Nicosia, 07/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - MEPs are launching ways to abolish gender stereotypes in the European Union. On Tuesday 6 November, the European Parliament's committee on women's rights and gender equality (FEMM) adopted in first reading the report by Kartika Tamara Liotard (GUE/NGL, Netherlands) which makes an assessment and provides recommendations to the European institutions on how to fight these stereotypes in the media and education, on the employment market and in economic and political decision-making. “There are still too many stereotypes which lead to inequality between men and women. The way in which the European Commission develops its new policies only widens these gaps”, Liotard says, mentioning decisions on pensions which “put women at a disproportionate disadvantage”.
The FEMM committee, which approved this report, proposes that the Commission take account of gender equality in all its policies. The European Social Fund could also dedicate its funding to fight stereotypes on this - for example, by favouring the education of girls in typically male education streams. Again with regard to education, pupils should be made aware of this gender equality issue. The FEMM committee particularly draws attention to the messages conveyed through advertising during children's programmes - messages which endorse stereotyping. The committee calls for children's exposure to these types of message to be reduced.
On the employment market, MEPs from the FEMM committee want employees and employers to be sensitised to the pay gap issue, and would also like to break the stereotypes linked to jobs. The MEPs also say they are in favour of introducing quotas in national decision-making bodies, like parliaments or governments, and the European institutions.
Lastly, the report that the FEMM committee approved calls for member states to collect data more systematically which are linked to gender equality and stereotypes, and also exchange this information and good practice more so as to fight conventional ideas more effectively.
The Liotard report is due to be voted on by the European Parliament at its plenary session on 10 December. (MD/transl.fl)