Verbatim report of proceedings

Monday, 6 September 2010 - Strasbourg

24. Role of women in an ageing society (short presentation)

  President. – The next item is the report by Mrs Pietikäinen, on behalf of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, on the role of women in an ageing society (2009/2205(INI)) (A7-0237/2010).

  Sirpa Pietikäinen, rapporteur. – (FI) Madam President, in studies in the European Union and Member States, ageing is all too often seen as a negative phenomenon, as a burden in terms of pensions, services or vital expenditure connected with healthcare and medicines.

In fact, though, ageing and the rights of older people are not only a component of fundamental rights but also something that enriches society enormously. Older people are responsible for a very large part of the informal care of their partners, spouses, relatives and children. They also have a good deal of expertise and tacit knowledge about the work and social environment, not to speak of the fact that they are a hugely important consumer resource, and certainly not just a burden on society.

The Charter of Fundamental Rights and the approach to ageing based on law require us not to take a negative view of ageing or older people, but adopt a respectfully positive attitude to it and them. This becomes a particular challenge in the case of women and older women. Ageing is also very much an issue to do with women and equality, because women live well into old age, they are more often involved in informal care in the home, and they often work in the social services and healthcare sectors, which are responsible for the private and public care services for older people.

Women also often experience double or triple discrimination. It is harder for an older woman at work to make progress in her career, or it is more difficult for her to find employment after being laid off. Moreover, that applies equally to healthcare or services, if an older woman belongs to an ethnic, sexual or religious minority or a particularly vulnerable group in terms of its socio­economic status.

Women are also at greater risk of living in poverty when they get older, and their occupational pensions are frequently smaller. Unfortunately, in most cases, the studies on ageing conducted in the European Union have not shown any form of gender sensitivity, nor have differences between women and men been mentioned very often in the context of healthcare, medical research or research into disease.

For that reason, the report calls on the Commission to draw up by the end of 2011 an action plan guaranteeing more resources for the research needed to understand ageing. Let us see what action is required to improve the quality of care of older people, especially women, and to improve levels of social security, and let us call for a directive on basic services. Let us insist on the recognition of gender­ and age­related diseases and their treatment, and let us in particular demand an annual report on age discrimination and the steps that have been and are being taken in the European Union and at national level to eliminate age discrimination.

In 2012, we will be requesting new measures for investigating how discrimination in the European Union can be eliminated. I would like to thank my colleagues for their excellent levels of cooperation and I am expecting effective action on the part of the Commission in dealing with the issues of older women and ageing.

  Zuzana Roithová (PPE). – (CS) It is a poor reflection on our civilisation that women older than 65 years of age have a 5% higher risk of poverty than men do. And this is because they took care of their families, brought up children, and because their lifetime incomes are, on average, lower than incomes of men. This cannot continue. The time they dedicate to caring for young children must be regarded not as leave time but as work, for which they are entitled to a salary and also a contribution to their pension scheme. And this should also be the case for men if they care for a child in place of a mother. Of course, I do not agree that states should take into account the specific situation of older lesbian, bisexual and transsexual women. Does that mean that they should enjoy a more elevated status than other older women? I hope that such discriminatory articles do not pass in tomorrow’s voting.

  Karin Kadenbach (S&D). – (DE) Madam President, unfortunately this report is still very necessary. It is regrettable that women in an ageing society remain underprivileged members of that society, just as before. If we look at women’s employment histories, it is clear that the majority of the care work – not just bringing up and looking after children, but also other housework – still falls to women to perform; that, just as before, a large part of this work goes unrecognised both financially and otherwise. We have an increasing problem of poverty in old age.

However, I would also like to highlight a second issue. In the area of healthcare, we need to pay particular attention to women’s needs. We know that women are generally very good at looking after the health of members of their family, but pay too little attention to their own health. I would therefore urge the Commission to send out a very strong reminder to the individual Member States that women need to be provided for too.

  Petru Constantin Luhan (PPE). – (RO) I seem to be one of the few men who take a stance on this subject. However, I would like to draw your attention in particular to some of the financial aspects.

This report, along with the Commission’s initiative to declare 2012 as the European Year of Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity, can provide the framework required to develop new guidelines, including in cohesion policy and regional development.

We can carry out and use the studies and analyses mentioned in this report in order to establish new criteria for allocating and supporting regions facing the multi-faceted issue of elderly women.

The number of elderly women, the types of illness requiring a certain kind of medical or social intervention, family structure and the role of women in caring for the elderly may be factors which the Commission will include in the list of those defining the framework for drafting regional development plans at national level.

I particularly welcome this report and I strongly believe that it will also have an impact on the way in which we in other committees deal with this issue.

  Catherine Stihler (S&D). – Madam President, I would like to thank the rapporteur. I think she has drawn up an excellent report. As we all know, none of us in this room is getting any younger and the need for us to view ageing positively is vitally important. It is a miracle that we are living longer and healthier lives and we should be celebrating this. However, for many women, this is not the case, and this report addresses this.

In 2010, it is mostly women who bear the majority of caring responsibilities in a family, whether it be for children or for elderly relatives and, as we know from this report, this results in women living in poverty in their old age, at a time when they should have dignity and respect, as our rapporteur has said.

This report is also important because it introduces the issue of elder abuse, something which we in this House all condemn, and something which needs to be given a higher political priority.

We should also require best practice to be shared in connection with active ageing, the University of the Third Age, and the ways that we can use new technologies. I would like to thank the rapporteur and I hope we will all campaign to make ageing as active and as dignified as possible.

  Antonyia Parvanova (ALDE). – Madam President, I would like to congratulate the rapporteur also. It has been said that the ageing population has a significant impact on social protection and public finance. Within the overall context of demographic change, women are traditionally at greater risk of poverty and limited pensions. Therefore, it is vital that we policy makers should be kept aware of the issue and the concerns of older people – especially women – in order to ensure that they are not marginalised.

In this regard, it is necessary to continue fostering our efforts, both at EU and national level, towards the full use of existing instruments and future measures in the areas of pensions policy, health and long-term care policy, employment policy, migration and integration policy, and infrastructure development.

This is an issue that we have to discuss more often in this House.

  Barbara Matera (PPE). – (IT) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the rapporteur points out the double discrimination suffered by women who are also elderly. I would highlight how we should talk of triple discrimination: women who are old and alone.

This report addresses important issues, starting with the world of work and the re-employment of this workforce composed of the elderly, especially older women.

These women need to be seen as a positive workforce, laden with experience and able to train those younger than themselves. In short, they are a necessary resource for making the whole of Europe grow and achieve the targets it has set itself, a resource that we must ensure enjoys a dignified life with complete and effective social assistance and healthcare, a resource to be supported within our ageing society, which needs to learn how to age properly.

  Monika Flašíková Beňová (S&D). – (SK) I very much welcome the report on the role of women in an ageing society, particularly as it refuses to view old age as something negative. The economic view of old age, that is to say, very often dominates in social debates. In the reforms of the social state, old age is presented as a problem for the pension system or the health service.

Old people, however, fulfil various important roles. In view of their extensive professional experience, they also provide important social or family support. Even if they did not perform economically important roles, we ought still to view higher average life-spans as proof of improved quality of life in society, and to see older people not as a burden but as fully-fledged members of society who deserve a dignified life. This argument applies all the more to older women, who face a greater risk of poverty and are particularly dependent on public and private services, and also on public healthcare, which also means that ageing women are affected by insufficient or poor quality services.

  Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL). – (PT) I believe that it is significant that so many people are interested in talking about these issues. The Commission should understand that as a need to find an answer to these problems, because gender inequality is particularly severe among older women, whether because of the low incomes of most women or because of difficulties in accessing quality public services, and health services in particular.

Wage discrimination in employment and discrimination in maternity are directly reflected in the majority of older women’s pensions. The result is that these pensions are low, which contributes to the very high risk of poverty among older women. All women have the right to grow old with dignity, so in the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, particular attention must be paid to older women in order for their dignity as women and as citizens to be respected.

  Joanna Katarzyna Skrzydlewska (PPE). – (PL) An ageing population is a phenomenon which requires particular attention on our part. Among the problems we must deal with is the problem of poverty, which, although covering many aspects, is, to a great extent, a consequence of high levels of unemployment. A significant fall in employment in the over-50 age group has already been noted and particularly affects women. As a result of their age, they do not feel they are attractive to employers. Some of them are deciding to take early retirement, and their low pensions sometimes leave them in extreme poverty. In order to increase employment levels in this age group, we should implement legal solutions at government level in individual states. Entrepreneurs need incentives to employ the over-50s. This could be in the form of tax relief, the creation of special solutions within the framework of the healthcare system, or free training, adapting such employees to the needs of the employers. Similar ideas would not only raise their standard of living but would also bring measurable benefits to the budgets of individual states.

  Silvia-Adriana Ţicău (S&D). – (RO) The European Union’s population is ageing, with people over the age of 65 accounting for more than 17% of the EU’s population in 2008. However, the rise in the population’s life expectancy is closely linked to the availability and accessibility of medical services and a decent standard of living.

Historically, women’s participation in the healthcare workforce has been significant and is still growing. Women account overall for approximately three quarters of the workforce at EU level. In some Member States, more than 50% of students in medical schools are women. Increasing the birth rate and creating jobs are also essential for ensuring that pension systems are sustainable.

The provision of childcare facilities for children aged 0-6 years is vital for young mothers to enable them to achieve a work-life balance. Every euro invested in childcare services returns a profit of six euros for society through the creation of new jobs and reintegration of young mothers into the labour market.

  Dacian Cioloş, Member of the Commission. – (FR) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen – or should I say ‘ladies’, since unfortunately I see that there are relatively few men present for this debate on women – I should like to thank Mrs Pietikäinen for her draft report on the role of women in an ageing society. The report addresses what is a relevant issue in the context of today’s demographic challenges and provides a helpful analysis of that issue through the use of a multidisciplinary approach.

The Commission is aware that elderly women and men face major difficulties in trying to lead an active life, build up pension rights for their retirement and grow old with dignity when their physical capabilities are diminishing.

The fact remains that elderly women are particularly vulnerable because of the persistent stereotypes concerning the roles of each sex, and also because of the discrimination they suffer on the labour market.

The effect on a woman’s pension rights of taking career breaks or leave to look after close relatives, coupled with the pay gaps that persist between the sexes, exposes them, when they grow older, to a higher risk of poverty than men.

The Commission has taken several initiatives to draw attention to the needs of the European Union’s ageing societies, in which elderly women have an essential role to play. Only recently, the Commission emphasised, in its Green Paper on pensions, how important it is to reduce the gaps between women and men, particularly as regards the care of individuals, pay and the labour market.

The Commission will continue to stress the importance of the role of women in an ageing society within the context of its forthcoming strategy for equality between women and men 2010-2015, which will be adopted this month.

The Commission will also ensure that the integration of gender equality issues features in its proposal to designate 2012 the European Year of Active Ageing.

As this is my last speech this evening, may I take this opportunity to also thank the interpreters and to apologise if I spoke too quickly at times.

  President. – The debate is closed.

The vote will take place on Tuesday, 7 September 2010 at 12:30.

Written statements (Rule 149)

  Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă (S&D), in writing. – (RO) Europe is facing a serious problem. Its population is getting old and suitable measures are required to deal with this reality. Moreover, the potential offered by elderly people, which is ignored in most cases in Member States, should not be overlooked. The experience and skills they offer can be used to train young people, with the aim of handing over the torch to the younger generations in different areas and at different levels of expertise. Although discrimination on the grounds of age is banned by EU legislation, when it comes to the work environment, situations such as overt or disguised discrimination occur frequently in all Member States, especially against women. Consequently, I support the proposal to run Europe-wide awareness campaigns, with the aim of combating current discrimination on the grounds of age and maintaining solidarity between generations. I believe that it is beneficial to provide European funds in support of projects involving, for instance, socially disadvantaged single and older women. This would provide great support in combating age-related discrimination.

  Lena Kolarska-Bobińska (PPE), in writing. – (PL) It is a good thing that the EP report stressed the situation of women over 50 in the context of demographic changes happening throughout Europe. Reports issued to date have indicated a slow improvement in the employment prospects and public life of women. In the next few years, there could be a marked change – a deterioration in the situation of this group of women, especially in countries which have social and healthcare systems which are less developed or inefficient. In these countries, an ageing population will, in particular, burden women with responsibilities of care for ageing parents and relatives. Even now, women are burdened with this type of responsibility, and in the future, this will increase. In many cases, they will be replacing and bailing out inefficient institutions. We need to prepare now for the demographic time-bomb, which this time will take the form of huge numbers of elderly and infirm persons. The adaptation of institutions will be a long-term and difficult process, so we need to decide now how to help families in an ageing society. The European Commission and Parliament must begin to monitor the adaptation of institutions in Member States to the needs of an ageing society right now. The report correctly stresses the need to simplify access to public and private services, especially to healthcare services. It is important that these regulations should be reflected in everyday life and not just remain as defunct provisions in EU documents.

  Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska (PPE), in writing. – (PL) Mr President, in their report on the role of women in an ageing society, the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality noted quite rightly that women of retirement age are more often exposed to living in poverty. The reason for this phenomenon is very often a lower accumulation of pension rights as a result of women’s lower salaries and temporary salary reductions, e.g. when looking after children. The draft mentions many factors which could improve the quality of life for women over 50, inter alia, taking on additional part-time work. Above all, however, we must decide what to do so that women approaching retirement age do not have to worry about losing their jobs, and thus their financial resources. The European Union should place particular emphasis on ensuring that salaries for men and women are equal. According to the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Treaty of Lisbon, discrimination on the grounds of gender is forbidden at the workplace, so there should be sections in the report which will ensure that women receive the same salaries as men. In addition, it is important that public opinion should emphasise any issues relating to discrimination against women in the workplace.

  Siiri Oviir (ALDE), in writing. – (ET) All of us in the European Union must have an equal opportunity to participate fully in the life of society, as well as to work and be economically active, and to have standards of living and well-being that are considered normal in the society in which we live. Unfortunately, today’s global economic and social crisis has deepened poverty and exclusion for women in particular, especially for elderly women. Since women’s life expectancy is, on average, six years longer than men’s, gender is becoming a vitally important factor in ageing. I think that the fight against women’s poverty and exclusion must continue to be one of the important challenges in the EU, and accordingly the Member States should improve their social protection systems, lifelong learning and active policies of engagement in order to create opportunities for women at different stages of life to take an active part in the life of society and to protect them from the threat of exclusion. It is important to concentrate the joint efforts of the Member States on guaranteeing equal opportunities, because equal rights between men and women are not an objective in themselves, but a precondition for the EU’s overall objectives – growth, employment and achieving social cohesion.