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 — 2010 {SEC(2009)1706}
Date: 2009-12-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: activity report, anti-discriminatory measure, equal treatment, gender equality

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 18.12.2009 
COM(2009)694 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 — 2010 

{SEC(2009)1706} 

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CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

3.3. 

3.4. 

3.5. 

4. 

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

Main developments ...................................................................................................... 3 

Gender gaps.................................................................................................................. 3 

Policy and legislative developments ............................................................................ 5 

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

Strengthening the synergy between gender equality and employment to stimulate 
recovery and sustainable growth.................................................................................. 7 

Supporting reconciliation between work and private and family life for both women 
and men ........................................................................................................................ 8 

Promoting social inclusion and gender equality .......................................................... 9 

Preventing and combating gender-based violence....................................................... 9 

Transforming commitment to gender equality into action and results ...................... 10 

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

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1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The  European  Commission  reports  each  year  to  the  Spring  European  Council  on 
developments towards gender equality in the EU Member States and presents future 
challenges  and  priorities.  Equality  between  women  and  men  is  a  fundamental  right 
and  a  common  principle  of  the  European  Union.  The  EU  has  made  a  major 
contribution  to  the  advancement  of  women  and  the  improvement  of  women’s  and 
men’s lives through a substantial body of equal treatment legislation and the explicit 
integration  of  the  gender  dimension  into  EU  policies  and  instruments.  There  is  a 
positive  trend  towards  a  more  gender-equal  society  and  labour  market,  yet  gender 
inequalities  persist,  mainly  to  the  disadvantage  of  women.  The  current  economic 
crisis has raised concerns that the achievements in gender equality are at risk and that 
the effects of the recession will put greater pressure on women. The downturn could 
be used as a reason to limit or cut gender equality measures, and analysis of national 
responses  to  the  crisis  confirms  this  risk.  However,  these  times  of  crisis  offer  a 
unique  opportunity  for  change,  given  that  gender  equality  is  a  precondition  for 
sustainable growth, employment, competitiveness and social cohesion. Policy makers 
have  the  opportunity  to  implement  policies  to  make  the  labour  market  and  society 
more gender-equal in the future.  

Although the economic and social context has changed, the crisis has not altered the 
underlying  challenges,  such  as  the  better  functioning  of  labour  markets,  the 
sustainability  and  adequacy  of  social  protection,  the  ageing  of  society.  Gender 
equality policies are part of the response to these challenges but the crisis reinforces 
the need for these policies to demonstrate their cost-effectiveness.  

In 2010, the European Commission will renew its commitment to promoting gender 
equality by adopting a gender equality strategy to follow up the current Roadmap for 
equality  between  women  and  men.  The  Lisbon  Strategy  for  Growth  and  Jobs  will 
also  be  updated  and  it  is  important  that  gender  equality  is  consolidated  in  the  EU 
2020  strategy.  2010  is  also  the  European  Year  dedicated  to  combating  poverty  and 
social  exclusion,  which  will  highlight  the  need  for  effective  measures  to  include 
vulnerable groups. It is furthermore the 15th anniversary of the Beijing Platform of 
Action  when  progress  under  the  different  areas  for  action  will  be  assessed.  This 
opens up the possibility to create stronger synergy between the different strategies to 
be revised in 2010.  

2. 

MAIN DEVELOPMENTS 

2.1. 

Gender gaps 

Combating  persisting  gender  inequalities  in  all  spheres  of  society  is  a  longer-term 
challenge, since it entails structural and behavioural changes and a redefinition of the 
roles  of  women  and  men.  Progress  is  slow,  and  gender  gaps  persist  as  regards 
employment rates, pay, working hours, positions of responsibility, share of care and 
household duties, and risk of poverty.  

The  increasing  participation  of  women  in  the  labour  market  is  a  positive 
development, representing an important contribution to economic growth in the EU, 

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accounting  for  a  quarter  of  annual  economic  growth  since  19951.  The  female 
employment rate increased by 7.1 percentage points over the last decade and reached 
59.1 % in 2008, which is close to the Lisbon target (60 % in 2010), though this rate 
varies  between  Member  States,  from  below  40 %  to  above  70 %.  The  average  gap 
between  female  and  male  employment  rates  fell  to  13.7  percentage  points  in  2008 
from 18.2 points in 1998.  

Interrupting  this  positive  trend,  however,  the  economic  crisis  has  had  serious 
repercussions on the labour market and unemployment figures. Between May 2008 
and September 2009, the unemployment rate at EU level rose more rapidly for men 
(from 6.4 % to 9.3 %) than for women (7.4 % to 9 %).The male-dominated sectors of 
industry and construction have been hit hard. However, in recent months female and 
male unemployment rates have been increasing at the same pace, reflecting probably 
an extension of the crisis to other sectors, more gender-mixed than the ones first hit. 
Moreover, in a dozen Member States, unemployment remains higher among women. 
Finally,  as  women’s  jobs  are  concentrated  in  the  public  sector,  they  could  be 
disproportionately affected by job losses due to budget cuts.  

Experience from past crises shows that men’s employment generally recovers more 
quickly than women’s2. For persons who become unemployed, the risk of not being 
re-employed  is  higher  for  women.  Focusing  on  the  evolution  of  unemployment 
rates  during  the  recession  is  important  but  may  hide  other  less  visible  trends, 
including  the  over-representation  of  women  among  inactive  persons  (women 
represent  more  than  two  thirds  of  the  63  million  persons  between  25-64  who  are 
inactive in the EU) or among part-time unemployed (part-timers who would like to 
work more hours) who are not necessarily registered as unemployed. 

Women  are  more  likely  to  have  a  disadvantaged  position  on  the  labour  market 
e.g.  due  to  higher  incidence  of  precarious  contracts,  involuntary  part-time  and  a 
persistent  unfavourable  pay  gap  (17.6 %  on  average  in  the  EU  in  2007),  with 
repercussions  on  their  lifetime  earnings,  social  security  protection  and  pensions, 
resulting in higher at-risk-of-poverty rates, especially once in retirement. In 2007, the 
at-risk-of-poverty  rate  was  higher  for  women  (17 %)  than  men  (15 %)  and  this  gap 
was especially high for older persons (22 % for women compared to 17 % for men) 
and  single  parents  (34 %).  The  situation  of  those  facing  multiple  disadvantages  is 
particularly difficult. Finally, households will be more severely affected by a loss of 
income (due to job losses) in those countries where a male-breadwinner model still 
predominates, underlining the need for further support for the dual-earner model.  

Beyond the current economic crisis and its effects on women and men, it is necessary 
to  consider  the  longer-term  challenges  affecting  gender  equality  in  the  labour 
market. Although the level of education among women has increased considerably in 
recent years, and women now outnumber men among university graduates (59 % of 
graduates in all subjects in 2006 in the EU), women continue to be concentrated in 
traditionally  feminised  and  often  lower-paid  sectors  (health  and  care  services, 
education, etc.) and occupy fewer positions of responsibility in all spheres of society. 
Lack  of  access  to  care  services  for  dependent  persons  (children,  disabled,  elderly), 

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OECD (2008) Gender and sustainable development. Maximising the economic, social and environmental role of women. 
Smith, M. (2009) ‘Analysis Note: Gender equality and recession’, EGGE. 

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adequate  leave  schemes  and  flexible  working  arrangements  for  both  parents  often 
hinder women from participating in the labour market or from working full-time. In 
2008, 31.1 % of women worked part-time compared to 7.9 % of men. Taking account 
of  the  employment  rate  in  full-time  equivalents,  the  gender  gap  has  been  only 
slightly reduced since 2003 and has even widened in nine Member States.  

Women  with  children  work  less  (-11.5  p.p.  in  the  employment  rate)  than  women 
without  children,  while  men  with  children  work  more  than  men  without  children 
(+6.8  points).  This  strong  influence  of  parenthood  on  employment  participation  is 
linked  to  traditional  gender  roles  and  the  lack  of  childcare  facilities  in  many 
Member  States.  Despite  an  increase  in  the  provision  of  childcare  over  the  last  few 
years,  in  line  with  the  European  targets3,  the  coverage  rates  remain  below  these 
targets  in  many  countries,  especially  for  children  under  3  years  of  age.  Caring  for 
other dependants also has a strong influence on the possibility of women and men 
to  remain  on  the  labour  market,  a  challenge  aggravated  by  the  ageing  of  the 
population.  In  2005,  more  than  20  million  Europeans  aged  15-64  (12.8  million 
women  and  7.6  million  men)  had  care  responsibilities  for  adult  dependent  persons. 
This care responsibility plays a role in the low employment rate of women aged 55-
64 (36.8 % in 2008, 18.2 points lower than men’s rate). The lack of adequate work-
life  balance  measures  may  also  influence women’s  and  men’s  decision  not  to  have 
children or to have fewer children, which is problematic as regards the ageing of the 
population and the future labour market supply, and consequently economic growth. 
In  countries  with  favourable  conditions  for  childcare,  parental  leave  and  flexible 
working arrangements, both female employment rates and birth rates are higher.  

While  there  has  been  an  increase  in  the  number  of  women  involved  in  decision 
making or appointed to decision-making posts in the EU over the last years, power is 
still  firmly  in  men’s  hands  in  the  political  and  economic  spheres.  In  the  EU,  on 
average, only one out of four members of national parliaments and senior ministers 
in  national  governments  is  a  woman,  even  if  the  situation  varies  across  Member 
States.  Some  progress  came  after  the  2009  elections  to  the  European  Parliament, 
where the share of women rose from 31 % to 35 %. In the economic sector, figures 
are  less  positive  and,  for  instance,  women  represent  only  one  out  of  10  board 
members in European blue-chip companies and 3 % among the leaders of the boards.  

2.2. 

Policy and legislative developments  

2009  was  marked  by  the  impact  of  the  global  economic  and  financial  crisis  on  the 
real  economy  and  labour  markets.  The  EU  adopted  at  the  end  of  2008  a  European 
recovery plan4 including measures for maintaining women and men in employment. 
In May 2009, a Jobs Summit discussed the impact of the crisis and adequate policy 
responses.  The  Commission  proposed  ‘A  shared  commitment  for  employment’5 
which  aimed  to  limit  the  social  impact  of  the  crisis,  and  recognised  the  need  to 
reinforce  gender  equality  in  the  responses  to  the  crisis.  Recent  analysis  of  national 
responses  to  the  crisis  confirms  the  risk  of  downgrading  the  status  of  equality 

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In  2002  the  European  Council  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’. 
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/104692.pdf. 
COM(2009) 257 final. 

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policies  or  reducing  budgets  allocated  to  these  policies6.  Some  gender  equality 
measures have been cancelled or delayed and possible future cuts in public budgets 
may have a negative effect on female employment and on the promotion of equality. 
However,  good  practices  have  also  been  recorded  in  some  Member  States  which 
have launched programmes to support the care sector7. 

The  Advisory  Committee  on  equal  opportunities  for  women  and  men  adopted  an 
opinion  on  the  gender  perspective  of  the  response  to  the  economic  and  financial 
crisis8,  including  recommendations  on  gender  mainstreaming  of  recovery  measures 
and the EU 2020 strategy.  

Under  the  Swedish  Presidency,  the  Council  adopted  conclusions9  on  the  strong 
contribution  that  gender  equality  policies  can  bring  to  sustainable  growth, 
employment and social inclusion and the need to strengthen the gender dimension in 
the EU 2020 strategy. The Council also adopted conclusions10 on the implementation 
of  the  Beijing  Platform  for  Action  on  the  basis  of  a  report  prepared  by  the  EU 
Presidency. 

The  Council  reached  a  political  agreement  on  the  proposal  for  a  directive 
implementing the revised framework agreement on parental leave concluded by the 
European social partners11. This will increase the length of parental leave, make part 
of  it  non-transferable  to  encourage  fathers  to  take  advantage  of  parental  leave  and 
offer a right to request flexible working arrangements for a set period of time when 
returning from parental leave.The Council also reached a political agreement with a 
view  to  a  common  position  on  the  proposed  revision  of  the  directive  on  equal 
treatment  of  self-employed  and  assisting  spouses12,  a  joint  text  still  having  to  be 
agreed by the European Parliament and the Council, while the proposal for a revision 
of the  directive  on maternity  leave13 is  under  discussion by the  EU legislators. The 
Commission  adopted  a  report  on  the  implementation  of  Directive  2002/73/EC14  on 
equal  treatment  between  women  and  men  in  the  field  of  employment,  vocational 
training  and  promotion,  and  working  conditions.  Progress  is  being  made  in 
implementing the directive but efforts are still needed in a number of Member States 
to achieve correct transposition. 

The  Commission  adopted  a  proposal  for  a  Council  Framework  Decision  on 
preventing  and  combating  trafficking  in  human  beings,  and  protecting  victims.15 
2009  was  also  the  first  year  of  implementation  of  the  ‘EU  Guidelines  on  violence 
against  women  and  girls  and  combating  all  forms  of  discrimination  against  them’, 
which  provide  guidance  on  the  strategies  the  Member  States  and  the  EU  must 
implement  in  its  external  action  to  prevent  violence,  protectvictims  and  prosecute 
perpetrators of such violence.  

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Smith M. and Villa P. (2009) Gender equality, employment policies and the crisis in EU Member States, EGGE. 
idem. 
http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=2878&langId=en. 
Council document 15488/09. 
Council document 15992/09. 
COM(2009) 410. 
COM(2008) 636. 
COM(2008) 600/4. 
COM(2009) 409. 
COM(2009) 136 final. 

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3. 

CHALLENGES AND POLICY ORIENTATIONS 

Gender  equality  is  not  only  a  question  of  diversity  and  social  fairness,  it  is  also  a 
precondition  for  meeting  the  objectives  of  sustainable  growth,  employment, 
competitiveness and social cohesion. Investing in gender equality policies pays off in 
terms  of  higher  female  employment  rates,  women’s  contribution  to  GDP,  tax 
revenues  and  sustainable  fertility  rates16.  It  is  important  that  gender  equality 
continues  to  be  a  core  element  of  the  EU  2020  strategy,  because  equality  between 
women and men has proven to be a sustainable solution to old and new challenges. 
Gender  equality  policies  should  therefore  be  considered  as  a  long-term  investment 
and not as a short-term cost.  

The political responses given to the recession represent an opportunity as well as a 
potential threat for women’s employment and gender equality. There is a risk that the 
current  recession  will  delay  advances,  or  even  reverse  progress,  with  longer-term 
consequences on the sustainability of the economy and the social protection systems, 
social inclusion, and demography.  

Efficient  gender  equality  policies  must  be  considered  as  part  of  the  solution  for 
exiting  the  crisis,  supporting  recovery  and  building  a  stronger  economy  for  the 
future.  The  basis  for  a  sustainable  recovery  and  for  sound  public  finances  is 
structural reforms aimed at ensuring increased labour force participation17. Investing 
in  women’s  employment  and  economic  independence  and  in  work-life  balance 
measures for both women and men has shown to pay off in terms of economic and 
social development18.  

3.1. 

Strengthening  the  synergy  between  gender  equality  and  employment  to 
stimulate recovery and sustainable growth  

Removing  persisting  inequalities  between  women  and  men  through  gender  equality 
policies  can  be  seen  as  a  factor  for  driving  growth  and  not  as  a  cost  for  society. 
Gender equality on the labour market can enable Member States to take advantage 
of the full potential labour supply, notably in view of future skills shortages. It will 
also contribute to the success of the policy reforms in employment policies, including 
flexicurity strategies.  

•  Efforts  to  eliminate  gender  inequalities  in  employment  must  be  continued  and 
intensified as part of the new strategy for growth and jobs to be adopted in 2010, 
so as to significantly narrow the gaps in terms of employment,pay and decision-
making, providing better jobs, as well as reducing labour market segregation and 
poverty risk. 

•  Reducing the gender pay gap and tackling the underlying causes19 should remain a 
priority. Action in this area should involve all parties concerned and combine all 
implementation  of  existing 
available 

the  effective 

instruments, 

including 

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Smith, M. and Bettio, F. (2008) ‘Analysis Note: The economic case for gender equality’, EGGE. 
Council document 16214/09. 
Löfgren, A. (2009). 
COM(2007) 424. 

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legislation,  transparent  evaluation  of  pay  systems,  raising  awareness  and 
combating stereotypes and reviewing job classifications.  

•  Tax and benefit systems should provide financial incentives for women and men 
to take up, remain in and return to work. Where needed, these systems should be 
reformed  to  remove  financial  disincentives  to  labour  market  participation  of 
secondary earners and main carers and to ensure equal economic independence for 
women  and  men,  also  with  regard  to  the  earning  of  pension  rights,  while  still 
protecting those with atypical career patterns.  

•  In  order  to  limit  the  negative  repercussions  of  the  economic  crisis  on  the  equal 
participation of women and men in the labour market, policy makers have to build 
their policy responses on a gender-sensitive analysis of the labour market as well 
as  systematic  gender  impact  assessments  and  evaluations.  Investments  in  social 
infrastructure can be a productive factor and transform economies in recovery.  

3.2. 

Supporting  reconciliation  between  work  and  private  and  family  life  for  both 
women and men  

A  good  work-life  balance  for  both  women  and  men  depends  on  modern  work 
organisation,  the  availability  of  affordable  quality  care  services,  and  a  more  equal 
sharing  of  family  responsibilities  and  domestic  tasks.  The  possibility  of  reconciling 
work  and  family  has  a  direct  impact  on  women’s  employment  and  positions  in  the 
labour  market,  earnings  and  economic  independence  over  the  life-cycle.  A  major 
challenge is to focus on policies and incentives to encourage and enable men to take 
up more care and family responsibilities. Policies also need to take into account the 
increasing number of lone-parent households, mainly headed by women.  

•  Efforts to develop affordable, accessible and quality care services for children, in 
line  with  European  targets,  and  other  dependants  should  be  continued  and 
intensified.  The  potential  of  the  Structural  Funds  and  the  EAFRD20  for  the 
financing of quality services should be fully utilised. 

•  The agreement of the European social partners on parental leave21 shows progress 
in  this  area.  Men  should  be  encouraged  to  share  parenting  equally  with  women, 
and both women’s and men’s need to balance work and family life must be better 
recognised in the workplace.  

•  The economic downturn should not be used as a reason to slow down progress on 
reconciliation  policies  and  to  cut  budgets  allocated  to  care  services  and  leave 
arrangements, affecting labour market access by women in particular. 

•  The proposals reviewing the two directives22 on maternity leave and rights of self-

employed women need to be rapidly adopted by the EU legislators.  

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European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. 
COM(2009) 410. 
COM(2008) 636 and COM(2008) 637. 

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3.3. 

Promoting social inclusion and gender equality  

Women are at a higher risk of poverty than men, partly due to lower earnings, higher 
prevalence in less valued and precarious employment conditions, and unpaid caring 
responsibilities.  Poverty  especially  affects  women  in  vulnerable  situations,  such  as 
lone mothers, elderly single women, women with disabilities as well as women with 
immigrant and ethnic minority backgrounds. Roma women are at particular risk of 
marginalisation and exclusion.  

•  Quality  full-time  employment  is  the  best  safeguard  against  poverty  and  social 
exclusion.  In  order  to  effectively  ensure  a  stable  link  to  the  labour  market,  it  is 
crucial  to  design  and  implement  policies,  including  access  to  enabling  services, 
that respond to the respective needs of women and men.  

•  Particularly  in  times  of  recession  when  poor  people  are  at  risk  of  falling  deeper 
into  poverty,  special  attention  should  be  paid  to  protecting  those  groups  facing 
multiple disadvantages, and to ensure their inclusion into society.  

•  In  the  context  of  the  2010  European  Year,  dedicated  to  combating  poverty  and 
social exclusion, it is important to address gender equality challenges in planned 
activities.  

3.4. 

Preventing and combating gender-based violence  

Women are the main victims of gender-based violence. Across the EU, it is estimated 
that at least two in ten of all women have experienced physical violence at least once 
in their adult lives, and around one in ten have suffered forced sexual violence23. The 
majority  of  these  violent  acts  are  carried  out  by  men  in  their  immediate  social 
environment, most often by partners and ex-partners. Apart from the human suffering 
it  causes,  such  violence  also  has  serious  social  and  financial  consequences,  with 
high costs for the health sector, social services, the police and judiciary and for the 
labour market.  

•  Efforts  to  develop  preventative  methods  to  combat  gender-based  violence, 
including  trafficking  in  human  beings  for  sexual  and  labour  exploitation,  should 
be  intensified24.  Prevention  of  gender-based  violence  in  all  its  forms  is  essential 
and  requires  education,  training  and  awareness,  including  cooperation  between 
social services, health workers, police and the judiciary. 

•  Targeted  action,  including  legislation,  is  needed  to  eliminate  customary  or 
traditional  harmful  attitudes  and  practices,  including  female  genital  mutilation, 
early and forced marriages, and honour crimes.  

•  While data is limited, findings show that gender-based violence increases in times 
of  economic  crises,  with  stress  and  job  loss  being  leading  factors25.  Tackling 

23
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Council of Europe (2006) Combating violence against women. 
The  Commission  has  put  forward  a  proposal  for  a  Council  Framework  Decision  on  preventing  and  combating  trafficking  in 
human beings, and protecting victims (COM(2009) 136). 
Lubrani, O. (2009) ‘The world economic and financial crisis: What will it mean for gender equality’, UNIFEM. 

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violence  and  investing  in  women  need  to  be  given  priority  so  that  increased 
violence will not be a hidden consequence of the crisis.  

3.5. 

Transforming commitment to gender equality into action and results  

Gender equality can only be achieved if there is a strong and clear commitment at 
the  highest  political  level,  be  it  the  European  institutions,  governments  or  social 
partners.  Progress  requires  turning  commitment  into  action  through  efficient 
mechanisms and structures for implementation. It is important that gender equality 
becomes  a  visible  and  central  concern  in  policy  and  planning,  and  that  gender 
mainstreaming becomes a more efficient tool in policy making.  

•  A  strong  commitment  to  further  progress  towards  gender  equality  needs  to  be 
sustained at both EU and Member State levels, through a follow-up strategy to the 
European  Commission’s  Roadmap  for  equality  between  women  and  men26,  the 
European  Pact  for  Gender  Equality27  adopted  by  the  European  Council,  and  the 
Framework  of  actions  on  gender  equality  agreed  by  the  European  social 
partners28.  

•  Improved training and capacity building is necessary for convincing and enabling 
those involved in policy making to include a gender perspective in their respective 
areas of competence and to assess the specific impact of policies on women and 
men. This also requires the development of gender statistics, indicators, tools and 
manuals, including the exchange of best practice.  

•  Both women and men need to take ownership of gender issues and be convinced 
of the benefits for society as a whole of efficient gender equality policies. Better 
synergy between policies and instruments is also important for further progress.  

4. 

CONCLUSIONS  

In  view  of  the  contribution  that  gender  equality  can  make  to  sustainable  growth, 
employment,  competitiveness  and  social  cohesion,  the  Commission  considers  that 
the gender dimension should be strengthened in all parts of the post-Lisbon strategy. 

The Commission invites the European Council to urge the Member States to respond 
without delay to the challenges outlined in this report, in particular the following: 

•  strengthen  the  gender  dimension  in  all  parts  of  the  EU  2020  strategy,  including 
more  efficient  use  of  gender  mainstreaming,  and  specific  actions  and  targets  for 
gender equality within the European Employment Strategy;  

•  reduce  the  gender  pay  gap  through  specific  strategies  combining  all  available 

instruments, including targets where appropriate;  

26

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COM(2006) 92. 
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/ec/89013.pdf. 
http://www.etuc.org/r/704. 

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•  ensure  that  diversity  in  boards  of  listed  companies  fosters  a  balanced  and  long-
term  oriented  decision-making  environment  and  that  women  are  encouraged  to 
take on the challenge of board membership in listed companies; 

•  improve  reconciliation  measures  for  both  men  and  women,  including  family-
related leaves, care services, flexible working arrangements, and encourage equal 
sharing  of  private  and  family  responsibilities,  to  facilitate  full-time  employment 
for both women and men; 

•  intensify efforts to prevent and combat gender-based violence; 

•  ensure that policies pay attention to women in particularly vulnerable positions — 
for  example,  women  in  precarious  jobs,  older  women  workers,  single  parents, 
disabled women, migrant/ethnic minority and Roma women;  

•  ensure  that  the  gender  perspective  is  mainstreamed  in  the  responses  to  the 
recession  at  the  European  and  national  levels,  taking  into  account  the 
differentiated impact of the crisis on women and men; 

•  renew  the  commitment  taken  by  the  Member  States  in  the  European  Pact  for 
Gender  Equality  and  reinforce  partnership  and  synergy  between  the  European 
institutions, social partners and civil society. 

EN 

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