger of being discriminated against as a result of European Union policies. I cannot therefore understand the concern expressed by the author of the report on equality between women and men in the European Union at the fact that the employment rate for women aged between 15 and 24 has not increased. That is the time when young women ought to be in education or perhaps starting families.

2007 has been designated ‘European Year of Equal opportunities for All’. With this in mind, I would like to call for equal opportunities for children too. Children should at least be able to enjoy the same opportunity as we had to bond with our mothers. Children must not be separated from their mothers soon after birth by sending the mother off to work and the children to a childcare centre. From a medical point of view, plans to grant maternity leave to men instead of to women seem rather odd. After all, women really need that time to recover from the birth. For babies, it is a period of adjustment to life outside the womb.

It is particularly important that the first few months of life are spent in close proximity to a loving mother, whose care is vital to the proper development of newborns babies and toddlers. Rather than granting time off to fathers, it would be more appropriate to increase family benefits and to recognise the time spent bringing up children when calculating pension entitlements. Men do not have a maternal instinct and their sense of paternal responsibility develops rather later. Once again, I appeal for responsibility, for women to be treated with dignity and respect, and for children not to be subjected to social experiments.

  Rolandas Pavilionis, on behalf of the UEN Group. – (LT) I would like to draw your attention to several points. I believe that an appropriate solution to the problem of gender equality will be found. Firstly, when gender education is incorporated into school and university curricula. Secondly, when we no longer confine ourselves to formal governmental and ministerial reports and the governments are requested to show concrete results regarding the implementation of gender equality policies. Thirdly, when the European Institute for Gender Equality, which is currently being established, does not confine itself to the collection of statistical data, but appoints impartial observers, capable of assessing the situation in every country of the European Union. Of course, we would argue in favour of a proposal that such an institution be established in Lithuania. Fourthly, when the comment made by the European Commission is taken into account, that not one project application has been received from the Baltic countries’ non-governmental organisations, which are concerned with the implementation of gender equality policies, simply because these organisations do not have the funds for cofinancing. Thus they are also denied access to structural funds.

  Jan Tadeusz Masiel (NI). – (PL) Mr President, men and women enjoy absolutely equal rights under Union legislation. Indeed, the Union perceives this as one of its key tasks in connection with the practical implementation of human rights. I am sure none of us feels that it should be otherwise. Of course we are in favour of making progress in those areas where men and women are still not treated equally. Of course women should not endure violence at the hands of men, though these days there are also many cases of battered men. Of course women should receive equal pay for work of equal value.

In my country there are more women that men continuing their studies and gaining higher education qualifications. In my view, the reason why these women do not then pursue their studies still further or take up important positions in business or politics is not because they are subject to discrimination. It is simply that women have other priorities in life. They have much more significant and urgent goals to attain than men. It is important to bear in mind that the factor of time operates rather differently in the course of the life of a man and a woman. Women have to bear their children at a specific stage in their lives. They live longer than men to make up for that. There is nothing to prevent constituents from voting for women to represent them in the European Parliament, for example. It is not our fault that women themselves prefer to vote for men. Personally, I voted for the best candidate in our constituency, and that candidate happened to be a woman.

Our whole world order is based on the fact that there are two versions of the human being, the male and the female. The Creator, or Nature if you prefer, ladies and gentlemen, has determined that although they are equal, men and women are not the same. They are physically different and have different roles to play in society. Unfortunately, their financial circumstances differ too, and this should be remedied. There are also some psychological differences between the sexes. I urge women to recognise the positive aspects of being a woman and to understand that having exactly the same as men does not always mean having the same things.

  Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE). – (EL) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, the subject of the Estrela report lies at the heart of our concerns about the quality of European democracy and is also directly liked to our development objectives and, specifically, the Lisbon Strategy, which was the subject of the meeting between our Parliament and the national parliaments over recent days.

The report by Mrs Estrela is especially important and that is why I thank her for her initiative in drafting it, because it is the first report which refers to the gender equality situation in the Europe of the 25.

Despite its descriptive approach, it gives us useful information on this situation and the need to address inequalities. We note that, despite the economic slowdown, employment among women is increasing. The present average of 55.1% is an optimistic message that we can achieve the Lisbon objectives of 60% by 2010. However, a deeper and more careful analysis gives us to understand that the position of women in the labour market is precarious, because unemployment is increasing at the expense of women, the share of part-time work is much greater among women than among men, wage differentials continue to exist in all sectors and certain categories, such as immigrants, are victims of particular forms of discrimination in the labour market.

Reconciling family life and work continues to constitute a major challenge, especially for women with small children. The proposals in the Estrela report were, I believe, the subject of unanimity in our committee and I too maintain that a national strategy is needed with well coordinated objectives in the Member States which, on the one hand, promote mainstreaming in all policies and, on the other hand, apply the measures for the abolition of discrimination where it exists. However, very good cooperation is also required between government agencies and social partners and non-governmental organisations, especially women's organisations and, on the part of the Commission, monitoring is needed of the application of the acquis communautaire and a deeper approach to the issue, with a higher standard of analysis.

  Marian Harkin (ALDE). – Mr President, firstly I would like to congratulate the rapporteur on this very comprehensive report. Unlike some other speakers, I consider it necessary and timely. I will highlight just three issues.

The gender pay gap remains unacceptably high across Europe at 16%. In Ireland, it is approximately 15% and this has major implications for women’s standard of living, for their families and their quality of life. This issue must be addressed at national and EU level.

Secondly, I support the rapporteur’s call to all Member States to ensure that women have equal access to social insurance schemes. In Ireland, spouses of self-employed people or farmers are often not covered by social insurance in their own right, even though they work on the farm or in the business. They therefore lose out on many benefits and entitlements. This is discriminatory and needs to change.

Finally, there is an absolute need for positive discrimination towards women in the political system by political parties at all levels, particularly at candidate selection level. I suggest a level of 50% of women. To those who would say we do not always get the best people in that way, I would say rubbish; 51% of the population are women. You will get as much quality from there as from the other 49%. And why do I insist on that? Because issues such as caring in the home, violence in the home, trafficking of women and many other issues that are seen as women’s issues are not just women’s issues, they are societal issues. Until we have sufficient numbers of women at decision-making level, they will not be mainstreamed in policy responses and will not be adequately addressed.

  Vladimír Špidla, Member of the Commission. (CS) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you for this interesting debate, in which a relatively large number of men took part. I take this as a sign that we have made progress in the area of equal opportunities. Gender equality is not only a social question, but also an economic one, and our policies will be all the more effective if they take this issue on board. Equality should be based on a broad approach, involving specific measures and reaching across all of our policies. The policy of gender equality must be fostered through political commitment at the highest level, involving compliance with legislation and good governance at all levels of power. We are making strenuous efforts in this direction and I feel sure that our roadmap on equality issues, which we shall be tabling in March, will make a significant contribution.

I should like, if I may, to respond to one of the questions that was asked. Directive 73/2002 came into force on 5 October 2005, and most countries have transposed it. The Commission is currently analysing the situation and, where applicable, will initiate the appropriate procedures.

  President. – The debate is closed.

The vote will take place tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Written statement (Rule 142)

  Zita Gurmai (PSE). – The initiation reported by Mrs Estrela on equality between men and women in the EU has a crucial role in the horizontal way of handling equality matters. The aim was common to present the second annual report on equality and the first to cover the enlarged EU of 25 Member States. I am strongly convinced that measurable results could be worked out only with systematic work. An important message of the initiation is that each year an annual report will be presented. The report mentions the strategic guidelines of the equality policy. I would like to emphasise two of the most relevant fields that should be ensured for all: decent work and equal pay for equal job. My opinion is women hold the key to achieving the Lisbon Strategy’s overarching goal of creating more growth and jobs in the European Union. The primary task an increase in affordable childcare, following the good example set by Sweden and Denmark. It is focused by the PSE Group’s growth and investment strategy, agreed by social democratic governments across Europe. Last but not least we could achieve the above-mentioned results only with the active participation of men in gender equality.