Gender Parity in Political Leadership – European Women’s Lobby
Author: Womens UN Report Network
Date: February 19, 2006
Working towards Parity
Democracy in EuropeWomen who make up more than half of the population and
electorate in the European Union continue to be under-represented in all
public and political decision-making bodies at all levels. Moreover, some
women, for example young, disabled, lesbian and Black, migrant and ethnic
minority women face multiple discrimination in the area of political
decision-making.For EWL, this under-representation of women
constitutes a serious democratic deficit, which undermines the legitimacy of
the contemporary democratic ideal. Parity democracy and the promotion of
women in decision-making positions are therefore important areas of action
for EWL. EWL has been actively promoting the implementation of parity
democracy within the European institutions. Parity democracy implies the equal
representation of women and men in decision-making positions. It goes a step
further than quotas as it is based on the idea that women are not a minority:
they represent more than half of the humanity –(a quantitative dimension)- and
one of its two components – a qualitative dimension.Despite strong
action by the European Women’s Lobby and others to introduce parity democracy
at the level of the European Union, there is no binding measure for the
equal representation of women and men in the EU institutions as such and
strong action is still needed in order to move toward parity democracy in
Europe.1. Provisions on gender
equality in decision making at international and European levelThe equal participation of women and men in power and decision-making
is strongly promoted at international level: articles 7 and 8 of the
Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW) adopted in 1979 and ratified by most European Countries commits States
Parties to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public
life and its Article 4 allows for the adoption of “temporary special
measures aimed at accelerating de facto equality between men and
women”.“Women in power and decision-making” is also one of the 12
critical areas of concern of the Beijing Platform for Action of 1995.
The 10-year implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action will be reviewed
in 2005.The Council of Europe has done some very interesting
work on women in decision-making, and a recommendation on balanced
participation of women and men in political and public decision-making has
been adopted on 12.03.2003.
At European Union level, there are
strong gender equality provisions in the Treaty of Amsterdam (art. 2; 3.2; 13
and 141), but there is no binding provision for the realisation of gender
equality in the institutions. However, the EU institution have adopted
different texts relative to gender equality in decision-making for
example:
Council Recommendation 96/694 of 2.12. 1996 on the
balanced participation of women and men in the decision-making
process Commission Decision relating to Gender Balance within the
Committees and Expert Groups established by it of 19/06/00. European Parliament resolution on women in
decision-making of 02/03/2000.2.
StatisticsEuropean level:
Women represent 30% of members of the European Parliament
but only 15% of chairpersons of Parliamentary committees. European Commission: Eight of the 25 commissioners (32%)
are women.National level:
There are 22.1 % women in
national parliaments in the enlarged European Union
National governments:
around 27.5%.>>> Contact person in the EWL
Secretariat: Cécile Gréboval
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