Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-11-06-Speech-4-038"
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"en.20031106.3.4-038"2
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"We are in the middle of an exciting and demanding period in the history of Europe. We are increasing the number of EU Member States, and we are at the moment devising and debating a new framework for treaty-based cooperation based on the nation states and the people.
There are quite a few prior conditions of involvement in EU cooperation, but one of them is the need to practise democracy and observe human rights, that is to say people must have equal opportunities to develop, and exercise control over, their lives.
When we look at what is actually happening in Europe, who is it that takes the decisions? Who determines the laws? Who manages daily life in international, European, national, regional and local assemblies? Who personifies public power? The answer is quite simply that it is the men who do this. If there is any doubt about this, it is enough to try asking how many women there are among Heads of State or Government. The answer is, none. If we look at the family photo from Copenhagen in 2002, there are 64 people in that picture, including just eight women.
Is that the case because there is a shortage of women in Europe? Is it a case of our constituting a minority? There are, now and again, people who tell us that we do, whereupon we are placed among other minorities. In that case, we must, however, tell ourselves that, no, this is not the case. We constitute at least half the population. Women form at least half the electorate, so it is not therefore a question of there not being enough women. Is it, therefore, a case of there being no competent women? No, that is not the reason, either. There are in actual fact women – and, as time goes by, more women than men – who enter higher education, although that is no longer, of course, always a criterion for participating in political life. It is not this that forms the background to the situation.
There are quite a few reasons why there are not enough women, and these apply everywhere. In this case, we shall concentrate on the election we face next year. As has been said, we are at present building the new Europe. Women constitute half the new Europe, and it is absolutely fundamental that this half should also be involved in deciding the framework for, and content of, further cooperation. One of the places in which they can do this is, moreover, in the European Parliament.
Today, we are in a situation in which 30% of Members of the European Parliament are women. We are now enlarging the EU to include ten new countries and, in that connection, we are obliged to take a brief look at how women are represented in those countries. Unfortunately, matters do not look too good. Obviously, not all the countries are right at the bottom of the table, and the fact is that we also have, among the Member States, countries that are low down on the list where women’s representation is concerned. All the same, we have to say that the average is low. What, therefore, we have to concentrate on in the forthcoming election is getting more women to stand and finding out why others do not wish to do so. Are they in actual fact just not invited to stand, or does the old classic pattern apply whereby no one voluntarily surrenders power, neither men nor women for that matter. Personally, I believe it is the classic situation. Naturally, men do not voluntarily relinquish power, just as we women also find it extremely difficult to give up so-called power over our children. None of us are saints. It is now important, however, for us to try to discuss this matter and to understand that, if we are to have this EU cooperation accepted among the EU’s populations, it would perhaps be a good idea if we were to try inviting women to participate and if, above all, we were to devise systems that might give women opportunities to be elected if they were finally to appear on the lists. Gaining acceptance of EU cooperation will certainly take some doing. Over there sits a Swedish Commissioner and I, who speak now, am a Dane, and if there is anywhere it is hard going obtaining grass-roots acceptance of European cooperation, it is in Sweden and Denmark, with the greatest scepticism among women.
Experience in the Scandinavian countries shows that it is not, therefore, a case of women not being elected. If they stand on an equal footing, they are in actual fact elected. The fact is that, if there are women who have any chance at all of being elected, then elected they are. It is not therefore a case of voters generally believing women not to be up to scratch. On the contrary, they are happy to vote for them. The truth is that they have no opportunity to vote women representatives in.
It is extremely important that we discuss this matter now because, at present, 31% of MEPs are women. Among the new countries, matters appear lopsided. In a Parliament with greater influence upon European legislation than we have ever had before, we are thus now in danger of having far less than 30% women, because women are so poorly represented in, for example, the new countries. There are two countries that have sent no female observers at all. It really is unbelievable that democracy can be practised and human rights observed on that basis.
I think we must all try to help each other ensure that there is a proper proportion of women in the European Parliament so that people feel represented in this House."@en1
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