Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-02-24-Speech-3-204"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20100224.19.3-204"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, for me it is an honour that my first speech during Question Time in Parliament is an answer to questions concerning women. Indeed, as Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, I think that the subject of fundamental rights linked to equal treatment between men and women is one of the most important and also one of the oldest. Furthermore, I recall with great emotion how, more than 15 years ago, as a young Luxembourg MEP, I prepared the Beijing Platform for Action in Luxembourg; now, here we are in the European Parliament to prepare the follow-up to the Beijing Platform for Action. We have come full circle.
Mr President, on my return from New York, I will visit you to discuss the Commission’s strategy on equality. We will do it together. We will do it for 50% of our population, for 50% of our citizens, and we will succeed.
I do not need to underline that; as you know, equality between men and women is one of the fundamental values of the European Union, and you can count on the unfailing commitment of the Commission in this area.
In the course of this year, I will present a new Commission strategy for gender equality, which will be a follow-up to the existing Roadmap for equality 2006-2010. In a few days’ time, when the work of the 54th Commission on the Status of Women begins at the United Nations, marking the 15th anniversary of Beijing, the European Parliament will send a very important delegation. I myself will be present there, along with the President of the Council, and this will be a first. We will both take the floor during the plenary session. I think that this, too, is a very strong symbol.
It will also be an opportunity to gauge, at international level, the progress made in the 12 areas for action which were identified in Beijing, but also to see what inequalities persist, because even though there have been successes, there are still challenges to meet. Furthermore, I must say that the European Union is and will remain an important supporter of the work of the United Nations, concerning both the ongoing reform of the institutional mechanisms and the creation of this gender entity within the United Nations.
The European Union also represents an influential supporter in development terms, in particular, in the context of the Millennium Development Goals, which ensure an important place for 50% of the citizens who contribute to this development globally. Indeed, we know very well that without the contribution of women, there will be no development. That is why equal treatment between men and women is a horizontal policy in the Commission, conducted not just by the Commissioner responsible for this area, but also by other Commissioners in their own areas of responsibility, namely the areas concerning policies within the European Union as well as its external policies and, in particular, its cooperation and development policies.
We all know that the creation of the Beijing Platform for Action represented a major step forward. Following the adoption of this platform, gender mainstreaming became widespread throughout the European Union. That was the signal sent out in Beijing. The impact has been truly remarkable given that, in all our Member States, our equality policies are no longer confined to targeted actions, but are, from now on, integrated into all relevant policies.
The Beijing Platform for Action has also enabled us to follow progress made in relation to equality on the basis of indicators developed by Council for most of the areas of action. There are 12 actions and nine indicators. We are very proud of the results, but there are still three indicators to establish, which I think the Council is committed to doing by adopting conclusions to forge ahead and develop these outstanding indicators.
The 15th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action. The Swedish Presidency has taken stock of what has been done in the EU with regard to equality. The Council has adopted some conclusions, and Parliament will present these papers, which will, of course, also find their place in all the other policies that the European Union will develop.
Both Presidents have just expressed their opinions on Europe 2020. It is only natural that in this system, which is going to get Europe moving again, women will play a special role, especially at a time when fewer and fewer people are in employment. In fact, we no longer even have a choice: we need women for economic development. It is no longer even just a question of gender equality; it is a question of economic policy, and that alone. We therefore have no other choice in the matter. We need women if we want Europe to overcome its difficulties, and these new indicators will, of course, help us in this way. Within the high level group, we have developed a work programme that will enable us to monitor existing indicators and create indicators that still need to be implemented. Naturally, we will be assisted in this task by the European Institute for Gender Equality, which, from next week – and this is another symbol, which comes at exactly the same time as the meeting is being held in New York – will be established permanently in Vilnius."@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples