Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-09-27-Speech-3-288"
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"en.20060927.23.3-288"2
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"Madam President, as a result of the roles and duties traditionally ascribed to women and men in certain societies, women continue to be deprived of access to education and proper health care. They are also being denied the means to improve their financial situation. This is supported by statistics, according to which 70% of those living in poverty in the world are women, which is a very high proportion. In spite of these figures, many people still fail to appreciate that a lack of equality between the sexes clearly has a negative impact on development in the long term. This is because lack of equality between the sexes means that women do not have equal access to the market means of production and that, in relation to social and political issues, they are not part of the decision-making process. This situation has a negative impact on long term development.
International trade can also help to ensure that the economic potential of the whole of society is exploited by promoting the involvement of women in the economic, social and political spheres. In this respect, cohesion between the aims of European policy on gender equality and the aims of its trade and development policy is particularly important. Ensuring that women can play their rightful part in the economy is crucial if we are to strengthen the position of women and overcome structural discrimination. To this end, the European Commission should strive not only to include the issue of gender equality in international trade strategies, but also to introduce transparent systems for their monitoring and control. By setting a good example, which I trust will become the norm in time, the European Union can demonstrate to third countries that women must not be treated as second class citizens and must have the opportunity to benefit from full access to the market, to credit and to capital goods.
In addition, it is important for both the institutions of the European Union and the Member States to include gender equality and equal opportunity issues in the aims identified within the framework of all European funding programmes. The Member States should make an effort to develop national political measures that will foster gender equality and increase female employment.
The Norwegian Government’s decision to bring in a law requiring 40% female representation on the boards of joint stock companies is a splendid example to follow and should be emulated by other Member States. It should also become the subject of a regulation at Community level. Women must have an equal right to participate in economic life, especially in the poorest countries. Potentially helpful measures include universal access to so-called ‘micro-credits’, which would help to combat poverty amongst women, promote self-sufficiency and raise their social status.
In conclusion, I would like to emphasise that it is important to ensure that women are appropriately represented at government level in the Member States of the European Union and in international organisations. This would ensure that gender issues and problems which primarily affect women are taken into account within the framework of trade negotiations at global level.
I should also like to sincerely congratulate Mrs Breyer on a very well prepared document."@en1
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