COR/06/147
Brussels, 7 December 2006
European Commission roadmap fails to recognise vital role of local government in combating gender inequality, says Baldacchino report
Regional and local authorities should lead by example to create a European society that pays more than just lip service to gender equality, according to a report adopted by the Committee of the Regions in Brussels yesterday (6 December).
The report, or opinion as it is known, was compiled by Maltese politician and TV broadcaster Claudette Baldacchino in response to consultation by the European Commission on its 'roadmap for equality between women and men 2006-2010', launched in March this year.
Mrs Baldacchino, who is Deputy Mayor of Qrendi Local Council, broadly welcomes the initiative which focuses on six main areas: equal economic independence, reconciliation of private and professional life, equal representation in decision-making, eradication of gender-based violence, elimination of gender stereotypes, and promotion of equality in external and development policies.
However, she criticises the Commission for failing to acknowledge the vital role that regional and local governments can play in ensuring that these objectives are translated into concrete action at grass-roots level.
As major employers and key providers of services which have a direct impact on gender equality, regional and local authorities can offer "intimate expertise and resources" and should be a central pillar of the policy, she states.
Mrs Baldacchino urges the Commission to help fund equality initiatives at local level, underlining that more effective measures are needed to encourage men to assume a fair share of family responsibility, and for better and more childcare facilities which are accessible and affordable for those who need use them.
She deplores the fact that, decades after Europe agreed on equal pay legislation, equality is "still a long way from reality" (women earn less than 15% than men on average across the EU).
The report also highlights the impact that grass-roots gender equality strategies can have in combating sex-related violence. "By working actively for greater equality we can create societies in which boys and girls are given the same chances and rights, one in which girls and women are not subjected to male violence. Local and regional authorities ... have a major responsibility in these areas, but they also have a lot of experience, with best practice and programmes targeting both the victims and the perpetrators of crime," notes Mrs Baldacchino. The Deputy Mayor particularly welcomes the Commission's focus on the problem of under-representation of women at all levels of political and economic decision-making. She admits that the CoR itself could set a better example: women currently account for only 47 of the Committee's 317 full members (although the figure among alternates is higher at 78). Mrs Baldacchino, a member of the Party of European Socialists group in the CoR, suggests that the CoR should draw up a plan to address this imbalance as part of its commitment to the 2007 Year of Equal Opportunities for All.
She calls for the assembly to host an annual Equality Forum, in order to bring together local and regional, public, private and voluntary sector powers to engage in exchanges on methodology, expertise and experience, and also recommends that the gender equality issues should be a key element of the Commission’s Plan D for democracy, debate and dialogue, aimed at increasing public participation and interest in EU affairs.
Following its consultations with stakeholders on its gender equality roadmap, the Commission is due to publish an implementation report in 2008 and an evaluation with a follow-up proposal in 2010.
EU Committee of the Regions
The Brussels-based Committee of the Regions (CoR) was established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1994 as a consultative body to provide representatives of local and regional government with a voice at the heart of the European Union. The European Commission and Council of Ministers are obliged to consult the CoR’s 317 members on proposed EU laws across a wide range of policy areas, including employment, transport and the environment. The assembly can also be consulted by the European Parliament. Malta is represented by five members and the same number of alternates in the CoR. Of it 10 representatives, three are women. More information can be found on its website at http://www.cor.europa.eu
For more information, please contact: Dennis ABBOTT Tel. +32 (0)2 282 20 99 Email: dennis.abbott@cor.europa.eu Martin MALLON Tel. +32 (0)2 282 20 33
Email: martin.mallon@cor.europa.eu Press Release in full :
<http://www.cor.europa.eu/en/press/press_releases.htm>
