Mr President, equality of opportunity between men and women has been enshrined in Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty of Amsterdam and is now one of the objectives which the European Union will have to take into account in all Community policies. The presence of women in the scientific field has increased considerably in recent years, but is still insufficient. The presence of women in universities, in all fields, has increased, but in the subjects which we would essentially call ‘scientific’ – such as mathematics, information technology, engineering and architecture – they are still under-represented. This is aggravated by the fact that, after finishing their studies with good results, in most cases they do not pursue a scientific career fundamentally because of the difficulties this gives rise to. On the one hand, this is because of the organisation of the development of the scientific profession and also because of the difficulty of reconciling professional life with family life. Therefore, it seems to us to be especially important that the Commission has the will to defend the participation of women in the scientific field, in specific programmes, although what we consider to be really important is their participation in the context of the fifth framework programme for technological research and development for 1998-2002. Measures for the integration of women should be adopted in the specific programmes which I mentioned earlier. Through their contribution to research, women can offer all their own qualities which will doubtless enrich the scientific world. Balanced participation should be promoted, with the aim of equal participation, without forgetting that full professional qualifications are essential. The promotion of women in this field must start with the more specifically scientific universities and in the subsequent continuation of professional careers. The employment of young female researchers should be promoted by means of the Marie Curie grants, which should be granted in sufficient numbers. Women must participate at all levels of consultation and decision making, and not only in scientific investigation, since the objective is enrichment and complementarity. The participation of women in science should be promoted from school age, and particularly in information technology, since this is enormously important in terms of accessing other scientific fields, not only in the European Union, but also in the associated countries and in the under-developed areas where Union programmes are being carried out. From school age, women should be helped to participate in the scientific world and in new technologies. A greater presence of women in the scientific world should reflect the importance of the participation of women in all areas of the social sphere. A greater presence of women in the fifth and sixth framework programmes will be an example of the equality between men and women, easing their incorporation into a sector in which they have been traditionally under-represented. It will be necessary to perfect the reconciliation between professional and family lives, since this is essential to a greater presence of women in positions of responsibility. In Parliament, and particularly in the Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities – we will continue to work towards these fundamental objectives in order to achieve a better balance in society.

Political group: PPE-DE