Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-01-20-Speech-4-217"
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"en.20000120.13.4-217"2
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"Mr President, I must firstly congratulate the Commission on the expediency and quality of its communication on women and science which highlights the current imbalance and the need to change this situation. I also want to congratulate my colleague, Mrs McNally, on her excellent report and the proposals which it contains.
To my mind, this report could not have come at a better time. It is a recognised fact that the participation of women in working life is essential for the future of Europe. The rate of employment in Europe is lower than that in the United States of America and Japan and the low rate of female activity in the majority of the Member States is therefore not surprising.
Although the role of women is essential in increasing European production, the importance of their contribution to the financing of social security and, therefore, the maintenance of a social model, must also be mentioned. Yet it is not enough just to analyse the amount of work carried out by women in the European Union for the quality of this work is also fundamental. It is also essential for society to recognise that women with professional qualifications are capable of participating in the sectors which are the most demanding in terms of professional training and in which the European Union has major shortages.
The European Union has between 700 000 and 800 000 vacant jobs due to a lack of people with the training needed to develop the information society and use new technologies. Women scientists in Europe must therefore be provided with every support and every opening so that in this sector they can play the role which they not only deserve but which is also vital to Europe.
This report is opportune because the Portuguese presidency is going to hold an extraordinary summit in Lisbon next March on employment, economic reforms and cohesion for a Europe of innovation and knowledge. The aim of this summit is to establish the bases of a development model which can put Europe in the vanguard of economic competitiveness at world level. This will not be possible without extensive participation by European women scientists. Positive measures must therefore be taken in this respect, instead of simply allowing societal developments and mainstreaming policies to have an effect. I have high hopes that the Portuguese presidency will give due attention to the participation of women in this programme, not only because the Portuguese Ministry for Equality is committed to this but also – and this is no coincidence – because the coordination of the programme to be presented at the Lisbon Summit was entrusted by the Portuguese Prime Minister to a woman scientist.
I hope that the good intentions of the Commission and Council will be translated into specific proposals aimed at improving the participation of European women, in quantitative and qualitative terms, in the areas of science and new technologies."@en1
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