Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Framework Strategy on Gender Equality - Work Programme for 2001
Date: 2001-03-02
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, European social policy, action programme, civil law, gender equality, labour market, participation of women, political representation

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 2.3.2001
COM(2001) 119 final

&20081,&$7,21(cid:3))520(cid:3)7+((cid:3)&200,66,21
72(cid:3)7+((cid:3)&281&,/(cid:3)$1’(cid:3)7+((cid:3)(8523($1(cid:3)3$5/,$0(17

)UDPHZRUN(cid:3)6WUDWHJ\(cid:3)RQ(cid:3)*HQGHU(cid:3)(TXDOLW\
:RUN(cid:3)3URJUDPPH(cid:3)IRU(cid:3)(cid:21)(cid:19)(cid:19)(cid:20)

,(cid:3)(cid:16)(cid:3),QWURGXFWLRQ

The  EU  has  a  long-standing  commitment  to  promoting  gender  equality,  enshrined  in  the
Treaty  since  1957.  To  further  this  policy,  the  Commission  adopted,  in  June  2000,  the
Community Framework Strategy on Gender Equality1.

The Community work towards gender equality in the period 2001 to 2005 will take the form
of  a  comprehensive  strategy  which  will  embrace  all  Community  policies  in  their  efforts  to
promote gender equality. In this time period, the Commission will, through the involvement
of all Commission services, progressively work to achieve the goals set out in the Framework
Strategy.

The  Framework  Strategy  unites  and  co-ordinates  the  different  initiatives  and  programmes
across  the  Commission  under  a  single  umbrella,  around  clear  assessment  criteria,  gender
proofing and evaluation, monitoring tools and the setting of benchmarks. This new approach
raises the profile of the range  of  existing Community activities  for the promotion of  gender
equality,  and  ensures  their  global  consistency  by  identifying  overlaps  thus  optimising
efficiency and visibility inside and outside the Commission.

The  Strategy  is  underpinned  by  an  annual  work  programme  the  objective  of  which  is  to
identify and bring together the priority actions that each service develops every year, with the
aim of:

– 

– 

– 

translating  idealistic  ultimate  goals,  as  spelt  out  in  the  framework  strategy,  into
realistic and measurable stages or phases,

facilitating  the  measurement  of  progress  in  the  implementation  of  the  framework
strategy and the continuous internal evaluation,

constituting  the  basis  for  reporting  and  increasing  visibility  with  regard  to  the
Commission's commitment to gender equality.

The gender equality work programme includes pro-active interventions, i.e. adjusting policies
by  applying  gender  mainstreaming  and/or  reactive  interventions  by  implementing  concrete
actions  designed  to  improve  the  situation  of  women  in  society.  The  targets  of  each
Commission service are therefore split between achievements dedicated to the integration of a
gender perspective in policy initiatives and specific actions addressed to women.

As the annual work programme is prepared jointly by Commission services, the pledges made
by  each  service  will  be  used  as  the  performance  indicators  for  that  service  .  Progress  and
achievements are monitored by the Commissioner's Group on Equal Opportunities, supported
by the inter-service  group  on  equal  opportunities. The  "Annual Report on Gender  Equality"
will report on the achievements each year.

,,(cid:3)(cid:16)(cid:3))LHOGV(cid:3)RI(cid:3)LQWHUYHQWLRQ(cid:3)RI(cid:3)WKH(cid:3))UDPHZRUN(cid:3)6WUDWHJ\

The Framework Strategy encompasses the following fields of intervention:

1

Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  Council,  the  European  Parliament,  the  Economic  and
Social Committee and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  towards  a  "Community  Framework  Strategy  on
Gender Equality (2001-2005) COM(2000) 335 final.

2

                                                
(cid:20)(cid:17)(cid:3)

352027,1*(cid:3)*(1’(5(cid:3)(48$/,7<(cid:3),1(cid:3)(&2120,&(cid:3)/,)(

This area focuses on the gender gaps in the labour market and the ways to tackle them. The
aims are to increase the employment rate of women, to reduce the unemployment rates among
women,  the  gender  segregation  of  the  labour  market  and  to  significantly  reduce  the  gender
pay gap which still remains at 20%.

(cid:21)(cid:17)(cid:3)

352027,1*(cid:3)(48$/(cid:3)3$57,&,3$7,21(cid:3)$1’(cid:3)5(35(6(17$7,21

This  area  covers  the  lack  of  women’s  participation  in  decision-making  bodies.  The  actions
include strategies and instruments to promote women political, economic and social decision-
making at all levels, including activities in external relations and development co-operation.

(cid:22)(cid:17)(cid:3)

352027,1*(cid:3)(48$/(cid:3)$&&(66(cid:3)$1’(cid:3))8//(cid:3)(1-2<0(17(cid:3)2)(cid:3)62&,$/(cid:3)5,*+76(cid:3))25(cid:3):20(1
$1’(cid:3)0(1

Here,  the  objective  is  to  effectively  apply  gender  mainstreaming  to  all  policy  areas  which
have  an  impact  on  women’s  daily  life  such  as  transport,  public  health  and  the  fight  against
discrimination  on  other  grounds,  to  continue  to  improve  the  application  of  Community
legislation,  in  particular  on  social  protection  and  in  the  areas  of  parental  leave,  maternity
protection and working  time and  to  find  ways  and  means  of  more  easily  reconciling  family
and working life.

(cid:23)(cid:17)(cid:3)

352027,1*(cid:3)*(1’(5(cid:3)(48$/,7<(cid:3),1(cid:3)&,9,/(cid:3)/,)(

This  area  covers  the  enforcement  of  human  rights  of  women  through  promotion  of  human
rights  of  women,  enforcement  of  equal  opportunity  rights  and  strengthen  the  fight  against
gender-related violence and trafficking in women.

(cid:24)(cid:17)(cid:3)

352027,1*(cid:3)&+$1*((cid:3)2)(cid:3)*(1’(5(cid:3)52/(6(cid:3)$1’(cid:3)67(5(27<3(6

The objective is to overcomestereotyped images of women and men and the need to change
behaviour, attitudes, norms and values to take account of the evolution of the roles of men and
women  in  society.  The  actions  cover  gender  mainstreaming  in  particular  in  education,
training, culture, science, media, youth and sports policies.
,,,(cid:3)(cid:16)(cid:3)3ULRULW\(cid:3)DFWLRQV(cid:3)IRU(cid:3)(cid:21)(cid:19)(cid:19)(cid:20)

Besides policy-specific initiatives, the following priority actions will be  implemented  by  all
Commission services:

– 

– 

Conduct  gender impact  assessment  of  selected  policy  areas,  which  have  up  to  now
not  been  gender  mainstreamed,  i.e.  to  take  in  to  account  the  potentially  different
impact  on  men  and  women  respectively  of  policies  which  appear  on  the  face  as
gender  neutral.  This  would  be  done  as  part  of  the  H[(cid:16)DQWH  policy  analysis  and
planning stage and at the implementation and evaluation stages.

Since  gender  impact  assessment  implies  gender  desegregated  data  in  the  relevant
policy  area,  each  service  will  collect  gender  desegregated  data  and  systematicly
breakdown by gender all statistics with information on individuals.

3

– 

Insert in all calls for proposals and expressions of interest a reference to the gender
equality  policy  of  the  Community  and  that  women  are  particularly  encouraged  to
submit  proposals  /  expressions  of  interest  or  to  be  involved  in  their  submission.
Wording  such  as  "7KH(cid:3) (XURSHDQ(cid:3) &RPPXQLW\(cid:3) KDV(cid:3) WKH(cid:3) WDVN(cid:3) WR(cid:3) SURPRWH(cid:3) HTXDOLW\
EHWZHHQ(cid:3) ZRPHQ(cid:3) DQG(cid:3) PHQ(cid:3) DQG(cid:3) VKDOO(cid:3) DLP(cid:3) LQ(cid:3) DOO(cid:3) LWV(cid:3) DFWLYLWLHV(cid:3) WR(cid:3) HOLPLQDWH(cid:3) JHQGHU
LQHTXDOLWLHV(cid:3) (cid:11)DUWLFOHV(cid:3) (cid:21)(cid:3) DQG(cid:3) (cid:22)(cid:3) RI(cid:3) WKH(cid:3) (&(cid:3) 7UHDW\(cid:12)(cid:17)(cid:3) ,Q(cid:3) WKLV(cid:3) FRQWH[W(cid:15)(cid:3) ZRPHQ(cid:3) DUH
SDUWLFXODUO\(cid:3) HQFRXUDJHG(cid:3) WR(cid:3) HLWKHU(cid:3) VXEPLW(cid:3) SURSRVDOV(cid:3) RU(cid:3) WR(cid:3) EH(cid:3) LQYROYHG(cid:3) LQ(cid:3) WKHLU
VXEPLVVLRQ."

,9(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:16)(cid:3)*HQGHU(cid:3)EDODQFH(cid:3)LQ(cid:3)FRPPLWWHHV(cid:3)DQG(cid:3)H[SHUW(cid:3)JURXSV

The  implementation  of  Commission  Decision  2000/407/EC  of  19  June  20002  to  improve
gender balance in committees and expert groups is a visible manifestation of the Commission
policy of equality. This Decision applies to existing and new committees and groups and sets
the target of 40% minimum participation of women and men. To achieve this, particularly in
committees and groups which are already in existance, gender participation can be balanced at
the time of replacement of members (or at the end of the term of appointment).

In  this  context  therefore  all  services  of  the  Commission  dealing  with  such  committees  or
groups will remind Member States, social partners, NGOs and professional bodies of the need
to put forward four names (with at least one of each sex) from which a gender balance can be
achieved by the Commission when it appoints members.

Following a first review of the current balance within committees and groups, the opportunity
for progress can be seen:

* H Q G H U (cid:3) % D OD Q F H (cid:3) L Q (cid:3) F R P P LW W H H V

%   w o m e n

%   m e n

T a r g e t  z o n e

DG RTD

DG ENTR

DG EMPL 

DG AGRI

DG TREN

JRC

DG SANCO

DG FISH

1 2 0
1 0 0
8 0
6 0
4 0
2 0
0

DG MARKT

As  set  out  in  the  Communication  accompanying  this  Decision3,  the  implementation  of  this
Decision will be set out in a report, with statistics, and Commission services which have not
improved the gender balance will be expected to justify why this is the case.

2

3

Official Journal L 154, 27/06/2000 p. 34-35.
2000/C 203/03, OJ 18.7.2000, p. 4-5.

4