[Brussels, 16 February 2012] Ahead of the meeting of the Employment and Social Affairs Ministers of EU member states (EPSCO Council) of 17 February, the EWL sends eight key messages on Annual Growth Survey 2012 and makes concrete recommendations for integrating the missing gender dimension in the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
In March 2011, the minister adopted the European Pact for Gender Equality 2011-2020, inviting all parties to integrate a gender perspective to the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy. The EWL regrets that the Commission did not follow this invitation in drafting the Annual Growth Survey 2012, the document that sets the broad guidelines for the annual implementation cycle. To bridge this gap and to contribute to the ‘European Semester’ process, the EWL proposes the following recommendations to ensure that gender equality is central to the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
EWL eight key messages
- Gender is a structural macroeconomic factor, not an issue of discrimination or a minority issue.
- EU’s macroeconomic reality is strongly gendered particularly with regards to employment, growth, innovation, demographic developments, poverty and social exclusion.
- Short sighted austerity measures have long term repercussions for employment, innovation, growth, demographic developments, poverty and social exclusion. Women’s situation in Europe is getting worse because of the impact of the crisis and subsequent austerity measures.
- Growth and innovation can only happen when all of the talent pool is included. This requires removing persistent obstacles to women’s equal participation and representation, taking into account all different groups of women.
- Facilitating female labour market participation requires addressing entrenched gender gaps, with regards to: pay, care, labour-market segregation and patterns of work, economic decision-making.
- The full potential for growth and innovation is undermined by the underuse of and highly educated female talent pool.
- Demographic trends depend on valuing care and meeting commitments, particular reaching the Barcelona Targets on childcare, commitments for the care of elderly and/or dependent family members and support to independent living.
- The impact of pension reforms in the absence of a gender equality perspective directly effects women’s economic independence and the feminisation of poverty and social exclusion.
Download the full statement here below to find out more:
ewl epsco council key messages annual growth survey 2012 16 02 12 2
Attached documents
