EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 66/23

The situation of women in rural areas of the EU

P6_TA(2008)0094

European Parliament resolution of 12 March 2008 on the situation of women in rural areas of the EU (2007/2117(INI))

(2009/C 66 E/04)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the EC Treaty, and in particular Articles 3 and 13 thereof,

— having regard to Council Decision 2006/144/EC of 20 February 2006 on Community strategic guidelines for rural development (programming period 2007 to 2013) (1),

— having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 of 20 September 2005 on support for rural development by the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (2),

— having regard to Commission Regulation (EC) No 1974/2006 of 15 December 2006 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (3),

— having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 of 21 June 2005 on the financing of the common agricultural policy (4),

— having regard to Council Directive 86/613/EEC of 11 December 1986 on the application of the principle of equal treatment between men and women engaged in an activity, including agriculture, in a self-employed capacity, and on the protection of self-employed women during pregnancy and motherhood (5),

— having regard to Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (6),

— having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds (7),

— having regard to the Council Resolution of 2 December 1996 on mainstreaming equal opportunities for men and women into the European Structural Funds (8),

— having regard to its resolution of 13 March 2003 on the objectives of equality of opportunities between women and men in the use of the Structural Funds (9),

— having regard to the Council Conclusions of 22 July 2003 on employment in rural areas under the European Employment Strategy (10),

— having regard to the ‘Review of the EU's Sustainable Development Strategy (EU SDS) — Renewed Strategy’ (11),

— having regard to the Commission communication to the Spring European Council entitled ‘Working together for growth and jobs. A new start for the Lisbon Strategy’ (COM(2005)0024),

— having regard to the Commission communication entitled ‘Tackling the pay gap between women and men’ (COM(2007)0424),

— having regard to the Commission communication entitled ‘Employment in rural areas: closing the jobs gap’ (COM(2006)0857) and the accompanying Commission staff working document (SEC(2006)1772),

— having regard to the publication ‘Women active in rural development: Assuring the future of rural Europe’ (12),

— having regard to SERA — Study of Employment in Rural Areas 2006,

— having regard to the 2006 Report ‘Rural Development in the European Union — Statistical and Economic Information’,

— having regard to the Conclusions of the Lisbon European Council of 23 and 24 March 2000 on the Lisbon Strategy for employment and growth,

— having regard to the Conclusions of the second European conference on rural development in Salzburg ‘Planting seeds for rural futures — building a policy that can deliver our ambitions’, held on 12 to 14 November 2003,

— having regard to the reports of the European Foundation for Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) on ‘First European Quality of Life Survey: Urban-rural differences’, ‘Social capital and job creation in rural Europe’ and ‘Women's entrepreneurship in rural areas’,

— having regard to Council Decision 2005/600/EC of 12 July 2005 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (13),

— having regard to the Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2007 (14),

— having regard to the European Pact for Gender Equality adopted by the Brussels European Council of 23 and 24 March 2006,

— having regard to its resolution of 25 June 1993 on the assessment of women's unwaged work (15),

— having regard to its resolution of 3 July 2003 on women in rural areas of the European Union in the light of the mid-term review of the common agricultural policy (16), and its resolution of 13 March 2007 on a roadmap for equality between women and men (2006-2010) (17),

— having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (A6-0031/2008),

A. whereas, from a European perspective, rural areas (18) are dealt with via the common agricultural policy (CAP); whereas this resolution deals with the second pillar of the CAP, i.e. rural development, and whereas, however, social and economic policies must also be taken into consideration,

B. whereas one of the major rural development policy objectives of the European Union is to enhance the quality of life in rural areas and to promote diversification of economic activities,

C. whereas making rural areas more attractive requires the promotion of sustainable, integrated growth and the generation of new employment opportunities, particularly for women and young people, as well as the provision of high-quality health and social services,

D. whereas the economic and social changes that rural areas are undergoing do not affect all women in the same way, offering opportunities to some and causing very serious challenges to, and problems for, others,

E. whereas the Lisbon targets on generating growth and promoting the social market economy can only be met by making full use of the significant potential of women in the labour market in both rural and urban areas,

F. whereas women's labour is often regarded as an unlimited natural resource to be exploited and whereas, furthermore, the inequitable segregation of the labour market is becoming ever more rigid,

G. whereas, for both men and women, employment rates are lower in rural areas, and, additionally, a lot of women are never active in the official labour market and, therefore, are neither registered as unemployed nor included in unemployment statistics; whereas rural areas are badly affected by the lack of high-quality employment opportunities,

H. whereas the implementation of Directive 86/613/ΕEC has not been effective nor fulfilled the original objectives of the Directive, in particular that of improving the status of assisting spouses,

I. whereas many women in rural areas are engaged in occupations which are comparable to a professional activity but are not recognised, protected or paid as such,

J. whereas only a small number of women are the owners of farms — typically small-sized economic operations with low profitability — and most women in rural areas work alongside their male companions (fathers, brothers or husbands), who have exclusive property rights to the farm in question (agriculture or stockbreeding),

K. whereas situations in rural areas vary considerably, both between the Member States and within individual Member States, and whereas, therefore, rural areas with differing development potential all have to be given adequate support, as do the people living in those areas,

L. whereas rural areas can offer a high quality of life for families with children and for elderly people, but still posit a wide range of challenges, such as a lack of education and training infrastructureat all levels and inadequate social services networks without, for example, a sufficient number of appropriate child-care facilities, outreach services and care for elderly or sick people or those with disabilities, as well as facing pressure from ongoing agricultural restructuring and environmental protection measures,

M. whereas the significant contribution made by women to local and community development is inadequately reflected in their participation in the relevant decision-making processes,

N. whereas women mostly volunteer for work within and in relation to their families, and the family is the fundamental social unit,

O. whereas rural areas are particularly affected by ageing populations, low population density and, in some areas, depopulation,

P. whereas the emigration of females in economically active age groups continues to result in a degree of ‘masculinisation’ of the rural population, with negative consequences for the quality of life of the community and demographic trends,

Q. whereas women in rural areas, in particular, spend a lot of time driving their children and other family members to doctors, schools and sports and whereas young people are disadvantaged by the lack of local public transport services and therefore have fewer opportunities to find vocational training or work,

R. whereas the obstacles to access to information and communication technologies are greater in rural areas, especially for women,

S. whereas rural areas offer real opportunities in term of their potential for growth in new sectors and the provision of rural amenities, craft activities and tourism, which are mostly run by women and are a significant economic factor for underdeveloped, but scenically interesting, areas,

T. whereas more consideration should be given to gender budgeting with a view to effective governance of rural development programmes and, in particular, better targeting of funding at the specific needs of women in such areas,

U. whereas the elimination of inequalities and the promotion of equal opportunities for men and women are prime objectives of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999,

1. Is convinced that mainstreaming gender into the rural sector is a key strategy not only for the promotion of equality between women and men but also for economic growth and sustainable rural development;

2. Calls on the Commission to improve statistical data and information as regards this phenomenon and to analyse the patterns of, main reasons for and consequences of emigration from rural areas in the EU; calls on the Member States to develop strategies aimed at curbing emigration of women from rural areas, especially those who are highly educated;

3. Calls on the Member States, in collaboration with regional and local government and business, to create incentives to improve the level of education and training of women and promote their participation in the labour force, in particular by getting rid of any discrimination against women on the labour market, with the aim of addressing the problem of poverty and social exclusion in rural areas; notes that poverty is widespread in rural communities, especially in the new Member States;

4. Calls on the Member States to adopt suitable measures for self-employed women with regard to maternity and sick leave;

5. Calls on the Commission to provide statistics on poverty and social exclusion disaggregated not only by gender and age but also by the urban/rural dimension;

6. Calls on the Member States to support the transition from agricultural-based rural areas to rural areas with broader economic bases;

7. Calls on the Member States to implement policies to improve the general living conditions of women in rural areas with a special focus on women who are disabled, victims of gender-related violence, immigrants, members of ethnic minorities or subject to various forms of discrimination, and to safeguard the future of rural areas by offering accessible rural services, such as postal services, broadband and new applied-technology services, cultural and sports centres, fire brigades and general public services;

8. Calls on the European Union institutions, the Member States and the regional and local authorities to facilitate access to information and communication technologies in the countryside, and to foster equal opportunities as regards that access, through policies and activities aimed at women in rural areas;

9. Calls on the Member States to promote women's entrepreneurship, support female business networks, such as tutoring/coaching models or alliances of female entrepreneurs, and design initiatives targeted at improving the entrepreneurial attitude, skills and capabilities of women in rural areas and to promote women's representation on the managerial bodies of enterprises and associations;

10. Calls on the European Union institutions, the Member States and the regional and local authorities to support projects to promote — and business start-up advice for — the creation of innovative primary agricultural production enterprises in rural areas that are apt to provide new jobs taken up predominantly by women, with the main spheres of action being unused or under-utilised products, adding value to agricultural products and seeking sales outlets for these, the use of new technologies and contributing to the economic diversification of the area and the provision of services enabling the reconciliation of working and family life;

11. Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to increase financing for innovative measures for women in rural areas; calls on the Commission to set up Leader networking projects for the exchange of experiences and best practice;

12. Stresses the need to give the greatest possible value to women's work, including that of immigrant women, who do not belong to families owning farms and provide labour in the fields, and are especially affected by the difficulties related to their position as women in the world of agriculture;

13. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to take account of the substantial group of — usually female — partners assisting with farming and in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), who, in many Member States, suffer from a lack of legal status, which leads to specific financial and legal problems in relation to the right to maternity and sick leave, the acquisition of pension rights and access to social security, as well as in the event of divorce;

14. Calls on the Member States to develop the legal construct of shared ownership, in order to ensure that women's rights in the agricultural sector are fully recognised, appropriate protection in the field of social security and recognition of their work;

15. Calls on the Member States to provide ideological and financial support for unremunerated work and voluntary work; highlights the important social tasks that women's associations perform in this regard; calls, nevertheless, for structural changes that allow women greater access to active paid employment;

16. Points out that women in rural areas are more affected by hidden unemployment than men due to traditional role models and the poor endowment of many areas with the appropriate infrastructure, such as childcare facilities;

17. Calls on the Member States, in cooperation with regional authorities, to encourage the establishment of regional resource centres for women, particularly those between the ages of 25 and 60 who face unemployment, and to support them in taking steps towards self-employment or in developing services within their own communities through grassroots consultation and needs assessment;

18. Calls on the Member States to improve education and training facilities and to promote the development of social service networks for childcare and care for the elderly, sick and disabled, as a vehicle for the reconciliation of men and women's working, family and personal lives in rural areas; calls also for the improvement of health services, especially the availability of primary health care; calls on the Member States to assure the provision of paramedical and emergency doctors' services in rural areas;

19. Draws attention to the strong taboos surrounding sexual and/or domestic violence against women and girls in rural areas; calls on the Member States to take appropriate measures to ensure better protection of and support for of victims and those at risk of becoming victims of such violence;

20. Urges the Member States to address the lack of good transport infrastructure in rural areas and to develop positive policies to improve access to transport for all, particularly disabled persons, as transport continues to be a factor in entrenching social exclusion and inequality in society, primarily affecting women;

21. Calls on the Commission, in the framework of the revision of rural development programmes, to closely monitor the integration of the gender perspective into the rural development programmes submitted by the Member States;

22. Welcomes, in this connection, ESF/EQUAL projects which seek to highlight and improve the position of women within agriculture and in rural areas; calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote such projects within the European Union;

23. Calls on the Member States to support companies that invest in rural areas and offer high-quality employment to women;

24. Calls on the EU institutions, the Member States and regional and local authorities to encourage the holding of fora for the exchange of knowledge or similar activities, both nationally and internationally, specifically regarding the situation of women in rural areas;

25. Points to the fact that women are under-represented in formal rural or regional leadership positions, despite the fact that they play an important role in the ‘informal’ community, where women often play an essential social role by influencing the emergence of social capital through their involvement in informal local networks (e.g. in the framework of voluntary community work or various thematic associations);

26. Calls on the relevant national, regional and local authorities to encourage the participation of women in local action groups and the development of local partnerships under the Leader axis, as well as to ensure gender-balanced participation on their management boards;

27. Regrets the fact that the Commission has not responded to Parliament's above-mentioned resolution of 3 July 2003 by undertaking a radical revision of Directive 86/613/ΕEC, despite the fact that the Commission itself acknowledges that the application of that directive to date has been ineffective and that minimal progress has been made in recognising the work of, and providing adequate protection for, assisting spouses of persons engaged in self-employed or agricultural activity in the Member States; calls again on the Commission to submit, by the end of 2008, a proposal for a revised directive providing for independent social and pension rights for women assisting on agricultural holdings and women assisting in SMEs;

28. Deeply regrets, moreover, the fact that the Commission has yet to make any practical response to Parliament's previous resolutions on the situation of spouses assisting persons engaged in self-employed activities, which included calls for: — compulsory registration of assisting spouses so that they are no longer invisible workers; — the obligation for Member States to take the necessary measures to ensure that assisting spouses are able to take out insurance cover for health care, retirement pension, maternity benefit and replacement services and disability benefits;

29. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions, and to the executive and elective bodies responsible for equal opportunities at local, regional, and national level in the Member States.

(1) OJ L 55, 25.2.2006, p. 20.

(2) OJ L 277, 21.10.2005, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 368, 23.12.2006, p. 15.

(4) OJ L 209, 11.8.2005, p. 1.

(5) OJ L 359, 19.12.1986, p. 56.

(6) OJ L 204, 26.7.2006, p. 23.

(7) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1.

(8) OJ C 386, 20.12.1996, p. 1.

(9) OJ C 61 E, 10.3.2004, p. 370.

(10) OJ C 186, 6.8.2003, p. 3.

(11) Council document 10117/06, 9.6.2006.

(12) Directorate-General for Agriculture, European Commission 2000.

(13) OJ L 205, 6.8.2005, p. 21.

(14) Council document 6694/07, 23.2.2007.

(15) OJ C 194, 19.7.1993, p. 389.

(16) OJ C 74 E, 24.3.2004, p. 882.

(17) OJ C 301 E, 13.12.2007, p. 56.

(18) The definition of rural areas applied in this resolution was drawn up in the context of Decision 2006/144/EC. The Commission has consistently used the OECD methodology. The OECD methodology is based on population density (OECD, Creating rural indicators for shaping territorial policy, Paris, 1994). It is based on a two-step approach: First, local units (e.g. municipalities) are identified as rural if their population density is below 150 inhabitants per square kilometre. Then, regions (e.g. NUTS 3 or NUTS 2), are classified in one of the 3 categories:

— Predominantly Rural region (PR): if more than 50 % of the population of the region is living in rural communes (with less than 150 inhabitants/km2)

— Intermediate Region (IR): if 15 % to 50 % of the population of the region is living in rural local units

— Predominantly Urban region (PU): if less than 15 % of the population of the region is living in rural local units.

The 1 284 NUTS 3 regions of the EU-27 are broadly evenly divided between the three rural-urban categories. The Commission is currently undertaking work on alternative definitions that better reflect the diversity of significantly rural areas, including peri-urban areas.