Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-01-19-Speech-4-052"
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"en.20060119.5.4-052"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, there is a lot to be done if we want to achieve the Lisbon objectives, and one thing must be clear: we will only get there with women. There is still an unreasonably wide pay gap between men and women in many Member States. There is still discrimination over promotion. The family still has to fit in with the job. Jobs ought to be geared to the needs of families, however. All areas certainly need to be thought through with an eye to gender mainstreaming, but they must also be thought through with an eye to family mainstreaming. New approaches need to be found here. We agree and do not like saying all that, but women still need greater support to develop their entrepreneurial spirit.
Women make a contribution to Europe’s economic efficiency and competitiveness. Education and lifelong learning are the keywords. The greatest potential of Europe’s citizens is and remains their knowledge and that must continue to be promoted on a basis of equality.
I would like to thank the rapporteur, Mrs Estrela, for going into the many issues thoroughly in her report. Mrs Thomsen has referred to the area of ‘women and research’, and I would like to highlight another field, namely domestic employment in the private sphere. There is basically no sensible reason at all for treating a job in the household differently from a job in industry or commerce. If a husband and wife go out to work and someone is engaged to do the housekeeping, that is a job, not a private pleasure. On the other hand, if our families were provided with competent domestic services – both in caring for and raising children and young people and in looking after and nursing the elderly – large areas of social work would be effectively covered and valuable jobs created at the same time.
A recognised, insurable employment also brings in contributions to social security systems and opens the way for many women to leave moonlighting for legal work with social provision for old age and sickness.
I think these are also reasons why such work is unpopular. Something that costs nothing is not accorded equal status and is not recognised as being worth anything and nobody wants that. We must create awareness in this area instead of further devaluing it with subsistence wages. The Member States must raise prospects: financially and fiscally as well as in the mind. Because a family-friendly society in Europe is the only way we will achieve the Lisbon objectives. The Lisbon Strategy is an opportunity for us to focus on these important areas. We must do this to crank up the process and keep it moving."@en1
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