Proposal for a New Community Programme on Gender Equality 2001-2005
INTRODUCTION
This note sets out Ms Diamantopoulou's approach to the future Community programme on gender equality and invites to a preliminary debate.
Last autumn when she presented the 'anti-discrimination package' to the College of Commissioners, she announced that the future strategy towards equality between women and men, would be the subject of a separate proposal.
The continuation and strengthening of gender equality policy at Community level is very much needed. Indeed, despite the EU's long-standing commitment to promote gender equality and the progress made so far, important gender gaps remain in most of the economic, social, political and civil sectors of our society due to the structural character of gender inequality.
Ms Diamantopoulou proposes here the main lines of of a new programme on the basis of an integrated approach which takes, on the one hand, account of all relevant Community policies while, on the other hand, provides for specific actions.
Such an approach is justified by the strong political support of all the major European Union institutions: the European Parliament and the Council have already expressed their full support for the continuation and strengthening of Community action in favour of gender equality and asked the Commission to present a proposal for a new programme.
The Treaty of Amsterdam has strengthened human rights provisions within a Union which is "founded on the principle of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms".
The human rights of women are an integral part of universal human rights. They are fundamental rights, that include the right to participate fully, as equal partners, in all aspects of life. Respect for these rights is the keystone of equality between men and women. It is central to advancing the role of women in society.
The changes to the Treaty have also strengthened the basis for Community action on gender equality. Commissioner Diamantopoulou has publicly expressed her determination to make full use of this new potential. Mainstreaming gender equality in all Community policies and activities and developing appropriate actions are the main instrumental axes of the proposed new Programme on gender equality.
This approach constitutes the logical extension of the progress made by the gender mainstreaming policy at Commission level and, at the same time, a renewed commitment with the objectives of the Beijing platform for action, after the five year review process.
ESTRENGTHENED RENEWED APPROACH
The aim is to construct a Programme, which will be presented in the form of a Commission communication, that would embrace all Community policies in the effort to achieve gender equality. Such a programme should be built around clear assessment criteria, monitoring, benchmarking and evaluation.
This approach marks an important change from previous Community programmes on equal opportunities for women and men, which only included actions, funded mainly by a single specific budget line.
Under the new approach, all Commission services will be invited to identify their activities to promote gender equality including gender mainstreaming policies and/or concrete actions targeted to women (specific actions).
The new Programme will be the "umbrella" for all Community policies that can make a contribution to the goal of achieving gender equality (be it Education, Employment, Research or Structural policies, to cite just a few). This new approach will provide the needed visibility of the wide range of gender equality actions of the Community and will also ensure improved accountability of all expenditure incurred for the promotion of gender equality within the different budgets of Community Programmes and initiatives.
The proposed 'umbrella' programme will not impose additional or new rules for the implementation of those Community programmes or initiatives that already have the requirement of integrating a gender and equal opportunities perspective in their objectives.
The integration of efforts conducted in the different policy areas for the promotion of gender equality under a Framework Programme would also ensure better monitoring and dissemination of results, thus contributing to the fulfilment of the Treaty provisions (Article 3 of the Treaty establishing the European Communities).
In addition to combining the efforts of the different Community policies, the new programme will have to include horizontal and co-ordinating actions to ensure internal consistency and effectiveness as well as monitoring, reporting and evaluation. Initiatives, which could not be financed under other budget lines (e.g. EQUAL, Structural Funds, etc.) will be presented under the form of a proposal for a Council decision for a new action programme, equipped with a specific budget (budget line B3-4012).
It is proposed that the programme, which is to be adopted by the Council on the basis of Article 13 of the Treaty, will serve as the legal base for the specific budget line.
SETTING THE OBJECTIVES
Overall goal: In order to deliver its full potential, the Community Framework Programme on Gender Equality must meet the overriding goal of bringing about the structural change required for achieving gender equality in practice.
Strategic objectives: In order to meet the overall goal, five strategic objectives are proposed and described in detail in section D. These objectives, corresponding to crucial areas of life, are intended to provide a frame of reference for policy development. All gender equality initiatives will be explicitly linked to one or more of these strategic objectives.
Operational objectives: Within each of the strategic objectives, operational objectives will be identified that will provide the benchmark against which progress can be judged. Each operational objective will relate to a particular policy dimension (or to a group of linked policies) that contributes to the achievement of the strategic objective while often serving other strategic objectives as well.
Target actions: Short-term priorities for pursuing each operational and strategic objective will be identified as target actions. They may include both legislative and non-legislative actions, gender mainstreaming and specific types of actions as well as action for reinforcement of co-ordination of national policies.
Each target action will have agreed deadlines and a measurable output and will require initiatives at Community level, national level or both.
THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
1. Equality in economic life
This policy area relates to the question of a fairer distribution of economic resources between women and men; the harnessing of women's qualifications and contributions to all economic life, in particular employment, business life, industry, science, enterprise creation, management, information and communication technology, technology development and research, among others.
2. Equal participation and representation
This policy area addresses the question of the balanced participation of women and men in all decision-making bodies both in qualitative (influence) and quantitative terms (gender-balance) with a view to achieving gender equality at all levels. Gender equality requires that women and men are equally present in committees, governments, parliamentary assemblies, managerial posts, trade unions, in public and private bodies and in all institutions of public life, in universities, the judiciary, etc.
Only by having more women in posts of responsibility can they contribute to the creation of policy and have a real and meaningful input into the development of society.
3. Equality in social life
This policy area touches upon the unequal distribution of rights and responsibilities between women and men in relation to working time, leisure, family responsibilities, paid and unpaid work including care work, access to goods and services, housing, transport, health services and social protection.
4. Changing gender roles and stereotypes
This policy area addresses the need to change behaviour, attitudes, norms and values which define and influence gender roles in society through education, the media, arts, culture and science. Elimination of remaining persisting prejudices and societal stereotypes is paramount for the establishment of gender equality.
5. Equality in civil life
This policy area relates to the question of the exercise of fundamental, civil and human rights by all women. With this aim, the law enforcement mechanisms need to be strengthened and further developed, together with a better awareness and training of the legal profession in equality law.
6, 7. Two horizontal strategic objectives
Two areas of major importance: Equality in Community external relations including development and equality in the enlargement process would also be included both as strategic objectives and as horizontal issues integrated into each of the five strategic objectives referred to above.
ACHIEVING THE OBJECTIVES: METHODS AND TOOLS
Policy-making for gender equality needs specific methods, tools and structures that correspond to the structural character of gender inequality. The proposed programme aims to analyse their effectiveness and support the development of new and more efficient ones. Community activities would include co-ordinating activities for national equality policies as well as reinforcement of Community structures to promote gender equality.
In order to meet the strategic and operational objectives it would be necessary to make effective use of the existing instruments and tools and, when and where necessary, to develop new ones. Methods and tools would comprise legislation, networking activities, development of specific structures, awareness-raising campaigns and, last but not least, partnerships between economic, political and social actors.
1. Co-ordination of national gender equality policies
The new Programme would actively encourage the exchange of good practice among the member states with the view to developing common gender equality strategies. This would imply a greater role and responsibility of the Commission Advisory Committee for Equal Opportunities between Women and Men. The Framework Programme would rely on the synergy and complementarity of national actions on gender equality. It would provide encouragement and exchange of good practice for the development and/or the reinforcement of national plans on gender equality by also involving structures such as ombudspersons, inter-ministerial and parliamentary committees on equality, civil society organisations, etc.
2. Reinforcement of Commission Co-ordination Structures
-The Group of Commissioners on Equal Opportunities would play a mayor role in enhancing co-ordination and monitoring of the Commission's gender mainstreaming strategy.
-The Commission Advisory Committee for Equal Opportunities between Women and Men should play a crucial role in supporting the programme's activities regarding the co-ordination of national policies, exchange of approaches, diffusion of best practice, research of synergies etc.
-The Commission's Inter-service Group on Gender Equality would ensure the co-ordination of the actions undertaken by the different Commission Services for the promotion of gender equality. The Group would support the development of gender impact assessments of policies, training of officials, development of indicators, setting targets, measuring results and monitoring progress in all Community policies.
3. Co-ordination structures on gender equality in other European Institutions and inter-institutional co-operation
-The programme will propose the setting up of a gender mainstreaming policy and structure within Council, (following the ideas put forward at the Meeting of Ministers in charge of gender equality, held in Berlin on 14-15 June 1999). This structure would allow for a systematic discussion of subjects dealt with by different Councils, with a gender perspective. This structure would bring gender equality out of the ghetto of dedicated Council meetings centred on "women's issues" and would demonstrate that gender equality affects and benefits both women and men.
-The Programme would also propose the establishment of inter-institutional co-operation on gender equality in order to promote co-operation among European Union institutions, as proposed by the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities of the European Parliament.
TIMETABLE OF PREPARATIONS
-First discussion at Commission services level: Inter-service Group on Gender Equality: 10 January 2000
-Meeting of the Group of Commissioners on Equal Opportunities: 11 January 2000
-Commission orientation debate: 26 January 2000
-Presentation to the European Parliament: 22 February 2000
-Consultation on the web-site: 1 March - 15 April 2000
-Presentation at NGO Forum: 1 March 2000
-Presentation at Liaison Forum with Social Partners: 16 March 2000
-Preparation of formal proposal for adoption by the Commission: 15 April - end May 2000
-Adoption by the Commission: end of first semester 2000
-Opinion of the various relevant European Institutions - Autumn 2000
-Adoption by Council: December 2000 or early 2001