Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a Council Recommendation on the balanced participation of women and men in decision-making (COM(95) 0593 - C4-0081/96 - 95/0308(CNS)) (Consultation procedure)
Date: 1996-05-24
Institutions: Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, European Parliament
Subjects: decision-making, gender equality, participation of women













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51996AP0149

Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a Council Recommendation on the balanced participation of women and men in decision-making (COM(95) 0593 - C4-0081/96 - 95/0308(CNS)) (Consultation procedure)  


Official Journal C 166 , 10/06/1996 P. 0269 





A4-0149/96Proposal for a Council Recommendation on the balanced participation of women and men in decision-making (COM(95)0593 - C4-0081/96 - 95/0308(CNS))The proposal was approved with the following amendments:(Amendment 1)Recital 7>Original text>Whereas the Declaration and the Action Platform of the Fourth World Conference on Women stressed the need to ensure that responsibilities, powers and rights are shared equally, and that the Member States are fully involved in the implementation of the platform for action;>Text following EP vote>Whereas the Declaration and the Action Platform of the Fourth World Conference on Women stressed the need to ensure that responsibilities, powers and rights are shared equally, and that the Member States are fully involved in the implementation of the platform for action; whereas the Platform For Action must be regarded as a minimum to be built upon;(Amendment 2)Recital 8>Original text>Whereas the underrepresentation of women in decision-making bodies is largely a result of the delay in women's attaining equal rights and of obstacles to their gaining economic independence;>Text following EP vote>Whereas the underrepresentation of women in decision-making bodies is largely a result of the delay in women's attaining equal rights and of obstacles to their gaining economic independence, as well as of the difficulty of combining the pursuit of a career with family life;(Amendment 3)Recital 9>Original text>Whereas women are still underrepresented in such bodies, be they public or private, political, administrative, economic, social or cultural;>Text following EP vote>Whereas women are still underrepresented in decision-making bodies, be they public or private, political, administrative, economic, social or cultural;(Amendment 4)Recital 9a (new)>Text following EP vote>Whereas the European Union is a pioneer in the importance it attaches to the establishment of democracy based on equality and whereas it is particularly important, therefore, that it should encourage its Member States to achieve this;(Amendment 5)Recital 10>Original text>Whereas women account for over half the population and balanced participation of women and men in representation and administration of nations is a requirement for democracy;>Text following EP vote>Whereas women account for over half the population and equal participation of women and men in representation and administration of nations is an essential requirement for democracy and for greater identification between Europe's citizens and the institutions that represent them;(Amendment 6)Recital 10a (new)>Text following EP vote>Whereas equality is qualitative as well as quantitative, that is to say that full participation by women in decision-making bodies represents a fundamental, specific contribution to democracy;(Amendment 7)Recital 10b (new)>Text following EP vote>Whereas measures designed to achieve equal participation by women and men in the decision-making process in all sectors must go hand in hand with an awareness of both the particular obstacles which women encounter and the specific qualities they bring to society;(Amendment 8)Recital 11a (new)>Text following EP vote>Whereas the aim of improving women's participation in the decision-making process cannot be divorced from employment policy given the disadvantage to women of continuing segregation in the labour market and the increasing casualization of female labour;(Amendment 9)Recital 11b (new)>Text following EP vote>Whereas segregation exists also in decision-making itself insofar as women who reach decision-making positions are usually found in areas typically considered women's domains;(Amendment 10)Recital 11c (new)>Text following EP vote>Whereas measures aimed at achieving equal participation of women and men in the decision-making process in all sectors must go hand in hand with the goal of mainstreaming a gender perspective into all Community policies;(Amendment 11)Recital 11d (new)>Text following EP vote>Whereas supporting and developing female entrepreneurship and giving women greater access to the professions may be one way of reducing professional segregation and, thereby, promoting greater participation by women in the decision-making process;(Amendment 12)Recital 12>Original text>Whereas a balanced participation of men and women in decision-making is likely to give rise to different ideas, values and behaviour which will result in more justice and equality in the world for both men and women;>Text following EP vote>Whereas a balanced participation of men and women in the decision-making process is likely to give rise to different ideas, values and behaviour which will result in justice and equality in the world for both men and women;(Amendment 13)Recital 13>Original text>Whereas the Member States, the social partners, political parties and organisations, NGOs and the media have a key role to play in creating a society where public and private, economic, political and domestic responsibilities are shared equally by women and men;>Text following EP vote>Whereas the Member States, the social partners, political parties and organizations, NGOs and the media have a key role to play in creating a society in which men and women assume an equal share of responsibilities in the public and private domains and in economic, political and family life (including child care and the non-institutional care of the sick and elderly); whereas this can be achieved through a new gender contract involving structural and attitudinal changes by all actors involved;(Amendment 14)Recital 14>Original text>Whereas, in conformity with the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality as set out in Article 3B of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the aim of the present Recommendation - the balanced participation of women and men in decision-making - can be pursued more effectively by the exchange of information and examples of good practice within a common framework for all Member States; it is therefore appropriate to propose, at Community level, guidelines to promote a balanced representation of women and men in decision- making bodies; whereas the present recommendation is limited to the minimum necessary to obtain this objective and does not exceed what is necessary;>Text following EP vote>Whereas, in conformity with the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality as set out in Article 3b of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the aim of the present Recommendation - the balanced participation of women and men in decision-making - can be pursued more effectively by the exchange of information and examples of good practice within a common framework for all Member States; it is therefore appropriate to propose, at Community level, guidelines to promote balanced participation by women and men in decision-making bodies with a view to achieving equality between women and men; whereas the present recommendation is limited to the minimum necessary to obtain this objective and does not exceed what is necessary;(Amendment 15)Recital 14a (new)>Text following EP vote>Whereas the governments of the Member States pledged in the Platform for Action in Peking (paragraph 190d) 'to review the differential impact of electoral systems on the political representation of women in elected bodies and consider, where appropriate, the adjustment or reform of those systems';(Amendment 16)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 1>Original text>1. Adopt a comprehensive and integrated strategy designed to promote balanced representation of women and men in places of power, influence and decision, and develop or introduce suitable legislative or regulatory measures or incentives to achieve this.>Text following EP vote>1. Adopt a comprehensive and integrated strategy designed to promote balanced participation by women and men in the decision-making process, including balanced participation by men and women at all levels of political, economic and cultural life and the assumption of positions of power, decision, influence and responsibility. To develop and enact legislative and/or regulatory measures or introduce incentive measures in order to achieve this, including positive measures for the benefit of women.(Amendment 17)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 2(a)>Original text>a) Highlight in school textbooks and curricula and in education and training at all levels the role and the contribution of women in society and stress the importance of sharing both public and private responsibilities between women and men,>Text following EP vote>a) Ensure that education and training at all levels - in curricula, school textbooks and the classroom - prepare for and encourage an equal sharing between women and men of both public and domestic responsibilities, including child care and the non-institutionalized care of the elderly and sick, for example through the use of gender-sensitive materials, courses and teaching methods, in order to avoid any stereotyping of gender roles,(Amendment 18)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 2(b)>Original text>b) Take suitable steps so that the image of women and men in the media and advertising neither reinforces nor consolidates unjustified stereotyping of men's and women's responsibilities,>Text following EP vote>b) Take suitable steps to counteract and change unjustified stereotyping of men's and women's responsibilities and the image of women and men presented by the media and advertising,(Amendment 19)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 2(c)>Original text>c) Devise, encourage and propagate public campaigns to alert public opinion to the usefulness and advantages for society as a whole of balanced participation by women and men in decision-making,>Text following EP vote>c) Devise, encourage and propagate public campaigns targeted at men and women to raise awareness of the usefulness and advantages for society as a whole of balanced participation by women and men in decision-making, including inter alia campaigns run in conjunction with elections. Ensure proper evaluation of these campaigns to guarantee their effectiveness,(Amendment 20)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 2(d)>Original text>d) Alert the social partners, political parties and groups, associations and NGOs and the media to the importance of a balance between women and men in decision-making bodies, and encourage them to develop equal opportunities plans with measures to ease access to decision-making for women.>Text following EP vote>d) Alert the social partners, political parties and groups, associations and NGOs and the media to the importance of a balance between women and men in decision-making bodies, and encourage them to develop equal opportunities plans as part of a strategy of mainstreaming with measures to ease access to decision-making for women, by means, among other things, of positive action in favour of women.(Amendment 21)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 3(a)>Original text>a) Develop or promote the production and publication of statistics illustrating how men and women are represented in decision making circles in general and in political and administrative domains, public councils and committees, administrative and management boards at national, regional and local level and in the economy and social and cultural life in particular,>Text following EP vote>a) Develop or promote the production and publication of statistics on a regular basis illustrating how men and women are represented in decision making circles in general and in political and administrative domains, public councils and committees, administrative and management boards at national, regional and local level and in the economy and social and cultural life in particular,(Amendment 22)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 3(b)>Original text>b) Support, develop and encourage quantitative and qualitative studies on women and men in decision-making and especially on the legal, social or cultural obstacles to decision-making for persons of either sex, on ideas and concepts which are likely to enhance the concept of a democratic partnership between women and men and on strategies to bring about equality in decision- making,>Text following EP vote>b) Encourage and develop quantitative and qualitative studies on women and men in the decision-making process. Lay particular stress on studies of the legal, social and/or cultural obstacles standing in the way of access to decision-making positions, on the ideas and concepts which are likely to enhance the concept of a democratic partnership between women and men and on strategies to bring about equality in decision-making,(Amendment 24)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 4(a)>Original text>a) Promote a better balance between women and men at all levels of government,>Text following EP vote>a) Introduce measures to bring about a balance between women and men at all levels of government,(Amendment 25)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 4(b)>Original text>b) Introduce or pursue active measures, such as mentorship activities and target figures, to promote a balance between women and men in political representation at national, regional and local level, including advisory bodies which contribute to public decision-making. Particular attention should be paid to the promotion of a balanced composition in committees, commissions and working groups at national as well as European level,>Text following EP vote>b) Introduce or pursue active measures such as mentorship activities and target figures with timetables and effective monitoring of these targets, to promote women's access to political representation with a view to achieving equal representation of women and men at national, regional and local level, including advisory bodies which contribute to public decision-making, and ensure that all such measures are monitored, documented and evaluated. Particular attention should be paid to the promotion of a balanced composition in committees, commissions and working groups at national as well as European level,(Amendment 26)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 4(ba) (new)>Text following EP vote>ba) Review the differential impact of electoral systems on the political representation of women in elected bodies and consider, where appropriate, the adjustment or reform of these systems,(Amendment 27)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 4(c)>Original text>c) Implement or develop equal opportunities plans for the public sector incorporating the concept of balanced participation in decision-making, and ensure, when recruitment competitions take place, that women and men are, as far as possible, represented equally in the committees responsible for preparing competitions and in the selection boards,>Text following EP vote>c) Implement or develop equal opportunities plans for the public sector incorporating the concept of balanced participation in decision making, and ensure, when recruitment competitions take place, that women and men are represented equally in the committees responsible for preparing competitions and on the selection boards,(Amendment 28)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 4(ca) (new)>Text following EP vote>ca) Appoint equality ombudspersons to oversee the activities set out in paragraphs 4(b) and 4(c) and the implementation of equal opportunities in legislation in general, and to serve as a point of contact so that women may be better informed on their rights,(Amendment 29)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 4(d)>Original text>d) Encourage the private sector to increase the presence of women at all levels of decision-making, notably by the adoption, or within the framework, of equality plans or positive action programmes,>Text following EP vote>d) Encourage the private sector to increase the presence of women at all levels of decision-making, notably by the adoption, or within the framework, of equality plans or positive action programmes, for example by taking account of companies that endeavour to improve the position of women in tendering for public contracts,(Amendment 30)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 4(da) (new)>Text following EP vote>da) Provide funding programmes for the setting up of equality plans in the private sector and their integration into overall company personnel policy,(Amendment 31)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 4(db) (new)>Text following EP vote>db) Provide for programmes and measures to promote female entrepreneurship and give women greater access to the professions,(Amendment 32)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 4(e)>Original text>e) Encourage press, radio and television organisations to adopt measures to promote balanced participation by women and men in production, management and decision-making bodies,>Text following EP vote>e) Encourage press, radio and television organisations to adopt measures to promote equal participation by women and men in production, management and decision-making bodies, as a means of influencing programme content and promoting positive images of women's role in society,(Amendment 33)Recommends that the Member States, Paragraph 4(ea) (new)>Text following EP vote>ea) Encourage equality for women and men in access to, and the exercise of, judicial functions at every level and in every type of court, whether local, regional, national or European,(Amendment 34)Calls on the Commission, Paragraph 2a (new)>Text following EP vote>2a. to review the differential impact of electoral systems on the political representation of women in elected bodies and consider, where appropriate, the adjustment or reform of those systems,(Amendment 35)Calls on the Commission, Paragraph 3>Original text>3. to submit a report to the Council, within three years of adoption of this Recommendation, on progress achieved in implementing it on the basis of information provided by the Member States.>Text following EP vote>3. to submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council, within two years of adoption of this Recommendation and every two years subsequently, on progress achieved in implementing it on the basis of information provided by the Member States.(Amendment 36)Calls on the Commission, Paragraph 3a (new)>Text following EP vote>3a. to propose measures for the Institutions of the Union to set a good example: to initiate an evaluation of how the equality goals so far have been achieved within the Institutions of the Union and to create plans and goals for a balanced participation between men and women in the decision-making process.Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a Council Recommendation on the balanced participation of women and men in decision-making (COM(95)0593 - C4-0081/96 - 95/0308(CNS))(Consultation procedure)The European Parliament,- having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council, COM(95)0593 - 95/0308(CNS),- having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 235 of the EC Treaty (C4-0081/96),- having regard to Rule 58 of its Rules of Procedure,- having regard to the report of the Committee on Women's Rights and the opinion of the Committee on Social Affairs and Employment (A4-0149/96),1. Approves the Commission proposal subject to Parliament's amendments;2. Calls on the Commission to amend its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 189a(2) of the EC Treaty;3. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament;4. Asks to be consulted again should the Council intend to make substantial modifications to the Commission proposal;5. Instructs its President to forward this opinion to the Council and Commission.