[Brussels, 16 March 2011] The EWL has issued a Statement in the aftermath of the Council of the EU’s adoption last week of a new Pact for Gender Equality 2011-2020. While welcoming the renewed commitment of the Member States to the fulfilment of the EU Treaty ambitions in relation to equality between women and men, the EWL regrets that no binding concrete measures, including targets, are foreseen in the Pact, except the renewed commitment to the Barcelona childcare objectives.
In its Statement, the EWL also regrets that the issue of equality between women and men is approached through a predominantly economic perspective, without attention to a framework of human rights. While recognising the importance of the economic impact of inequalities, the EWL recalls the final aim of reaching equality between women and men and guaranteeing women’s rights and human rights for all, ensuring dignity, democracy justice and integrity.
Focus welcome on integration of gender equality in implementation of Europe 2020 economic reform strategy
With the economic focus, the EWL welcomes the requests made in the Gender Pact to integrate gender equality in the implementation of Europe 2020: A European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, and asks for these commitments must be put into practice immediately.
The need for dual approach of gender maintreaming and specific measures
The EWL welcomes the commitment to the reinforcement of the gender mainstreaming strategy but stresses the need for a dual approach of gender mainstreaming and specific measures to compensate for and eliminate inequalities between women and men is needed.
Issues covered by the Pact
The EWL welcomes that the issue of violence against women, not addressed previous Gender Pact, is mentioned in the new document, the but regrets that some issues are completely absent from the Gender such as issues of social protection and notably pensions, health, human rights, media or the environment.
The need for monitoring and evaluation
Finally, the EWL hopes that mechanisms will be put in place, in order to ensure monitoring of progress and evaluation of the implementation of the Gender Pact.
The EWL document also comments in more detail on the different sections of the Pact, regarding governance, labour market, conciliation of private and working life and violence against women.
