Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-03-12-Speech-1-120-000"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2012-03-12"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Equality between women and men in the European Union - 2011 - Women in political decision-making (debate)2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20120312.17.1-120-000"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2012-03-12-Speech-1-121-0002
lpv:speaker	lp:Viviane Reding2
lpv:translated text	"Madam President, I would like to thank the two rapporteurs, Ms in ’t Veld and Ms Pietikäinen. They have given us the basis for a very animated debate. In this Chamber I have often criticised the fact that there were very few men in the Chamber during debates on women’s and gender equality questions, but I must say that tonight was a first. There were many more men than usual. It is good that this debate – where both sides are heard, where people have different opinions, because it is a question of society and not a question of women alone – is led by men and by women. I am personally absolutely convinced that only in a society where equilibrium is reached between men and women can we have a real development both in societal terms and economic terms. We need both. So please, Parliament, vote massively tomorrow. I think we all agree that there are many challenges and that the challenges have not become less but that problems are growing. Where we do not agree is on the measures to be taken in order to change this situation. Mostly we do not agree on what should be done at European level and what should be done at national level, although very often the two have to be combined. So I really need the support of Parliament in order to go forward in those areas where there is a very clear European competence. I need the help of Parliament to continue to raise awareness about the very large number of inequalities and to take the measures that are needed to change this situation. By the way, I would like to tell you that all Commissioners are aware that in their portfolio the balance between men and women needs to be tackled. One example I could give of how European law and national action have to be combined is the question of the gender pay gap. Several Members who asked this question are no longer in the Chamber but, at any rate, I think it is important that I tell you this. We do have a European directive on equal pay for equal work, and there was a very interesting hearing concerning that problem last week in Parliament. The result of this hearing was that, where the directive is applied by national courts, direct discrimination is no longer very high. We are going to review this directive, analysing, with a report in the coming months, how it works and in which countries it has made quite a difference. But there are very many problems of indirect discrimination. Women earn less because they make up the majority of people in part-time work and because they leave work when they become mothers. Fathers do not leave work when they become fathers. A majority of those in underpaid jobs are women. That explains the gender pay gap. One of the conclusions of the hearing was that we desperately need transparency rules to be applied in the Member States. Some Member States have acted on this but most have not. We need to go a step further in regard to this problem. So you can see that, while sometimes a European directive solves problems, other problems can only be solved at the level of the labour market, at the level of the social partners working together and at the level of national governments introducing transparency rules. I need the European Parliament to encourage those organisations in civil society which help us to make progress happen. In the last year I have seen that many of those have a lot of energy and action. I will give you the latest example which I found when I started to look at the reasons why there were so few women at decision-making level in our economic world. The business schools of Europe united their forces and last Wednesday they presented a pool of 3 500 women, highly qualified in studies and in experience, in top management, who are ready to be put on the boards of any big listed company. They have helped us to show that the women are there and that we just need to use the talent which is available in society. They also need our help in order to understand that the European Parliament helps them to go in this direction. This brings me to the point where I really do need your help as well, namely with the measures seeking to reach the point where qualified women are no longer blocked by the glass ceiling and where their talent is not lost to the economy as is happening today. Some of you have said that on the boards of the largest listed companies in Europe we have a de facto male quota, because 86% of the members of these boards are men. And where are the women – those 3 500 for instance who were put forward by the business schools? We have to help this talent to express itself in the interest of our society and of our economy. I also need your help in order to help those forces in the political parties which fight for a better representation of women on the electoral lists. We all know, through party political experience, that this is not very easily done. That is why all those who try to do this need a strong European Parliament that says yes, we will go for equality in the representation of men and women as well. Only with a balance between men and women in our national parliaments and in our European Parliament will we have a real democracy and a real equilibrium in policies which can be achieved for the good of our society."@en1
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Vice-President of the Commission."1 "Viviane Reding,"1
lpv:videoURI	<go to Events_and_structure europarl>2

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