Nevertheless, the new draft Treaty is to be welcomed, in particular because it raises the status of the principle of equal treatment and secures the basis for future action on a number of fronts. Now I want to turn to employment, the real heart of my message here today. In November, we saw, finally, the emergence of a fully-formed European employment strategy and its agreement by Heads of State and Government at the special Summit in Luxembourg. This has potentially, huge implications for women in Europe. The Summit recognised that the position of women on the labour market merits particular attention.
Gender gaps persist in and around the world of work.
They show themselves in higher rates of unemployment. Within work the earnings gap is still there. But we know also that demographic trends are telling us that we need yet more and more women in jobs. It is by women taking up a greater share of jobs that the EU can achieve the employment growth that it needs to secure its future, maintain its prosperity and social systems. Since November, the Union now has a convergence process based on agreed, quantified, comparable targets that will lead to more employment and a more effective response to unemployment.