Report from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Equality between women and men — 2009 {SEC(2009) 165}
Date: 2009-02-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: activity report, anti-discriminatory measure, equal treatment, gender equality

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 27.2.2009 
COM(2009) 77 final 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND 
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Equality between women and men — 2009 

{SEC(2009) 165} 

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   EN 

 
 
 
  
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

3.3. 

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3 

Main developments ...................................................................................................... 4 

Gender gaps.................................................................................................................. 4 

Policy and legislative developments ............................................................................ 6 

Challenges and policy orientations .............................................................................. 7 

Encouraging equal sharing of private and family responsibilities between women and 
men............................................................................................................................... 8 

Tackling stereotypes to enable women and men to use their full potential ................. 8 

Promoting equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes and 
positions ....................................................................................................................... 9 

3.4. 

Creating higher awareness and better understanding of gender equality................... 10 

4. 

Conclusions ................................................................................................................ 10 

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1. 

INTRODUCTION 

At the request of the European Council, the European Commission reports each year 
on  progress  towards  gender  equality  and  presents  challenges  and  priorities  for  the 
future. 2008 was the midpoint for the implementation of the Roadmap for Equality 
between  women  and  men,  which  confirms  the  Commission’s  commitment  to 
promoting  gender  equality.  The  Member  States  mirrored  that  commitment  in  the 
European  Pact  for  Gender  Equality.  Shared  efforts  have  produced  positive  results, 
particularly  as  regards  female  employment,  but  overall  progress  is  still  too  slow  in 
most  areas  and  gender  equality  is  far  from  being  achieved.  More  women  have 
entered  the  labour  market,  bringing  the  Lisbon  objectives  within  reach,  but  the 
quantity  objective  (‘more’  jobs)  has  not  been  matched  in  quality  (‘better’  jobs). 
Women still work part-time more than men; they predominate in less valued jobs and 
sectors; they are on average paid less than men and they occupy fewer positions of 
responsibility.  

This report is adopted in the context of a global economic slowdown1 linked to the 
financial  crisis,  with  negative  repercussions  on  growth  and  employment  in  the  EU. 
To confront the economic downturn it will be more important than ever to invest in 
human  capital  and  social infrastructure, enabling both women and men to use their 
full  potential.  In  the  Renewed  Social  Agenda2  the  Commission  reinforced  its 
commitment to creating more and better jobs within the framework of the European 
Strategy  for  Employment  and  Growth.  Gender  equality  is  a  key  factor  for  this 
strategy  to  succeed,  and  a  necessary  contribution  to  responding  to  labour  shortages 
and  new  skills  needs3.  Today  women  account  for  nearly  60%  of  all  university 
graduates in the EU, but their percentage of science and technology degrees remains 
low.  However,  there  are  still  barriers  preventing  women  from  using  their  full 
potential and gaining access to jobs and positions for which they are qualified. The 
difficulty of balancing work and family life is one of the main barriers to women’s 
employment and career advancement. Persisting gender stereotypes restrict women’s 
and  men’s  study  and  career  choices,  leading  to  a  gender-segregated  labour  market. 
Moreover,  the  economic  slowdown  is  likely  to  affect  women  more  than  men, 
because women are more often in precarious jobs.  

This report addresses the challenges and the policy responses for removing barriers 
to  women’s  and  men’s  full  participation  in  the  labour  market.  It  also  addresses  the 
importance  of  correcting  the  gender  imbalance  in  decision-making,  especially  as 
2009  will  entail  major  changes  in  the  composition  of  decision-making  structures  at 
EU  level,  including  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Commission.  Although  the 
economic  slowdown  has  changed  the  context,  it  is  important  to  continue  to 
strengthen  gender  equality  policies.  Decades  of  shared  efforts  have  not  only 
improved the situation and rights of women but also underpinned the economic and 
social development of our societies.  

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COM(2008) 800. 
COM(2008) 412. 
COM(2008) 868. 

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2. 

MAIN DEVELOPMENTS 

2.1. 

Gender gaps 

independence  and  a  substantial  contribution 

Equality between women and men is not just a goal in itself: it is a precondition for 
fulfilling  the  overall  EU  objectives  of  growth,  employment  and  social  cohesion. 
Increased  participation  by  women  in  the  labour  market  offers  both  a  guarantee  of 
their  economic 
to  economic 
development  and  the  sustainability  of  social  protection  systems.  As  women  are 
overrepresented  in  precarious  jobs  based  on  short-term  contracts,  they  are  more 
likely to be affected by the economic downturn on the labour market. It is crucial to 
pursue  and  reinforce  gender  mainstreaming  in  the  area  of  employment  and  social 
policies,  including  flexicurity  arrangements,  and  to  continue  efforts  to  remove 
barriers to women’s and men’s full participation in the labour market. 

Female  employment  in  the  EU  is  now  close  to  the  Lisbon  objective  of  60%  by 
2010,  having  increased  from  51.1%  in  1997  to  58.3%  in  2007.  However,  there  are 
major  differences  between  Member  States,  with  figures  varying  from  36.9%  to 
73.2%. The average gap in employment rates between women and men is narrowing, 
and  fell  from  17.1  percentage  points  in  2000  to  14.2  points  in  2007.  But  if  one 
compares the employment rate of women and men with children under 12 to care 
for, this gender gap is almost doubled. Also, the employment rate of women falls by 
12.4 points when they have children, but it rises by 7.3 points for men with children 
reflecting  the  unequal  sharing  of  care  responsibilities  and  the  lack  of  childcare 
facilities and work-life balance policies.  

The  percentage  of  women  employees  working  part-time  was  31.2%  in  2007,  four 
times  higher  than  for  men.  Although  part-time  and  other  flexible  working 
arrangements may reflect personal preferences, the unequal share of domestic and 
family responsibilities leads more women than men to opt for such arrangements. In 
the EU more than 6 million women in the 25 to 49 age group say they are obliged not 
to work or to work only part-time because of their family responsibilities4. 

Better  reconciliation  of  work  and  private  life  for  both  women  and  men  is  essential 
not  only  to  achieve  gender  equality,  but  also  to  reach  the  Lisbon  objectives.  The 
development  of  affordable  and  quality  childcare  facilities  is  vital  for  enabling  both 
parents to combine work and family life. To meet the targets set by Member States 
for the development of childcare facilities, the so-called Barcelona objectives5, a lot 
remains to be done to achieve satisfactory levels of childcare provision, particularly 
for children under 3 years of age. Reconciliation policies are also important in terms 
of  responding  to  the  demographic  challenges.  The  Member  States  with  the  highest 
birth  rates  are  currently  those  which  have  also  done  the  most  to  improve  work-life 
balance for parents, and which have a high rate of female employment. 

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Eurostat, Labour Force Survey 2006. 
In  March  2002  the  European  Council,  meeting  in  Barcelona,  invited  Member  States  to  ‘remove 
disincentives  to  female  labour  force  participation  and  strive,  taking  into  account  the  demand  for 
childcare facilities and in line with national patterns of provision, to provide childcare by 2010 to at 
least 90% of children between 3 years old and the mandatory school age and at least 33% of children 
under 3 years of age’. 

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Women  have  also  made  progress  in  education:  they  accounted  for  58.9%  of 
university degrees in the EU in 2006 (56.7% in 2004). However, gender differences 
remain  as  regards  the  fields  of  study,  especially  in  engineering  (18%  female 
graduates)  and  computing  (20%),  while  women  predominate 
in  business, 
administration and law (60%). Women are still lagging behind men in the use of new 
technologies and have difficulties in accessing more specialist ICT-related jobs.  

Women’s high level of education is not directly reflected in the positions they hold in 
the labour market. Women are mainly working in ‘feminised’ sectors and professions 
and remain in lower job categories with less access to senior positions. Occupational 
and  sectoral  segregation  has  remained  almost  unchanged  in  most  Member  States 
over the last few years, indicating that the increase in female employment has taken 
place in sectors already dominated by women. A better gender balance across studies 
and occupations could contribute to meeting future skills and labour market needs.  

One of the consequences of gender segregation on the labour market is the persisting 
gender pay gap (17.4% on average in the EU6), partly due to the fact that women are 
concentrated  in  less  valued  jobs  and  positions  than  men.  Because  women  are  more 
likely to work part-time and interrupt their career for family reasons, they are likely 
to face negative consequences in terms of pay, career advancement and accumulated 
pension rights. This also has an impact on the risk of falling into poverty, especially 
for single parents, who in most cases are women (the at-risk-of-poverty rate is 32%), 
and for women over 65 (the at-risk-of-poverty rate is 21%, i.e. 5 points higher than 
for men). Women are also more at risk in times of rising unemployment since they 
are more often on fixed-term contracts than men (15% compared with 13.9%).  

Despite  the  fact  that  more  and  more  women  are  highly  qualified  and  the  labour 
market participation of women is on the increase, they are still largely outnumbered 
by men in positions of responsibility in politics and business, particularly at the top 
level. The number of female managers7 in the EU has remained stable over the last 
few  years,  averaging  30%,  and  figures  are  even  lower  in  a  majority  of  Member 
States.  The  proportion  of  women  directors  of  top  quoted  company  boards  is  3% 
across the EU, while one in ten company board members is a woman. There are no 
female  governors  of  the  national  Central  Banks  in  the  EU,  while  they  account  for 
only  16%  of  the  highest  decision-making  bodies  of  these  institutions.  This  is 
paradoxical  when  female  students  outnumber  male  in  business,  administration  and 
law. 

In politics, there have been positive developments in most EU countries over the last 
decade,  but  progress  is  slow  and  overall  figures  remain  low.  The  average  share  of 
women  members  of  national  parliaments  increased  from  16%  to  24%  between 
1997 and 2008, but national figures range from 9% to 46%. Eleven Member States 
are above 30%, which is deemed to be the minimum level necessary for women to 
exert  meaningful  influence  on  politics.  In  national  governments,  one  out  of  four 
senior ministers is a woman, but variations between Member States range from zero 
to  60%  female  ministers.  There  has  been  some  progress  within  the  European 

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Eurostat,  2007  (figure  based  on  a  new  harmonised  EU-source)  –  see  statistical  annex  in  SEC  (2009) 
XXX 
Directors and chief executives and managers of smaller enterprises. 

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Institutions, but women are still underrepresented in top positions. Only three out of 
ten members of the European Parliament are women. 

2.2. 

Policy and legislative developments 

One of the main initiatives in 2008 for achieving gender equality was the adoption by 
the  European  Commission  of  several  measures  aiming  at  supporting  better  work- 
life  balance8.  One  proposal  concerns  the  amendment  of  Directive  92/85/EEC  on 
maternity  protection9.  The  main  changes  proposed  include  increasing  the  minimum 
maternity  leave  from  14  to  18  weeks,  in  principle  without  loss  of  earnings.  The 
Commission  also  proposed  to  strengthen  the  provisions  of  Directive  86/613/EEC10 
for  self-employed  workers  and  ‘assisting  spouses’  in  family  businesses.  A 
Commission  report11  has  reviewed  progress  in  developing  childcare  facilities  in 
Member  States,  concluding  that  most  Member  States  will  not  meet  the  Barcelona 
targets by 2010.  

Following a two-stage consultation launched by the Commission, the social partners 
have  started  negotiations  on  family-related  leave  other  than  maternity  leave. 
Cooperation  between  Member  States  continued  within  the  European  Alliance  for 
Families,  which  provides  a  platform  at  EU  level  for  discussion  between  Member 
States  on  family  policies  and  work-life  reconciliation  issues.  Most  Member  States 
have recognised the importance of reconciliation policies in terms of responding to 
economic  and  demographic  challenges.  Several  measures  have  been  introduced, 
including wider availability of childcare services (Germany, the United Kingdom and 
the  Netherlands),  better  leave  arrangements  notably  for  fathers  (Sweden,  Germany, 
Greece,  Lithuania  and  Spain)  and  awareness-raising  about  the  role  of  fathers 
(Slovenia).  

The  Commission  continued  to  collect  comparable  data  at  EU  level  on  women  and 
men in decision-making, and a recent report confirmed that women remain strongly 
underrepresented  despite  positive  developments12.  Several  Member  States  have 
implemented  measures  to  promote  a  better  gender  balance  in  leadership  positions 
(e.g.  Spain,  Finland,  France,  Portugal,  Austria,  Denmark,  Poland  and  Cyprus).  An 
EU  network  to  promote  women  in  economic  and  political  decision-making 
positions was launched in 2008 to provide a platform for exchange of good practices 
between existing networks at EU level.  

The  equal  participation  of  women  and  men  in  political  decision-making  was  a 
priority topic under the Slovenian Presidency, as part of the follow-up to the Beijing 
Platform for Action. In June 2008 the Council of Ministers adopted conclusions on 
women  in  political  decision-making,  and  on  eliminating  gender  stereotypes  in 
society;  this  was  a  priority  theme  of  the  Trio  Presidency  programme  (Germany, 
Portugal and Slovenia). At the end of 2007 the Commission launched a training and 
awareness-raising  initiative  aiming  to  inform  companies,  particularly  small  and 

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COM(2008) 635. 
COM(2008) 637. 
COM(2008) 636. 
COM(2008) 638. 
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/publications/2008/ke8108186_en.pdf. 

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medium-sized enterprises, of the benefits of tackling gender stereotypes. It also runs 
a campaign to attract young girls and retain women in ICT-related professions. 

EU legislation on equal treatment between women and men is also contributing to 
progress in this field. In 2008 the Commission closely monitored the implementation 
of Directives 2002/73/EC13 and 2004/113/EC14 and took the necessary steps to verify 
the  timely  and  correct  transposition  of  these  directives  in  the  Member  States.  The 
Commission engaged infringement proceedings against a certain number of Member 
States for incorrect transposition of Directive 2002/73/EC and 20 procedures remain 
open. For Directive 2004/113/EC, infringement proceedings for non-communication 
of national transposing measure were initiated against twelve Member States, seven 
of which are still open at the end of 2008.  

The  Commission  is  also  in  the  process  of  reviewing  the  adequacy  of  EU  current 
legislation  on  equal  pay  to  tackle  the  gender  pay  gap,  in  line  with  the  2007 
Communication15, and it has launched a campaign to raise awareness on the gender 
pay gap. Several Member States have addressed the gender pay gap through specific 
initiatives, for instance in the UK (gender duty on public authorities and Women and 
Work Commission), France (inclusion in wage bargaining at social partners’ level), 
Finland (national equal pay strategy), Sweden (compulsory annual plan of action for 
equal  pay  for  all  companies  with  at  least  ten  employees)  and  Belgium  (annual 
reporting and introduction of gender-friendly job evaluation systems).  

The European Institute for Gender Equality is in the process of being set up. Once 
up and running, the Institute will provide new technical assistance to the Community 
institutions and the Member States. 

3. 

CHALLENGES AND POLICY ORIENTATIONS 

The overall challenge is to find efficient and sustainable responses to the economic 
slowdown and reduce the multiple short- and long-term consequences, including on 
the labour market. Women’s employment has been a major driving force of the EU 
labour  market  since  the  launch  of  the  Lisbon  strategy.  Therefore,  gender  equality 
concerns need to be integrated into the responses given to these challenges, because 
women and men might be affected differently. Gender equality policies have proven 
to  be  efficient  responses  to  these  challenges,  and  Member  States  should  continue 
investing in a better use of both women’s and men’s skills and resources, including 
strengthening the gender dimension of flexicurity policies.  

Persisting  gender  gaps  confirm  the  importance  of  eliminating  barriers  to  women’s 
full participation in the labour market. It is important to combat deep-rooted gender 
stereotypes  which  shape  women’s  and  men’s  roles  in  society  and  influence  the 
gender  imbalance  in  paid  and  unpaid  work.  The  unequal  sharing  of  family 

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Directive 2002/73/EC amending Directive 76/207/EEC on the implementation of the principle of equal 
treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and 
working conditions. 
Directive 2004/113/EC implementing the principle of equal treatment between men and women in the 
access to and supply of goods and services. 
COM(2007) 424. 

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responsibilities  may  induce  women  to  a  greater  extent  than  men  to  opt  for  flexible 
working  arrangements  and  to  take  career  breaks,  and  may  thus  have  a  negative 
impact  on  their  career  development,  income,  pension  rights  and  economic 
independence.  Policies  for  promoting  women’s  participation  in  the  labour  market 
must  therefore  have  an  integrated  approach,  including  strategies  for  eliminating 
gender stereotypes and measures for improving the work-life balance of both women 
and men.  

Gender stereotypes and difficulties in balancing work and family responsibilities also 
hamper women’s access to positions of responsibility and leadership, in addition to 
visible  and  invisible  discriminatory  practices  and  structures.  Policies  aimed  at 
promoting equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes and 
positions  therefore  need  to  be  multifaceted  and  tackle  the  main  causes  of  the 
problem. Areas where action is needed are outlined below. 

3.1. 

Encouraging  equal  sharing  of  private  and  family  responsibilities  between 
women and men  

Reconciliation  policies  are  key  responses  to  long-term  economic  and  demographic 
challenges,  and  should  therefore  be  reinforced  to  stimulate  growth.  A  better  work-
life balance for both women and men requires a more equitable share of time spent 
on  paid  and  unpaid  work.  Women’s  time  is  more  tied  up  in  domestic  and  family 
responsibilities than is the case for men. Reconciliation measures need to target men 
too,  since  the  promotion  of  gender  equality  implies  changes  and  new  opportunities 
for both sexes. 

•  The  development  of  affordable,  accessible  and  quality  care  services  for  children 
and  other  dependants  will  allow  more  women  to  enter  and  remain  in  the  labour 
market  and  to  facilitate  the  work-life  balance  of  both  women  and  men.  The 
potential  of  the  Structural  Funds  and  EAFRD16  for  the  financing  of  quality 
services should be fully utilised.  

•  Reconciliation policies need to allow for individual choices for both women and 
men  as  regards  flexible  working  and  leave  arrangements.  Measures  such  as 
to  share  parenting  and  other  care 
paternity 
responsibilities equally with women.  

leave  can  encourage  men 

•  Reconciliation policies need to be implemented at all levels in the workplace, so 
that  a  more  equitable  use  of  women’s  and  men’s  time  becomes  the  norm  and 
attitudes  to  both  women’s  and  men’s  need  to  balance  work  and  family  life  are 
better attuned. 

•  The proposals reviewing the two directives17 on maternity leave and rights of self-
employed  women  need  to  be  adopted  swiftly  by  the  legislator.  They  represent  a 
concrete contribution to improving work-life balance in the EU.  

16 
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European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 
See footnotes 9-10. 

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3.2. 

Tackling stereotypes to enable women and men to use their full potential 

Gender  stereotypes  are  cultural  and  social  attitudes  towards  what  is  traditionally 
considered ‘male’ or ‘female’ roles and functions. They may influence women’s and 
men’s  choices  of  studies  and  jobs,  and  may  lead  to  a  gender-segregated  labour 
market. These stereotypes influence the unequal sharing between women and men of 
working  time,  income  and  family  responsibilities;  they  also  constitute  barriers  to 
women’s  career  advancement  and  appointment  to  decision-making  positions. 
Combating gender stereotypes therefore means tackling the root cause of persisting 
gender gaps in the labour market.  

•  Children and young people need non-stereotyped role models of women and men 
in  society.  Discriminatory  practices  and  attitudes  should  be  removed  from 
educational material and methods, teaching and vocational guidance. 

•  Training  and  awareness-raising  at  the  workplace  can  eliminate  gender-based 
prejudice  and  thereby  change  stereotyped  working  cultures  as  regards  the  roles 
and abilities of women and men, including attitudes towards women in leadership 
positions.  

•  The  media,  including  the  advertising  industry,  should  be  encouraged  to  transmit 
non-stereotyped  images  and  content,  in  particular  of  women  in  decision-making 
positions.  

3.3. 

Promoting equal participation of women and men in decision-making positions  

An  equal  participation  of  women  and  men  in  decision-making  processes  is  a 
democratic  and  economic  necessity.  In  the  current  economic  situation  it  is  all  the 
more  important  to  mobilise  all  talents.  This  is  not  the  time  to  waste  skills  and 
production  potential  because  of  outdated  perceptions  of  women’s  and  men’s  roles 
and leadership abilities. Findings18 point to a positive relationship between women 
in  management  and  financial  and  organisational  performance.  Investing  in  gender 
balance  in  business  and  management  can  improve  corporate  governance  and 
profitability.  

•  The  promotion  of  equality  between  women  and  men  in  decision-making  needs 
stronger  commitment  and  partnership  at  all  levels:  governments,  regional  and 
local  authorities,  political  parties,  social  partners,  business  managers,  human 
resources teams, NGOs, educational institutions, media, men and women.  

•  A  more  balanced  participation  in  decision-making  requires  specific  policies  and 
effective  measures  in  order  to  succeed,  including  where  appropriate  positive 
action,  equality  plans,  mentoring  and  targeted  training.  All  appointments, 
recruitment, job and skill evaluation, salaries and promotion should be transparent 
and  gender-unbiased.  It  is  important  to  work  systematically  to  fight  against 
discrimination and moral and sexual harassment. 

18 

For  instance,  Mc  Kinsey  Women  Matter  Report  (2007);  Vinnicombe,  Susan,  Singh,  Val  (2003); 
Catalyst (2004) 

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•  The collection, analysis and dissemination of comparable data existing at EU level 
broken  down  by  sex  must  be  improved  in  order  to  support  the  monitoring  of 
gender  equality  in  decision-making.  Quantitative  and  qualitative  studies  are 
needed on the outcome of strategies put in place in the Member States, including 
positive  measures  such  as  quotas.  The  exchange  and  dissemination  of  good 
practice should be promoted, including the development of networks of women in 
leadership.  

•  Electoral  systems  have  an  impact  on  women’s  involvement  and  representation. 
Political parties and European and national parliaments should be encouraged, in 
accordance  with  their  respective  responsibilities,  to  take  specific  measures  to 
involve more women and improve the balanced representation of women and men 
on voting lists and in nominations for elected offices. 

3.4. 

Creating higher awareness and better understanding of gender equality 

Political commitment to gender equality has increased over the few past years both 
at EU and Member State levels. However, this commitment needs to be transformed 
into action and progress towards gender equality in all Member States. This requires 
knowledge and understanding among all actors about the factors leading to gender 
inequalities  and  the  mechanisms  and  tools  for  reducing  them.  Adequate  resources 
and structures are vital, and gender mainstreaming capacities need to be improved. 
More  and  better  communication  should  create  awareness  and  make  gender  issues 
more visible and understandable at all levels of society.  

•  Gender mainstreaming needs to be reinforced by intensified training and capacity-
building for those involved in policy-making, aiming at more efficient use of this 
tool for integrating the gender perspective into all policies and actions.  

•  The  development  of  gender  statistics  and  indicators  based  on  existing  data, 
including  the  integration  of  a  gender  perspective  in  policy  analysis  and 
monitoring, will support such capacity-building. 

•  Better  knowledge  and  understanding  of  gender  issues  at  all  levels  of  society, 
including  through  communication  activities,  will  raise  awareness  among  both 
stakeholders and the general public. 

4. 

CONCLUSIONS 

This  report  sets  out  the  main  progress  recorded  in  the  area  of  equality  between 
women  and  men  in  2008  and  outlines  the  future  challenges.  The  following  need 
emphasising in this context: 

•  The  importance  of  reinforcing  the  positive  results  in  terms  of  political 
commitment to gender equality and of guaranteeing the basic principles and rights 
of  all  citizens  through  the  correct  implementation  of  EU  legislation,  including 
Directives 2002/73/EC on equal treatment in employment, 2004/113/EC on equal 

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treatment  in  the  access  to  goods  and  services  and  2006/54/EC  recasting  seven 
equal treatment directives19;  

•  The  two  proposals  amending  Directives  92/85/EEC  on  maternity  protection  and 
'assisting  spouses'  in  family 

86/613/EEC  for  self-employed  workers  and 
businesses; 

•  The negotiations initiated by the social partners to conclude an agreement on other 

family-related leave; 

•  The  continuation  of  efforts  to  meet  the  Barcelona  targets  on  the  provision  of 
childcare facilities and the development of other services for facilitating the work-
life balance of both women and men; 

•  Support for the active promotion of balanced representation of women and men in 
the elections to the European Parliament in 2009 and the appointment of women 
to top political positions in the European Union institutions; 

In  view  of  the  contribution  that  gender  equality  can  make  to  growth,  employment 
and  social  cohesion,  the  Commission  invites  the  European  Council  to  urge  the 
Member States to respond without delay to the challenges outlined in this report by 
reaffirming their commitment to integrating the gender dimension in all policy fields 
in partnership with the social partners and civil society. 

19 

Directive 2006/54/EC on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment 
of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (recast).  

EN 

11 

   EN