Women's Views on News |
| European Union’s equality plans reviewed Posted: 24 Mar 2016 12:22 PM PDT
Equality between women and men is one of the European Union's fundamental values and its promotion is an obligation enshrined in the Union’s founding Treaty. To fulfil this obligation, the European Commission adopted the ‘2010-2015 Strategy for equality between women and men’ as a framework for its actions over a number of years. And now a report on equality between women and men in 2015 has been released that takes stock of the Union's achievements in 2015 in the six priority areas outlined in the Strategy. These were: Equal economic independence; Equal pay for equal work; and work of equal value; Equality in decision-making; Dignity, integrity and ending gender-based violence; Gender equality in external action; and Cross-cutting issues. The report also provides a reference point for monitoring and assessing future developments and contains statistics on Member States' starting points. By highlighting good practices in the different Member States and the innovative projects that the European Union (EU) has promoted or supported, the report also aims to be a source of inspiration for future work. And, as underlined in the work programme that it adopted on 27 October 2015, the Commission will continue to take practical action to promote gender equality. On 3 December 2015, the Commission published its ‘2016-2019 Strategic engagement for gender equality‘. That takes into consideration the European Parliament's resolution on the EU Strategy for equality between women and men post-2015, the European Pact for gender equality for the period 2011-2020, and the 2010-2015 Strategy for equality between women and men, and confirms the Commission's continued commitment to gender equality as a fundamental EU value. It lists key action points that are to remain valid for the next four years, with clear timelines and indicators for their monitoring. And in addition, it emphasises the need to integrate a gender equality perspective into all EU policies and funding programmes. The Commission also based the Strategic engagement on the results of consultations and its ad hoc evaluation – which concluded that ongoing efforts to promote gender equality need to be maintained; the European Parliament and competent national ministers have then clearly affirmed the need for the EU to continue to promote gender equality For the long-running quest for equality is by no means nearing an end. Progress may have been made in the fields of employment and decision-making, but gender gaps in pay and pensions show no sign of narrowing and inequalities persist in too many areas. Violence against women is still widespread, still has drastic consequences and is still and too often tolerated. Against the backdrop of continued violence, discrimination and vulnerability, the Commission's 2010-2015 Strategy was a reference tool, highlighting priority areas for action that are still valid today. The EU has sought tirelessly to promote gender equality with a mix of legislative and non-legislative action. Legislating at European level, however, often proves difficult, and needs to be backed up with awareness-raising activities and proactive policy measures. EU funding programmes have brought positive change on the ground, facilitating a wide array of practical measures from new childcare capacities to helplines for victims of gender-based violence. The EU is also fostering mutual learning and shared diagnosis on the basis of common surveys and indicators. It seeks to promote gender equality in many of its policies, from research to humanitarian aid and conflict resolution. The ad hoc evaluation showed that the 2010-2015 Strategy has been a useful framework for action and has led to the mobilising of resources and stakeholders. For instance, action was taken in all the priority areas in 2015. Gender equality was an integral consideration in the annual cycle of economic coordination. The Commission raised awareness of the remaining gaps in pay, pension and decision making, and, through its support for grassroots projects, also combated gender-based violence. The Gender Action Plan in external relations was also renewed. But addressing the remaining obstacles to equality cannot be left to chance. Progress is not irreversible and does not automatically spill over from one sector to another. The interlocking objectives of the Commission's 2016-2019 Strategic engagement for gender equality need to be pursued in parallel and specific action is required in each priority area. Vĕra Jourová, the EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, said in the report’s foreword: 'The EU has continued to promote gender equality over the last year, with some encouraging results, as illustrated in the present report. 'I am proud of the work we have done with Member States and with civil society and of the progress we have made.' 'The report also documents the remaining challenges,' she continued. 'The evidence gathered here also constitutes the base-line against which to measure progress towards the priorities of the "Strategic engagement for gender equality 2016-2019". 'The Strategic engagement is the Commission's work plan on gender equality area for this Commission's mandate. 'We will continue to support women's integration in the labour market, to promote equality in pay, pensions and decision-making and to condemn and combat sexism and gender-based violence.'  |
| Sexism in the media still rabid Posted: 24 Mar 2016 11:10 AM PDT
Last week, Theresa May, the longest serving Home Secretary since 1892 and the UK's most senior female politician, was degraded and mocked by the national press because she dared to wear a brightly coloured dress which showed some cleavage. The Sun was as tasteful as ever, referring to the 'Busty Budget' and claiming that May 'overshadowed the Chancellor of the Exchequer as she sat to his right in a daring low cut top'. The Daily Mail also did itself proud with the witty headline 'It's not just the economy plunging into the red', and, like The Sun, wrote that May 'managed to upstage George Osborne's speech – not through any political statement but with her daring choice of clothing'. And then there was an article written by Andrew Pierce for the Daily Mail following the shock revelation that Theresa May is not exempt from having a female anatomy, dedicated to 'MPs who flaunt their, er, agendas'. Pierce claimed that through her choice of outfit, 'the Home Secretary, increasingly overlooked in the Tory leadership race between London Mayor Boris Johnson and George Osborne, reminded everyone that she was still a major player'. According to Pierce, 'flashing the flesh is always strategic: distracting from scandals, securing coveted political jobs and sending out powerful messages'. Has it still never crossed his mind that these women may have achieved success and power through their own merit and hard work, instead of simply by 'moving a hemline up or a neckline down'? It is appalling that in 2016 a woman's looks – or even only parts of them – are still considered the only tool she possesses to prove that she is as important as her male colleagues and worthy of promotion. Despite the largest increase in the number of female MPs since 1997 in last year's general election, attitudes towards women in politics are clearly not improving. Almost a third of MPs are now women – a figure which still isn't really good enough – but that isn't much use if they are not taken as seriously as their male counterparts. In an interview with political commentator Owen Jones, SNP member Mhairi Black suggested that sexism in politics is not confined to the press and is still very much alive in the Houses of Parliament. When asked how her opinion of Westminster has changed since she was elected in May, Black, the UK's youngest MP, said: "All of the things that I thought and argued during the referendum and the general election have unfortunately turned out to be totally true. It's a complete boys’ club. "I am taken aback by how patronising and sexist people are. It's subtle sexism, it still exists – the arrogance and the darlings and the 'oh don't worry yourself'. "It's so excluded from reality, it's unbelievable. It's a totally defunct institution that has to drag itself into the 21st century. It allows tradition to rule over reason." All high profile women, regardless of their profession, are brutally and relentlessly judged, compared, and slated for their physical appearance, something which men are rarely subjected to. This needs to change. On a daily basis the media make various ludicrous statements and assumptions about women in the public sphere based on what they are wearing. Failing the public too, as we need to hear what they have to say. This constant scrutiny of women's bodies and outfits is used to ridicule and silence all of us, used to detract from what we say and think and used to undermine our credibility. And it is often also adopted as a means of cruelly and unnecessarily pitting women against each other, further crushing any confidence and unity. The combination of an unashamedly sexist and misogynistic press and parliamentary tradition and the determination to continue supprting an environment in which women are shunned and belittled isn't exactly an incentive for women to get engaged in and strive to be a part of major party politics. If we are brave enough to put ourselves out there attempts will be made to put us back in our place – as demonstrated last week. Westminster remains dominated by wealthy white men and its striking lack of diversity, and unwillingness to change, is hindering progress within politics and society in general, and alienating the institution from the public. The solution is not for women to start dressing as nuns. For even if we did, the press would find a way to objectify and deride us. For any significant change to occur, male MPs will have to join forces with women and take a stand against the media and challenge the out-dated and discriminatory hierarchies and customs within politics. Once people start listening to women, instead of simply looking at them, we may begin to get somewhere. We can start by writing to our MPs and pointing this out to them and asking them to do so. And then please write and complain to the Independent Press Standards Organisation, (IPSO) the apparently independent regulator for the newspaper and magazine industry in the UK, and which says on its website it upholds the highest standards of journalism. To read the 2016 budget in question, click here.  |
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