Karamanou (PSE), draftsman
of the opinion of the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities.
– (EL) Madam President, Commissioner, there can be no doubt that, with
the new order created by globalisation and the leaps and bounds being made in
science and technology, the constant renewal of knowledge through lifelong
learning is vital if we are to make the best possible use of human resources. This
being so, we urgently need a European policy to give momentum to this sector
and, from this point of view, I congratulate you on your initiatives,
Commissioner, and I congratulate our rapporteur on her excellent report.
As the draftsperson of the opinion of the
Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities, I should like to point out
that the only way of achieving a European policy on lifelong learning is to
take serious account of the new order created by the mass, dynamic entry of
women on to the job market. Women are currently the most dynamic force behind
development because, as you know, two-thirds of the new jobs which it is
estimated will be created over the next ten years will be filled by women. We
therefore need to take serious account of the gender dimension when we take
policy decisions and apply measures which will abolish direct and indirect
discrimination against women, given that such discrimination always comes at
the expense of the viable development and competitiveness of the economy.
An active lifelong learning policy needs
to be designed with women's needs in mind, which means involving women,
improving their skills, widening their professional choices, removing glass
ceilings, ensuring there is a balance between men and women in the sciences and
new technologies and abolishing gender-based divisions of the job market.
You spoke, Commissioner, of the digital
divide. This digital divide applies mainly to women. We also need to give
special attention to the most vulnerable groups of women, such as immigrants,
women in rural areas and elderly women.
Last but not least, the gender
mainstreaming policy and the need to reconcile family life and work must become
part of the overall policy to promote lifelong learning.