Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Gender equality issues’(own-initiative opinion)
Date: 2019-05-15
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: education policy, equal pay, female work, gender equality, mass media, participation of women, position of women, poverty, sexual discrimination, women's rights








C_2019240EN.01000301.xml










16.7.2019   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 240/3






Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Gender equality issues’
(own-initiative opinion)
(2019/C 240/02)
Rapporteur: Indrė VAREIKYTĖ







Plenary Assembly decision


20.9.2018




Legal basis


Rule 32(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Own-initiative opinion




Section responsible


Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship




Adopted in section


24.4.2019




Adopted at plenary


15.5.2019




Plenary session No


543




Outcome of vote
(for/against/abstentions)


200/4/7




1.   Conclusions and recommendations









1.1.


The Committee believes that gender equality is a societal issue and that only a gender equal society can be economically and socially strong. It is therefore an economic and social imperative that women and men are treated equally and given equal opportunities.












1.2.


While gender equality is a key objective of the EU, the EESC regrets that it will take over 100 years to achieve it at the current rate, especially if progress is further hindered by a backlash in the most crucial areas of development and a general slowdown in economic growth.












1.3.


The Committee believes that the EU and its Member States must make every effort to achieve SDG 5 on gender equality by 2030. It therefore calls for an integrated and ambitious five-year EU gender equality strategy (1), spanning the term of the next Commission and EP, and a strong commitment to gender equality by the EU institutions, governments, civil society and the private sector to holistically tackle all aspects of equality effectively at the same time and with measures of equal impact.












1.4.


The EESC calls for gender equality to remain a stand-alone goal in the future financial frameworks, with a clear commitment to gender equality and gender mainstreaming and the inclusion of gender indicators, gender impact assessment and gender budgeting in all programmes and policy fields. The gender dimension should also be integrated into the country specific recommendations.












1.5.


The Committee calls on the European Commission to launch a package on care services to boost the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and to revise the Barcelona targets on childcare.












1.6.


The EESC condemns all forms of violence against women and encourages Member States that have not yet ratified the Istanbul Convention to reconsider their position. The EESC also calls on the Commission to add online harassment and mobbing of women to the definition of illegal hate speech. EU-wide indicators for comparable data collection on violence against women should be established, as this would assist with developing effective policy measures.












1.7.


The Committee notes that the discussion on the Women on Boards Directive remains on the agenda of the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council with the objective of increasing female participation in decision-making bodies. It calls on the Council to continue its efforts and proceed with the discussion on the Women on Boards Directive. The Committee also calls on industry to take a leading role and increase the participation of women in top decision-making positions.












1.8.


The EESC calls for effective measures to be taken to ensure equal opportunities for women and men in the labour market, notably measures to close the gender pay gap, as well as to tackle horizontal and vertical gender segregation in occupations.












1.9.


The EESC proposes establishing an emergency legal fund at EU level, which would provide support to civil society organisations who challenge national or local legislation that violates women’s rights in courts.












1.10.


The Committee recognises the role played by the media, advertising and public role-models in promoting gender equality and calls for measures to be taken to ensure that advertising has a positive rather than a negative impact in terms of representing and promoting gender equality in society.












1.11.


The EESC calls on public institutions and civil society organisations across the EU to promote gender equality with their policies and external actions and to introduce exemplary internal measures, such as promoting women in decision-making and mainstreaming gender equality in all of their policies and processes.












1.12.


Referring to Article 300(5) TFEU, the Committee calls on the Council to review its guidelines for the appointment of EESC members and recommends that the Member States put forward members on a gender parity basis. The Committee will strive to ensure gender equality in its operations, mainstream gender equality in its work process and establish a follow-up group in order to draw up adequate guidelines.




2.   General considerations









2.1.


Equality between women and men is a fundamental value and objective of the European Union, enshrined in the European treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights and most recently reaffirmed in the European Pillar of Social Rights. In addition to its legislative and policy framework for achieving gender equality, the EU supports the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, as well as the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the outcomes of their review conferences.












2.2.


While there are numerous positive initiatives within Europe to tackle various aspects of gender inequalities, the drivers for true equality, especially within the Member States and regions, are complex and multi-faceted. Despite the general progress that has been made, the EESC regrets that, at the current rate, it will take over 100 years to achieve gender equality in the EU. The EESC has called for an overarching strategy for sustainability in implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. In this context, the Committee believes that the EU and its Member States must make every effort to achieve SDG 5 on gender equality by 2030.












2.3.


The EESC is also concerned that the future progress on gender equality could be hindered by the backlash in some Member States within the areas of economic empowerment of women (employment, work-life balance, social rights, care), education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, violence against women, women’s NGOs and key areas of the institutional and policy framework within the EU and its Member States.












2.4.


Additionally, a slowdown in the economic growth of a number of European countries is forecast, and so there is a risk that gender equality could slip down the agenda of Member States and companies as a consequence. It is important that the gender effects of macroeconomic policies are fully assessed and taken into account when designing fiscal policies and social protection and work-life balance policies, among others, so as to avoid further exacerbating the existing gender inequalities.












2.5.


The Committee believes that advancing and ensuring the effective implementation of EU gender equality policies requires a new five-year EU gender equality strategy, spanning the term of the next Commission and EP, and a renewed commitment to gender equality by governments, civil society, the private sector and European institutions. It is not only needed to ensure a fair and equal society, but is also the best collective response to combat the discriminatory and misogynistic populist movements that are currently challenging democratic societies.












2.6.


Public opinion supports the EESC’s view here, as the majority of Europeans think that gender equality is crucial for a fair and democratic society (91 %), for the economy (87 %) and for them personally (84 %). Moreover, the share of EU citizens who would like the EU to intervene more in this policy area has risen by 10 % (from 55 % to 65 %) in just two years (2016-2018).












2.7.


In this light, the Committee regrets that the overall EU funding allocated to gender equality measures in the 2014-2020 period is only EUR 6,17 billion, or around 0,6 % of the overall appropriations. The EESC calls for gender equality to remain a stand-alone goal in the future financial frameworks, which also have to show a clear commitment to gender equality and gender mainstreaming and include gender indicators, gender impact assessment and gender budgeting for both the EU and national levels. Attention to gender mainstreaming and the provision of specific funds for gender equality measures should be present not only in programmes addressing employment and social inclusion issues or fundamental human rights (e.g. the ESF, REC, AMIF, EaSI funds), but also in policy fields that are not seen as immediately related to gender equality but could have significant gender effects such as ICT, transport, urban and rural development, business, investment support, sustainable development and environmental policies. Gender equality dimension, assessed on the basis of the gender equality index, should become an integral part of the EU semester process, including country reports and country specific recommendations.












2.8.


In the light of the recent increase in #MeToo exposures, the Committee praises the European Ombudsman for recommending a stronger code of conduct in all EU institutions, and believes that it also should be swiftly adapted and adopted by public institutions in the Member States.












2.9.


The EESC calls on public institutions and civil society organisations across the EU not only to promote gender equality with their policies and external actions, but to also introduce exemplary internal measures, such as promoting women in decision-making and mainstreaming gender equality in all of their policies and processes, which are currently limited, but could set a strong positive example for the surrounding public institutions and businesses and further the dialogue on the implementation of gender equality measures at all levels of European society.




3.   Economy









3.1.


Equal access to economic resources is not just a matter of women’s economic independence but a prerequisite for meeting the EU objectives on sustainable economic growth, quality employment, social cohesion, prosperity and competitiveness. Encouraging participation of women in the labour market is crucial for smart, sustainable, inclusive growth and GDP more generally, for ensuring that the EU makes full use of available talent.












3.2.


In the labour market, European women continue to face persistent gender inequalities, segregation and a gender pay gap, which alone will cost the EU an estimated EUR 240 billion in GDP by 2030 and has both an immediate effect on women’s take-home pay and a long-term effect on their social security and pension entitlements. The EESC therefore welcomes the Commission’s consultation to evaluate the provisions in Directive 2006/54/EC implementing the Treaty principle on ‘equal pay’ with a view to ensuring better enforcement of the principle of equal pay for work of equal value in practice.












3.3.


While reduced working hours can be a choice, over a quarter of Europe’s population is in involuntary part-time employment. Women are over-represented in part-time employment and their choice of part-time work is often influenced by caring responsibilities. The share of involuntary part-time work has decreased only slightly (0,1 %) in recent years. One reason for involuntary part-time work is a lack of adequate care infrastructure and flexible working arrangements which could offer better opportunities for work-life balance. Women are also generally more exposed to poverty and limited career possibilities. Moreover, almost twice as few women as men set up their own businesses across the EU.












3.4.


The EESC therefore calls for effective measures to be taken to ensure equal participation of women and men in the labour market, as well as to tackle horizontal and vertical gender segregation in occupations. Creating more opportunities for women to gain access to quality full-time employment with flexible work arrangements should be a key priority.












3.5.


The Committee believes that promoting family- and gender equality-friendly labour policies and implementing transformative and targeted measures that can re-balance the unequal distribution of caring and domestic tasks between women and men are essential (2), especially as economic conditions put increasing pressure on workers. Monitoring of the transposition of the EU work-life balance directive will be essential to ensure upward reforms towards adequate paid leave and flexible work arrangements and to assess the impact of the new measures on the uptake of parental and paternity leave by fathers.












3.6.


Appropriate measures, such as the provision of accessible and affordable childcare and long-term care services, as well as measures promoting the take-up of leave for men, are crucial for allowing parents and carers to enter, remain in, or return to the labour market. The EESC calls on the European Commission to launch a package on care services to boost the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and complement the Work-life Balance Directive, containing a mix of policy, funding and target recommendations; and to revise the Barcelona targets on childcare.












3.7.


Collective bargaining can play an important role in addressing gender inequalities in the labour market. The recommendation of the ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work regarding a transformative agenda for gender equality should guide the social partners, Member States and EU institutions in their actions.




4.   Education and training









4.1.


Despite many encouraging changes in the education achievements of women and men, stereotypical segregation patterns remain throughout the Member States. Men remain severely underrepresented in sectors associated with traditional female roles, such as health and welfare, humanities and arts or teacher training and education science, while outnumbering women in STEM and ICT in all Member States. This creates additional challenges for women, as STEM, ICT and AI skills are already crucial today and will become indispensable in the future (3).












4.2.


Women with low levels of skills and qualifications need additional support to improve their position in the labour market, as the gender gap in employment is widest for people with no or low qualifications and those facing intersectional discrimination. Policy measures specifically targeting vulnerable groups of women, especially those facing disabilities (4) and multiple disadvantages, would help raise their skill levels.












4.3.


Women continue to increase their participation in higher education and outnumber men in many fields in tertiary education. However, segregation in both tertiary and vocational education persists, which limits career choices in non-traditional sectors and access to the same career opportunities.












4.4.


It is therefore crucial to continue addressing gender-based stereotypes and segregation in education and training by supporting gender-sensitive curricula in education, career counselling, media campaigns that encourage boys and girls, women and men to follow career paths according to their skills and abilities; to foster career opportunities and developments for both women and men who choose non-traditional sectors; to create opportunities for women to capitalise on their higher education achievements to the same degree as men, to address the existing glass ceiling for women in academia (5); and to increase support opportunities for female entrepreneurs (6), especially in non-traditional sectors. It is also recommended to increase the general awareness of gender equality issues and the equality skills of public servants and professionals.




5.   Women and poverty









5.1.


Women are at greater risk of poverty, partly because of lower hourly pay, overrepresentation among minimum wage earners and in sectors that have lower remuneration levels, and are more likely to be in part-time work, non-flexible work arrangements or have more care-related absences from work. The feminisation of poverty is the consequence of a number of factors, including the undervaluation of women’s work and gender pay gap. The gender employment gap widens substantially once people have children, which reflects the difficulties that women face in reconciling child-raising and care responsibilities with their work, as well as discriminatory and unfair treatment faced by pregnant women or those returning from maternity leave.












5.2.


It is crucial to acknowledge that women are not a homogeneous category and that specific measures are required for women who face discrimination or disadvantages beyond gender, i.e. women with disabilities, racialised women, LGBTIQ+, women in rural areas, immigrants, refugees or asylum seekers, and young and elderly women.












5.3.


The Committee therefore recommends reinforcing measures which support gender equality in economic activity:






—


mainstreaming gender in economic development initiatives,










—


promoting equality in employment to achieve equal economic independence and financial security,










—


supporting initiatives that increase awareness of the importance of women’s economic independence for reducing poverty,










—


addressing the effects of interrupted careers and different working patterns on the risk of women entering a state of poverty throughout their lives,










—


developing policy measures targeting specific vulnerable groups of women who are most at risk of poverty,










—


continuing to reform national pension arrangements by factoring the gender dimension into pension entitlements (e.g. by including maternity/paternity and other care-related leave time in pension calculations),










—


addressing child poverty by including a gender perspective and a holistic approach that develops synergies between social inclusion, gender equality and other policy areas and with other policy and financial instruments,










—


reviewing, adopting and maintaining macroeconomic policies and development strategies that address the needs and efforts of women in poverty.








6.   Human rights









6.1.


Gender equality is a fundamental principle, constituting an integral part of human rights and a prerequisite for making human rights applicable to all and enabling all to exercise them.












6.2.


The EESC condemns all forms of violence against women and encourages Member States that have not yet ratified the Istanbul Convention to reconsider doing so without further delay. EU-wide indicators for comparable data collection on violence against women should be established, as this would assist with developing effective policy measures. To this end, the experience gained in some EU countries could provide an indication as to the approach to adopt. The EESC also calls on the Commission to update the Recommendation on measures to effectively tackle illegal content online and the Code of conduct on countering illegal hate speech online, which was agreed upon by the EC and global IT companies, by adding online harassment and mobbing of women to the definition of illegal hate speech.












6.3.


The Committee deeply regrets the current backlash against women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in Europe, with serious implications for women’s human rights and a general threat to the universality of human rights. Moreover, although legislative rollbacks have specifically targeted women’s access to legal abortion services in some European contexts (even when evidence shows that comprehensive sexual education can reduce unwanted pregnancies by 50 %), other aspects of women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights have also been affected, e.g. legal requirements for obtaining medical prescriptions for emergency contraception. Additionally, a series of retrogressive laws and policies with a broad range of harmful implications for women’s rights have entered into force, including laws which have the effect of hindering sexual education, preventing the dissemination of information on sexual orientation and gender identity, including for education purposes, or decriminalising certain forms of domestic violence.












6.4.


The EESC calls on the EU institutions and civil society to work together to take immediate, tough action against such laws. The Committee also proposes establishing an emergency legal fund at EU level, which would provide support to civil society organisations who challenge the legislation that violates women’s rights in courts.












6.5.


The EESC also stresses the importance of addressing obstacles that women and, specifically, victims of violence face when claiming redress when their rights have been violated, and ensuring equal access to justice for all women, by removing economic, cultural and (gendered) institutional barriers as a necessary precondition for women’s human rights. Further on, the Committee regrets that indicators for assessing the progress of Member States in the area of women’s human rights are still lacking; and that men are generally more likely to face unobjective judgement and be deprived of parental and visitation rights.




7.   Women in power and decision-making









7.1.


Despite the progress in recent years, underrepresentation of women in political and economic decision-making remains a challenge for the EU and its Member States. At all levels of government women occupy only a third of political decision-making positions and merely a quarter of senior and junior ministerial positions. Public/private economic and financial institutions are still almost entirely male-dominated.












7.2.


The EESC regrets that even after continual calls from across the entire European Union and the Committee itself (7), the threshold of 40 % women in company boards by 2020 will not be achieved. It notes that the discussion on the Women on Boards Directive remains on the agenda of the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council with the objective of increasing female participation in decision-making bodies. It calls on the Council to continue its efforts and proceed with the discussion on the Women on Boards Directive. The Committee also calls on industry to take a leading role and to significantly increase the participation of women in top decision-making positions.












7.3.


The Committee repeatedly (8) recommends considering effective strategies and tools (e.g. legal, budgetary and voluntary measures, gender quotas) to break the glass ceiling and achieve gender balance in elected and nominated posts in major political structures. Addressing and tackling the gender norms, attitudes and stereotypes hindering equal representation of women in decision-making positions in the political, economic and social domains is more important than ever.












7.4.


The EESC recommends that the Commission lead an initiative to attract more women to participate in politics and vote for qualified female candidates by creating measures to invest in their skills, resource foundations and mentoring networks.












7.5.


The EESC welcomes the target set by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker of ensuring that, by the end of the current term, at least 40 % of its middle and senior managers are women and, in this light, acknowledges that, given that the EESC is an EU body that represents EU civil society and acts as the bridge between society and the EU institutions, it is regrettable that only 30 % of its members are women. The Committee therefore calls on the Council to review its guidelines for the appointment of EESC members in order to take account of economic, social and demographic developments within the Union, as stated in Article 300(5) TFEU. The Committee will strive to ensure gender equality in its operations.












7.6.


In its newly adopted Rules of Procedure, the EESC has committed to ensuring compliance with the principle of gender equality and non-discrimination in all its policies. To this end, the EESC will adopt an anti-harassment policy and establish a follow-up group in order to draw up guidelines for the mainstreaming of gender equality in all its work, notably in its opinions.




8.   Media









8.1.


The media plays a vital role in shaping the opinions, attitudes and prejudices of a society. Women are producers and consumers, as well as part of media content, yet media content is not always gender-sensitive, and can portray degrading images of women and perpetuate gender roles, stereotypes and norms. The rise of digital technologies and new forms of communication has further complicated the relationship between women’s roles in the media and the way in which producers, consumers and content relate to them.












8.2.


While employment of women in the media sector in the EU has increased to nearly half (44 %) of the workforce and women represent the largest group (68 %) of graduates on journalism and information courses, women in media organisations mostly occupy only positions with limited influence on the content and strategy of organisations.












8.3.


To improve gender equality in the media industry, it is crucial to target the glass ceiling, to enhance participation of women in top decision-making positions, and complement voluntary measures adopted by media organisations with policy measures supporting transformation of the media sector and its content. It is of the utmost importance to start acknowledging the consequences of gender stereotypes produced by media content, as well as assessing how men and women are represented in the media.












8.4.


The advertising industry is still struggling to portray both women and men proportionally and realistically. Society is still seeing women and men depicted in outdated, unacceptable ways, even though gender stereotypes are now often presented in a more subtle manner. The EESC believes that it is time to shed any anachronistic perceptions and for the industry to take a leading role to ensure that advertising has a positive rather than a negative impact in terms of representing and promoting gender equality in society, especially in terms of gender-stereotyped marketing to children.





Brussels, 15 May 2019.


The President


of the European Economic and Social Committee

Luca JAHIER




(1)  OJ C 110, 22.3.2019, p. 26.

(2)  OJ C 129, 11.4.2018, p. 44.

(3)  OJ C 173, 31.5.2017, p. 45.

(4)  OJ C 367, 10.10.2018, p. 20.

(5)  OJ C 12, 15.1.2015, p. 10.

(6)  OJ C 299, 4.10.2012, p. 24.

(7)  OJ C 133, 9.5.2013, p. 68.

(8)  OJ C 262, 25.7.2018, p. 101.