Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-10-12-Speech-3-240"
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"en.20051012.21.3-240"2
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".
Ladies and gentlemen, if I may I should like to start by thanking the Members of the House, and in particular the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, for having drafted this report. The poverty and social exclusion affecting women are enormously important issues. The feminisation of poverty is an ongoing trend in European societies, and indeed your report highlights this fact. The majority of those suffering unemployment or long-term unemployment are women, and women are far more likely than men to work part-time. There is no getting away from the fact that women are still subjected to violence, both in public and in private. Furthermore, around 500 000 women in Europe each year are trafficked for sexual exploitation. Both of these problems are frequently a consequence of the poverty in which these women are forced to live.
Your report reaffirms that the employment of women is still the key to their economic independence, and one of the main means of overcoming the poverty trap and social exclusion. Employment has a direct impact on the standing of women in society as a whole. EU measures in the field of employment are a key tool for achieving equality between women and men, and it is important to adopt an integrated approach in order to increase employment levels and to make it easier for women to join the workforce. This approach must be tailored to women’s needs, and protect the interests of certain groups of women that are most at risk of social exclusion, such as single mothers, migrant women, women from ethnic minorities, women suffering ill health and older women.
The proportion of women in employment increased from 50.6% to 55.7% between 1997 and 2004. One of the main reasons for this was the economic growth experienced by Europe during this period, even though this growth was relatively slow. Employment is therefore on the rise, although marked inequalities and numerous instances of gender discrimination still persist in this field. As a general rule, women are more likely to be unemployed, and the jobs they do have are frequently worse paid, less permanent and less advantageous in terms of social security. At the same time, women continue to be largely responsible for the care of children and other dependents. The goals set using the open method of coordination for the fight against social exclusion highlight how important it is for the Member States to consider gender equality when developing, implementing and monitoring the national action plans in the field of social inclusion.
The national action plans are key components of the European method, and are reviewed every two years. In theory, all Member States are obliged to consider gender equality in all fields, or in other words to apply gender mainstreaming to all national implementing measures. In order to make this task simpler, joint indicators of poverty and exclusion are collected on a regular basis, both for men and for women. In addition, funding under the Social Exclusion Action Programme makes social inclusion more visible and promotes the involvement of stakeholders on the ground.
In conclusion, I should like to stress three priorities for the future. Firstly, equality between women and men must become a priority goal for social security systems, with the aim of boosting the social rights of minority workers. Secondly, we must promote policies aimed at increasing the availability of high-quality care for children and other dependents of any age, so that men and women do in fact have a choice when it comes to work-life balance. Finally, the gender equality dimension must be strengthened in policies and measures aimed at combating poverty and social exclusion, in order to prevent the feminisation of poverty.
Ladies and gentlemen, I should like to draw your attention to an issue that is proof of how important a role each one of us has to play, and of how legislation alone sometimes achieves very little. EU legislation aimed at preventing a gender pay gap has been in place for 30 years, but the difference in pay between men and women currently stands at 16-33%, depending on the Member State. As I see it, it is quite clear that what is now needed is an integrated and consistent approach."@en1
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