Brussels, 14/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 15 and Friday 16 October the Swedish Presidency of the EU is holding a conference “What does gender equality mean for economic growth and employment?” The conference, which will be co-financed by the European Commission, will, as part of the reflection process on the revision of the EU growth and jobs strategy post-2010, examine the importance of gender equality in assuring sustainable economic growth in Europe. Swedish Integration and Equal Opportunities Minister Nyamko Sabuni and her colleague at European Affairs Cecilia Malmström will open the conference. The European Commission will be represented by Vladimir Špidla. A meeting of ministers with responsibility for equal opportunities and finance ministers of the current and coming EU Presidential trios (France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Spain, Belgium and Hungary) will be held in parallel on Friday 16 October.
Over the last decade, the percentage of women on the labour market has risen from 52% in 1998, to 59.1% in 2009, a level of employment close to the Lisbon target for 2010. However, wide differences remain compared with men's employment rates, both quantitively (13.7 points of difference) and qualitatively (pay gap, part-time working, gender segregation on the labour market). According to a study which will be debated at the conference, gender equality could bring GDP growth of the order of between 15% and 45%. (G.B./transl.rt)