Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-12-03-Speech-3-284"
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"en.20081203.22.3-284"2
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"Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for staying to listen at this late hour. I am very pleased to be able to present this motion to you today. I am pleased, because it shows that the European Parliament considers monitoring and improving the situation of women in the Balkans to be important. I am convinced that this is our common interest and responsibility, since the European Union cannot close itself off.
My aim with this report was to indicate that they are on the right track, that I pay tribute to their efforts, and that I wish them courage for what lies ahead.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks for the enormous help I have received in the course of this task from Rudolfs Verdins and Elvy Svennerstål of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Secretariat, from Effy Tsonos and Majella McCone of the Secretariat of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, from my fellow Members the shadow rapporteurs Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, Doris Pack, Edit Bauer, Lívia Járóka, Filiz Hyusmenova, Emine Bozkurt, Anni Podimata, Marusya Lyubcheva and many others. Special thanks are due to the Secretariat of the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats, the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance and of course the Liberals for their tireless work and unfailing readiness to make concessions. Last but not least, I wish to thank my immediate colleagues.
I am very proud of the fact that the motion which I am introducing here today reflects a wide-ranging compromise, which I believe makes the European Parliament’s message a clear, unambiguous and strong one. I hope that reading between the lines will make it clear that my aim is to give the report a positive, encouraging tone. Thank you for your attention. It is also a particular pleasure that Commissioner Verheugen, who was the Enlargement Commissioner at the time we joined the EU, is here with us.
We all know that the countries of the region have been through serious traumas, and not that long ago. They are making very great efforts to address their problems, and for this they deserve admiration. It is my opinion, however, that they fail to take a very important resource into due consideration, namely women.
It is true that women suffered particularly heavily during the wars, but we must bear in mind that they are not solely victims, but play a constructive, active, useful and indispensable part in democratic stabilisation and reconstruction.
I was never in favour of making exceptions for women, but I am so bold as to declare that they should be given the same opportunities as men. No more and no less. It is no different in this case either. Women can fulfil the above-mentioned role only if they are given the opportunity to do so.
And what is this opportunity? Since women constitute half the population, they must be given a decision-making role in the same proportion. I know that according to many people, a quota is not the true solution, but I must say that unfortunately a more effective administrative solution has not yet been found.
The economic emancipation of women is one of the first tasks. Working women are more productive members of society and are less subjugated. And if they are working, we cannot allow them to be excluded from leadership positions in economic life. At the same time, hard-working women must be given the opportunity to balance professional life with family commitments.
For this to happen, the attitude of society must become more positive with regard to women, and negative stereotypes must be abolished. Education and the media play a key role in this regard. I could continue down this long list, but in the interest of time I would like to emphasise two very important considerations.
First, we can never forget that the region in question is made up of several different countries, and these cannot be lumped together and treated in the same way. Every country is working hard in every sphere, and thus also on improving the situation of women. Of course some countries are further ahead in this struggle than others. I have tried to convey this in the table appended to the report.
Secondly, the possibility of future entry into the European Union is a significant motivation for these countries to achieve their objectives. It is important for them and for us to take advantage of this period in this regard as well."@en1
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