Poznan, 23/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - More women should be involved in peace-keeping missions and the European External Action Service (EEAS) should also better reflect this necessity. That is view shared by MEPs on the parliamentary women's rights and gender equality committee (FEMM). At their meeting on Tuesday 22 November, the committee approved this approach, set out in the report by Norica Nicolai (ALDE, Romania) on the situation of women in times of war.
Although women have a key role to play in peace-keeping and reconstruction processes by making it easier to build in a gender-equality perspective, women still form less than 10% of those taking part in peace negotiations, for example.
In her draft report, Nicolai recommends increasing the number of women taking part in military or civilian peace-keeping operations, particularly in positions of responsibility. For this to happen, it will be necessary, inter alia, to make military careers more attractive to women, promoting maternity leave for example. MEPs supporting the draft report also back the appointment of a special representative for women, peace and security in the EEAS to ensure account is taken of gender mainstreaming in the various European policies.
With its adoption of this draft report, the FEMM committee is also sending a clear signal to the institutions, insisting that the EU should only support peace processes if participation by women is effective at all levels of decision-making and at all stages of the process..
The European Parliament will debate this approach and vote on it in February 2012. (MD/transl.rt)