EWL
supports new European Pact for Gender Equality
proposed by six Member States in view of the Spring Council
In view of the European
Spring Council of 23-24.03.2006, six Member States of the European Union
(Sweden, France, Spain,
Finland, the Czech Republic and Denmark) have proposed a new European Pact for Gender Equality
to the Austrian Presidency of the EU. The Pact for Gender Equality should serve
“to enhance women’s participation in the labour market and to promote
equality between women and men. The Pact should build on already existing
objectives, targets and instruments within the Lisbon process, the integrated
guidelines for growth and jobs, and the Roadmap for future EU gender equality
policies”.
The Pact should 1)
contribute to fulfilling EU ambitions on gender equality in the treaty (Article
2 and Article 3(2) of the EC Treaty), 2) facilitate the full use of the
productive potential of the European labour force and close the gender gaps in
employment and social protection and 3) meet the demographic challenges by
promoting better work-life balance for women and men. The Pact contains measures
to close gender gaps and combat
gender stereotypes in the labour market, to promote a better work-life balance
for all and to reinforce governance through gender mainstreaming and better
monitoring.
Member States that
proposed the Pact hope to see it included in the Conclusions of the Spring
Council of March 2006, but in order for this to be achieved, the Pact needs to
be endorsed by all Member States. EWL strongly supports this initiative and
has written to the Member States that have not yet endorsed the Pact to ask tem
to fully support it.
================================================================
To
leave the list, send your request by email to:
wunrn_listserve-request@lists.wunrn.com. Thank you.
Categories: Releases