On Tuesday 19 March, MEPs attending the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) (see EUROPE 13368/22) organised a side event in New York to promote the economic inclusion of women in the labour market. These discussions are in line with the resolution passed by the European Parliament in February, calling for equal opportunities in employment and education (see EUROPE 13347/18).
The keynote speaker, Dr. Jemimah Njuki, Head of Economic Empowerment at the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), stressed the urgent need to address the multifaceted obstacles to women’s full economic inclusion.
Dr. Njuki referred to alarming statistics according to which, without proactive measures, more than 340 million women and girls will remain in extreme poverty by 2030. Her speech called for the transformation of gender norms, the commitment of allies and the adoption of gender-sensitive policies.
The event also included a discussion on the gender pay gap, moderated by Frances Fitzgerald (EPP, Irish).
Legislative measures and social standards. Ms Fitzgerald, along with two other MEPs, Samira Rafaela (Renew Europe, Dutch) and Evelyn Regner (S&D, Austrian), looked at the legislative progress made by the European Parliament. These interventions reflected a holistic and multidimensional approach to the fight against gender inequality, tackling both legislative structures and social norms to achieve true equality.
Frances Fitzgerald highlighted important initiatives such as the care strategy, the Istanbul Convention (see EUROPE 13262/20) and the pay transparency directive (see EUROPE 13107/14). She stressed the cost of violence against women and the importance of government action to support women economically.
Samira Rafaela also mentioned the directive on pay transparency, for which she is the rapporteur, as a major step forward, with the right to information on salaries, enabling better negotiating positions and legal recourse against pay discrimination.
Ms Rafaela called for awareness and a change in the perception of female-dominated professions, which are underestimated, stating that gender equality is not just a question of social justice, but also an intelligent economic choice.
For her part, Evelyn Regner focused on the problems faced by women aged over 65, linking reduced participation in work and caring responsibilities to an increased risk of poverty. She insisted on concrete actions to promote women’s financial autonomy and the role of European directives in encouraging female leadership. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)