No C 206/38 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 8. 84 
Opinion on the draft Council resolution concerning action to combat unemployment 
amongst women 
(84/C 206/12) 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the Euro­
pean Communities No C 65 of 6 March 1984, page 8. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 11 March 1984 the Council of the European Communities, acting under Article 
198 of the Treaty establishing the EEC, asked the Economic and Social Committee for 
an opinion on the abovementioned matter. 
Procedure: 
The Section for Social Questions was instructed to prepare the Committee's work on 
the matter. The Section adopted its opinion on 10 May 1984. The rapporteur was Mrs 
Weber. 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Committee adopted the opinion set out below at its 217th plenary session held on 
23 and 24 May 1984, meeting of 23 May. The voting was 83 in favour,' 21 against and 
eight abstentions. 
General comments 
The Committee welcomes the draft resolution. 
In view of the fact that unemployment amongst 
women in the EC is significantly higher than male 
unemployment and as particular categories of 
women (e.g. young women, unmarried mothers and 
immigrants) are especially badly affected, the Com­
mittee expressed in its earlier opinions on equal 
treatment for men and women (') its approval of the 
fact that positive measures were to be taken to 
improve the promotion of equality of opportunity 
for women. 
Whilst recognizing that it will only be possible to 
effect a gradual reduction in unemployment 
(') OJ No C 408, 26. 7. 1974, p. 7: Approximation of the 
legal provisions of the Member States with regard to 
the implementation of the principle of equal remuner­
ation of men and women set out in Article 119 of the 
EEC Treaty; 
OJ No C 286, 15. 12. 1975: Implementation of the 
principle of equality of treatment for men and women 
with regard to access to employment, vocational train­
ing and promotion in relation to working conditions; 
OJ No C 178, 15. 7. 1982, p. 22: New Community ac­
tion programme to promote equality of treatment for 
women, 1982 to 1985. amongst women if overall unemployment levels are 
brought down, the Committee would nonetheless 
draw attention to the following factors: 
— it is women's jobs, in particular, which are lost 
as a result of the introduction of the new tech­
nologies, 
— when there is an upturn in the economy women 
are less readily able to find new jobs than men, 
— economies in the public sector have led to 
large-scale cuts in jobs in family-support ser­
vices thus making it generally more difficult for 
women to take up gainful employment, 
— women who have devoted a number of years to 
family duties have particular difficulty in 
resuming working careers, 
— the small number of occupations in which parti­
cularly large numbers of young girls and women 
are employed present relatively poor prospects. 
Special programmes and other measures are there­
fore required, in addition to general measures to 
promote growth, in order to tackle unemployment 
amongst women. If these measures are to have a 
lasting success they must take account of the parti­
cular features of unemployment amongst women. 
The Committee also calls upon the Council to adopt 
without delay the proposal for a Directive submitted 
6.8.84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 206/39 
by the Commission as part of the new action pro­
gramme on equal opportunities. This proposal con­
cerns parental leave and leave for family reasons. 
Specific comments 
Page 1: Penultimate recital 
The Committee proposes that this recital be 
amended to read as follows: 
'Whereas the progressive reduction of the rate of 
female unemployment can only achieve a last­
ing success if it forms part of a general reduc­
tion in unemployment.' 
Page 1: Final recital 
This recital should be amended to read as follows: 
'Whereas programmes and other measures 
designed to achieve this goal must take account 
of the special characteristics of female unem­
ployment if they are to avoid failure.' 
Page 2: Point 2, second indent 
This indent should be amended to read as follows: 
'the extension of equal opportunities to men 
and women on the labour market and in voca­
tional training; the granting of special consider­
ation to women in the context of measures to 
stimulate economic recovery and to promote 
employment.' 
Page 2: Point 3.3.1, first indent 
The Committee proposes that this indent be 
amended to read as follows: 
'... benefit young women. Such action is also 
necessary to make it easier for young women to 
take up non-traditional jobs.' 
This amendment is necessary in order to make it 
clear that measures to promote the recruitment of 
young people, in particular, young women, must not 
be the only measures employed to help women gain 
access to non-traditional jobs. Adequate steps must 
be taken to promote the recruitment of women into 
other jobs. Page 2: Point 3.3.1, third indent 
The words 'more balanced' should be replaced by 
'balanced'. 
In this context and elsewhere the use of the word 
'balanced' should be taken to imply that the long-
term goal should be to achieve an optimal propor­
tion of women in the industries of the future. The 
minimum objective should be to achieve a propor­
tion which corresponds to the proportion of women 
in the overall working population (37 % in Europe). 
Page 2: Point 3.3.1, fourth indent 
A full stop should be placed after the words 'its own 
employees'. The indent should then continue as fol­
lows: 
'It should set an example in this respect in parti­
cular in those fields in which the new informa­
tion technologies are being used.' 
The Committee considers that this amendment 
should be made in order to ensure that the public 
sector does not concentrate its efforts to promote 
equality of opportunity exclusively on those fields 
in which the new information technologies are used. 
One practical way in which equality of opportunity 
could be promoted would be by giving preference to 
female applicants for public sector jobs in cases 
where both male and female applicants had equiva­
lent qualifications. 
Page 2: Point 3.3.1, fifth indent 
This indent should be reworded to read as follows: 
'all initiatives designed to reduce and reorganize 
working time should make a positive contribu­
tion to the promotion of equal opportunity in 
employment.' 
Page 2: Point 3.3.1, sixth indent 
This indent should be amended to read as follows: 
'voluntary part-time work should be extended in 
such a way as to minimize segregation of the 
sexes in the labour market.' 
This could be achieved by also offering the possibil­
ity of working part-time to men and making such an 
offer attractive by, for example, extending part-time 
No C 206/40 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 8. 84 
working to the more highly-skilled occupations. In 
this area too, the public sector could give a lead. 
Page 3: Point 3.2, second indent 
This indent should be amended to read as follows in 
order to make it clearer: 
'enabling women to bring their qualifications 
more into line with the requirements of the 
labour market in order to offer better job pros­
pects to (a) women workers particularly badly 
hard hit by industrial restructuring and innova­
tion, (b) unemployed women and (c) women 
wishing to resume employment; measures in 
this field must take the greatest possible account 
of the personal interests of the women con­
cerned.' 
Page 3: Point 3.2, third indent 
The expression 'better balance' should be replaced 
by 'balance'. 
Page 3: Point 3.3 
The phrase 'in particular through the presence, 
(fourth line) should be deleted and replaced by a 
new sentence to read as follows: 
'There is a particular need for staff playing a 
specific promotional and monitoring role in this 
area.' The following sentence should be added at the end 
of this point: 
'There is also a need for general measures to 
secure equal opportunities for women in the 
organization of the placement services with a 
view to providing equal opportunities for 
women. These measures could include the 
establishment of common lists of job-seekers for 
men and women.' 
The purpose of this amendment is to make it clear 
that the role of the personnel is not limited to pro­
viding individual counselling. They must also show 
greater expertise in dealing with the special prob­
lems of unemployed women. 
Page 4: Point 6 
This point should be amended to read as follows: 
'The Council stresses the importance of accom­
panying measures, especially regarding social 
infrastructure, and all measures to encourage 
greater sharing of family and occupational tasks 
and responsibilities; it invites Member States to 
adopt the measures and develop the action 
necessary in this respect.' 
The following sentence should be added: 
'In the Council's view there is a need for studies 
to be carried out into the consequences which 
the long periods of absence of husbands and 
fathers have on the way in which occupational, 
family and social tasks are apportioned.' 
Done at Brussels, 23 May 1984. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francis CEYRAC 
APPENDIX 
to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee 
Rejected amendments 
The following amendments to the Section opinion, tabled in accordance with the Rules of Proce­
dure, were rejected during the Committee's debate: 
The fifth paragraph ('The Section also calls upon the Council . . .') should be deleted. 
Reasons: 
It seems inappropriate for the Section to express its views on this proposal for a Directive when 
the Committee is still in the process of being consulted on the matter. 
6.8.84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 206/41 
Voting: 
Votes in favour: 50, votes against: 54, abstentions: 6. 
Page 2: point 3.3.1 — third indent: 
The last sentence (The minimum objective should be to achieve a proportion ...') should be 
deleted. 
Reasons 
Given sectoral diversification and stratification it is not possible to say that the average propor­
tion of women in the overall working population should be such and such a figure (or in reality a 
'quota'). In some sectors, such as micro-electronics, the proportion of women in employment 
may be much higher whilst in other sectors, e.g. the construction of flexible workshops, or in civil 
and space aviation, it is bound to be lower. 
Voting: 
Votes in favour: 47, votes against: 64, abstentions: 6. 
Delete from 'Page 2: Point 3.3.1, fifth indent' to '... equal opportunity in employment.' 
Reasons: 
The reduction of working time is determined by the apportionment of productivity gains. The 
reorganization of working time depends on the characteristics of the sectors of production and 
their sensitivity vis-a-vis international competition. Both are, however, independent of the com­
position of each sector's workforce (e.g.: food industry — large proportion of women; iron and 
steel industry and chemical industry — smaller proportion of women). 
The promotion of equal opportunity in employment cannot and must not therefore be linked 
with the reduction and reorganization of working time, because this is a separate matter. 
Voting: 
Votes in favour: 43, votes against: 61, abstentions: 6. 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Directive on the approximation of the laws of the 
Member States relating to the noise emission of rail-mounted vehicles 
(84/C 206/13) 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the 
European Communities No C 354 of 29 December 1983, page 4. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 20 December 1983 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Com­
mittee, under Article 100 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Com­
munity, on the abovementioned matter.