The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender
Equality adopted the own-initiative report by Constance Le GRIP
(EPP, FR) and Maria ARENA (S&D, BE) containing a proposal for a
European Parliament recommendation to the Council on the EU
priorities for the 61st session of the UN Commission on the Status
of Women.
Members noted that equality between women and men is a
fundamental principle of the EU, enshrined in the Treaty on
European Union. They also noted that 20 years after Fourth World
Conference on Women, held in Beijing, the empowerment of girls and
women is still not a reality.
Accordingly, Members asked Parliament to address the
certain recommendation to the Council.
General conditions for empowering women and
girls: the committee confirmed its
commitment to the Beijing Platform for Action and to the range of
actions for women’s human rights and gender equality outlined
therein. It also asked for the following:
- policies to invest in women’s and girls’
equal access to high-quality education and vocational
training;
- combating all forms of violence against women and
girls;
- universal access to sexual and reproductive health
care and reproductive rights;
- elimination of the gender pay, lifelong earnings and
pension gaps;
- ending all forms of discrimination against women in
laws and policies at all levels.
Enhancing women’s economic empowerment and
overcoming barriers on the labour market: the main recommendations are:
- adopting policies and laws ensuring equal access to
work and equal pay for equal work and work of equal
value;
- intensifying work towards policies supporting and
promoting female entrepreneurship;
- supporting policies that favour the equal sharing of
domestic and care responsibilities between women and
men;
- abolishing child labour.
Ensuring women’s equal share at all levels of
decision-making by:
- protecting civil and political rights and support
ensuring gender balance in decision-making at all
levels;
- strengthening women’s leadership and
participation in decision-making in conflict and post-conflict
situations.
Addressing the needs of the most marginalised
women: in this regard, the aims are
to:
- facilitate land ownership and access to credit for
rural women;
- emphasise the right of migrant women workers,
especially migrant and refugee domestic workers, to decent working
conditions and equal social protection;
- urge all parties to implement policies that guarantee
the rights and humane treatment of women and girl
refugees.
Translating these commitments into expenditure and
making them more visible,
by:
- mobilising the resources required to realise
women’s economic rights and reduce gender
inequality;
- ensuring the full involvement of Parliament and its
Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality in the
decision-making process regarding the EU’s position at the
61st session of the UN Commission on the Status of
Women.