This documents sets out the Community Framework Strategy on Gender Equality (Work Programme for 2001). This strategy embraces all Community policies in their efforts to promote gender equality. The Framework Strategy unites and coordinates the different initiatives and programmes across the Commission under a single umbrella, around clear assessment criteria, gender proofing and evaluation, monitoring tools and the setting of benchmarks. This new approach raises the profile of the range of existing Community activities for the promotion of gender equality, and ensure their global consistency by identifying overlaps thus optimising efficiency and visibility inside and outside the Commission.
The Framework Strategy encompasses the following fields of intervention:
1) promoting gender equality in economic life : this area focuses on gender gaps in the labour market and the ways to tackle them. The aims are to increase the employment rate of women, to reduce the unemployment rates among women, the gender segregation of the labour market and to significantly reduce the gener pay gap which still remains at 20%.
2) promoting equal participation and representation : this area covers the lack of women's participation in decision-making bodies. The actions include strategies and instruments to promote women political, economic and social decision-making at all levels, including activities in external relations and development co-operation.
3) promoting equal access and full enjoyment of social rights for women and men : here the objective is to effectively apply gender mainstreaming to all policy area which have an impact on women's daily life such as transport, public health and the fight against discrimination on other grounds, to continue to improve the applciation of Community legislation, in particular on social protection and in the areas of parental leave, maternity protection and working time and to find ways and means of more easily reconciling family and working life.
4) promoting gender equality in civil life : this area covers the enforcement of human rights of women through promotion of human rights of women, enforcement of equal opportunity rights and strengthen the fight against gender-related violence and trafficking in women.
5) promoting change of gender roles and stereo-types : this covers gender mainstreaming in education, training, culture, science, media, youth and sports policies.
Furthermore, this report also sets out priority actions for 2001 which shall be implemented by all Commission services.�