European Commission Report-Women & Men in Decision-Making 2007: Analysis of Situation & Trends
Author: Womens UN Report Network
Date: October 6, 2015
WUNRN
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Direct Link to Report:
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Women
in Power Still Trapped by Glass Ceiling – EU Report
Despite
recent progress, women in Europe are still shut out of top posts in both
politics and business, says a new European Commission report.
Across the EU, 24% of parliamentarians are women – up from 16% a decade ago –
with a similar proportion holding ministerial office. In the private sector,
men still represent 9 out of 10 board members in top companies and two-thirds
of company bosses. The report coincides with International Women’s Day on 8
March and comes ahead of a new European network of women in power, to be
launched later this year.
“Progress on getting more women decision-makers has been too slow. If
we believe in the values of democracy, we cannot leave half of the population
outside the structures of power,” said Equal Opportunities Commissioner
Vladimír Špidla. “Gender equality is also good for business. Our economies
must reap the full potential of all our talents if we are to face up to global
competition. This means smashing the glass ceiling once and for all!”
The report, “Women and men in decision-making 2007 – analysis of
the situation and trends“, shows that the proportion of women members
of national parliaments (single/lower house) has risen by around half, from 16%
in 1997 to 24% in 2007. However, it is still well below the so-called critical
mass of 30% deemed necessary for women to exert meaningful influence on
politics. The European Parliament is just above this critical figure (31%
women). On average, men outnumber women among ministers in national governments
by around three to one (24% women, 76% men).
Women are also highly under-represented in economic decision-making. The
central banks of all 27 EU Member States are led by a male governor. Across
Europe, women account for over 44% of all workers but just 32% of those
considered as heads of businesses (chief executives, directors and managers of
small businesses). The under-representation of women at the top level is
heightened in big business where men account for nearly 90% of the board
members in leading companies (constituents of the blue-chip index in each country)
a figure which has barely improved in recent years.
There has been significant progress in promoting women within the central
administrations of EU Member States where they currently fill nearly 33% of
positions in the top two levels of the hierarchy, compared to around 17% in
1999. The proportion of women in similar positions within the EU institutions
has also improved from 14% to just under 20% over the same period, although
there is still much room for improvement.
The primary role in promoting better gender balance in decision-making is at
national level, but the European Commission supports these efforts by
collecting, analysing and disseminating comparable data on the persistent
gender gaps, in particular through its database on women and men in decision-making. The
Commission will set up a new European network of women in power later this
year, to promote the exchange of experiences and good practices across the 27
EU countries.
Further information:
– Report “Women and men in decision-making 2007 – analysis
of the situation and trends”
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