Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-05-Speech-4-013"
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"en.20001005.1.4-013"2
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"Mr President, Mrs Péry, Commissioner, the position of, and relationship between, men and women in society has changed dramatically over the past decades. The number of dual earner households has grown considerably. Given this development, we applaud a policy which contributes towards the equivalent development of men and women in line with their talents and interests.
The present report, however, puts forward an exaggerated interpretation of the principle of equality. The diversity or differences with regard to men and women are still not being given enough consideration. There is also the freedom of the individual to consider. As a result, the freedom of choice for women, which they strive for, can very easily fuel frustration and renewed forms of repression.
I therefore find it telling that the report is seeking to establish a numerical balance between men and women across all sectors of society, for example in the labour market. The choice of training and profession for men and women will depend on their own personalities, talents and interests. To respect and value these differences shows that we still have our feet firmly on the ground.
The campaigns launched by the Dutch government to encourage girls to select more exact science subjects and so-called male professions, have failed miserably. A European repeat of these debacles appears completely pointless to me.
I just have to get something off my chest. I find it shocking that the representative of the Council should mention the fact that equality should be enforced, yes enforced, would you believe, in the home. I do hope that she shares my view that the government has no right to intervene in the private sphere.
In addition, the report undervalues transductive labour. Bringing up children, especially transferring standards and values, is of vital importance to our society. Whoever denies mothers the freedom of choice to bring up their own children unpaid, will be presented with the bill later on in the form of youth crime and vandalism.
The idea that women lag behind in paid work compared to men should certainly not be considered as inequality, because it is based on a one-sided, woman-unfriendly vision. After all, it is the cool, rational, enlightened thinking which advances human beings as independent, autonomous creatures and downgrades women to being the second sex. When one adopts this thinking as starting point, it is easy to see why one could be in favour of women’s equality.
This choice, however, does not offer any guarantees against evil, suffering or injustice. At best, it sustains other types of suppression. Human beings are independent and responsible creatures placed in relation to God, their Creator, on the one hand and their fellow human beings on the other. This means, among other things, that men and women interrelate and need each other in order to do themselves justice as men and women. This is exactly why keeping marriage and family completely out of the picture in this report represents a lost opportunity."@en1
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