Brussels, 16/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 16 April, the European Commission published its report on progress in gender equality last year. In addition to the percentages and numerous graphs, a clear picture is emerging: more women are needed on the labour market, as well as equal pay for men and women and equal opportunities for reaching high positions in the corporate arena. Viviane Reding, the European commissioner for justice, explained that “the economic case for getting more women into the workforce and more women into top jobs in the EU is overwhelming. We can only reach our economic and employment goals by making full use of all our human resources - both in the labour market as a whole and at the top. This is an essential part of our economic recovery plans.” The Commission also points out that several measures have been taken over recent months, with regard to observations made in this report.
Employment. Although the EU 2020 strategy target is to have 75% of the adult population working by the end of this decade, men have already reached this objective, whereas only 62.1% of women are currently participating in the labour market. The Commission hopes that its recommendations of last June on the EU 2020 strategy will help to rectify the situation. This will involve reconciling work and private life and developing better childcare solutions, a more flexible work organisation and ensuring that a second household income is not reviewed downwards.
Wages and responsibilities. Money is the most important area with regard to the question of gender equality. Women still earn less than men in the Union - 16.4% on average less than men. This has an impact on their pensions and is further compounded by career breaks and part-time work. It is unfortunately proving difficult to reverse this trend, as is the situation regarding women's representation at corporate decision making levels. This issue is so important that the Commission has begun a public consultation in an effort to develop solutions on this question, before possibly imposing European level quotas. This effectively constitutes Commissioner Reding's warhorse and she is hoping to take concrete action in this field this year.
Violence. Another area, where the lack of equality is less visible but equally harmful in terms of the cost to society, can be located in the issue involving violence against women. The Commission is not ignoring this subject, which is difficult to quantify, and last year it proposed specific measures to tackle domestic violence, as part of the package of measures enhancing the rights of victims of crime. (MD/transl.fl)