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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Anna KARAMANOU |
| Meeting with President Prodi and the Group of Commissioners on Equal Opportunities |
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| Statement by Anna Karamanou |
Brussels, 3.3.2004 |
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First, I would like to extend my warm thanks to President Prodi for inviting us to this annual and very important meeting. I also congratulate the Commissioners Group for its engagement and commitment to promote women's rights. I would like to express my gratitude especially to Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou for her great efforts and high ambitions in promoting gender equality in the EU. However, as the First Annual Report indicates persistent gender disparities still exist in all areas.
I am sure that the implementation of the principle of gender mainstreaming and a fair share of political power between men and women will lead to a fairer and more democratic society. That's why, in view of the European elections in the Enlarged Europe, our Committee has put the spotlight on women's participation in decision-making, both in political and in economic life. We have reminded all party leaders to respect gender equality and set up gender-balanced lists for the next parliament.
Allow me to remind that our Committee has played an active role in order to safeguard gender equality in the future Constitution of Europe. We appreciate the results achieved so far in the Draft Constitutional Treaty - equality as part of the values, promotion of gender equality as an objective, the principle of gender mainstreaming as a horizontal provision, as well as the fight against all forms of discrimination. These results have to be maintained in the final Constitution.
The persistent inequality in the distribution of power between women and men, we believe is the root to violence against women including trade in women. The fight against violence and all sorts of violation of women's fundamental rights has been a priority in the work of our Committee during this legislative period. Although we regret that it has not been possible to create a legal basis in the Treaty for this matter, we are pleased to be able to conclude shortly an agreement with the Council on phase II of the Daphne programme. This gives us a good opportunity to devote the year 2006 as a European year against violence.
In reviewing the last five-year period, a milestone in promoting gender equality was reached with the updating of the Directive on Equal Treatment as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion. But equality must be enforced not only in the workplace, and therefore, we welcomed the Commission's proposal for a Directive, which will ban sex discrimination in access to goods and services. However, we regret the strong resistance among many Commissioners which led to this narrow scope, but as it is a step in the right direction, we are willing to support the Commission's proposal, even if the position of the Parliament remains to be decided. We also regret that promises on setting up a European Gender Institute have not been realised yet.
Mr President,
With our joint efforts, we have achieved to narrow the gender gap in the Union, which remains a good example for the rest of the world, where women still have to struggle a lot for their basic human rights. In many developing countries, these rights are systematically violated and several international events have led us to act, showing our solidarity towards women victims of warfare, or world conflicts, or even cultural clashes.
Our Committee is willing to strengthen even more its international role, in the next legislative period. Ten years after the Beijing Conference, we think it provides us with a good opportunity to review the situation, both within and outside the EU. This can become possible by organising a Beijing +10 Conference, under the auspices of the UN, to where the European Commission should address this proposal.
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