Follow the Women Community: Gender & gender equality

"Gender equality" Policy forum in Madrid

March 2005

Spain, as part of the Steering Group of the European Thematic Group on Equal Opportunities (ETG 4), will be organising a Policy Forum "Gender Equality: a Key to Change" in Madrid, on 9 and 10 June 2005.

The aim of the Policy Forum is to mainstream and transfer the promising practices gathered by ETG 4 during 2003 and 2004. France, Italy and the European Commission are actively involved in the event preparation

Gender discrimination and inequality is a multidimensional problem which requires multifaceted answers. In response to this need, the EQUAL European Thematic Group on Equal Opportunities developed a European Model of Comprehensive Approaches to Gender Equality which is based on good practices collected from EQUAL Development Partnerships throughout Europe.

The model combines strategies to tackle the most persistent barriers to gender equality. EQUAL achievements include new concepts for helping women and men reconcile family, professional and personal life, for dismantling gender gaps on the labour market and for overcoming traditional gender roles and stereotypes. In many cases EQUAL has succeeded in forging territorial coalitions for gender equality and in launching a process of gender mainstreaming.

Promoting partnership and co-operation between key players and stake holders is a distinct feature of EQUAL's architecture. The European Model of Comprehensive Approaches to Gender Equality adds value to this partnership approach and provides decisionmakers at different levels with good practices that can help them use "gender glasses" and integrate a gender dimension into their policies and practices.

EQUAL has shown that territorial alliances linking public authorities that are in charge of employment policies, educational and training institutions, social partner organisations and companies, and also gender equality bodies and NGOs can make gender equality policies an effective key to change.

Articles and analyses can be found on ETG 4 page

Conference Programme:

Conference Policy Briefs:

More and better jobs for women - EQUAL contributes to gender conscious employment policies and practices
Widening career choices for women and men - EQUAL achievements in education and training
Establishing a culture of gender equality in the business world - EQUAL supports employers and social partners to become agents of change
Strengthening gender equality bodies and NGOs - EQUAL creates think-tanks, resource centres and networks

First impressions from the EQUAL Policy Forum "Gender Equality: a Key to Change"

June 2005

For a moment, the 270 conference participants turned the opening session into a sea of waving red fans overprinted with both the conference logo and motto, and created a symbolic image of what the Forum was all about.

Organised by the Spanish Government in close co-operation with the European Commission, this first Policy Forum on gender equality aimed to disseminate and mainstream the comprehensive approaches to equal opportunities for women and men that have been developed during the last three years by hundreds of EQUAL Development Partnerships throughout the EU.

Juan José Barrera, General Director of Social Economy, ESF and Self-Employment at the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs opened the event and underlined his country's commitment to equal opportunities for women and men and the relevance of EQUAL good practices in enhancing job creation, productivity and economic growth.

Lenia Samuel, Deputy Director General of the Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities at the European Commission, emphasised the crucial role of comprehensive gender equality policies in mitigating the consequences of the dramatic demographic changes, which the EU is facing. These require both the Commission and Member States to develop a rounded approach. "Today's conference can help us to develop key components of such a rounded approach," she said. "To increase employment rates and to stay competitive in a global market, the European Union must tap into its largest pool of unused potential - WOMEN. The challenge facing us over the next few years is clear. We must encourage a more balanced distribution between men and women of domestic and family responsibilities. We must encourage employers to organise work more flexibly, with staggered working hours, part-time work and tele-working options. We must maximise the economic contribution of women in sectors where they are currently under-represented and create opportunities for gainful employment and career development."

The possible impact of EQUAL good practices on the post-2006 ESF programmes was at the heart of Peter Stub-Jørgensen's key note speech. The Director of the European Social Fund (ESF) stressed the crucial role of the Member States in using and maximising EQUAL's achievements during the funding period 2007 to 2013. "There is nothing in the new regulation proposed by the Commission that stops us from continuing what we are doing today, as regards the leading principles of EQUAL, the type of activity or the co-financing of projects through the use of ESF funding in the future," he said, "It is now up to the Member States to show what they want by proposing how to take it forward." Peter Stub-Jørgensen also presented the results of EQUAL's European Thematic Group on Equal Opportunities (ETG 4) through a multi-media show that gave a taste of the multi-facetted model of gender equality policies and practices. These policies and practices were then explored and discussed in greater detail in the four workshops held during the event.

The workshops brought together key players and stakeholders in employment, educational and training policies, employers and social partners, and also gender equality bodies and NGOs. They enabled a constructive debate to take place between decision-makers and practitioners who had been involved in EQUAL and their peers from outside this ESF-funded Community Initiative. Good practices were demonstrated and strategies were discussed for transferring these practices into regular training and labour market systems or into the personnel policies of public and private enterprises and organisations. The outcomes of these discussions tended to confirm the relevance and validity of EQUAL's comprehensive approaches to gender equality. Such approaches combine concepts for tackling gender gaps in employment, pay, economic sectors and occupations with new solutions to improving the balance between work and private life and also with strategies to overcome traditional gender roles and stereotypes. It was evident that bringing about positive change in the lives of women and men, whilst at the same time enhancing productivity and competitiveness of companies or even local areas and regions, would not have been possible without the EQUAL principles.

A plenary session that took place on the second day of the event underlined the necessity of linking all gender equality policies to concepts that address the eternal problem of traditional gender roles and stereotypes. The presentation of an EQUAL national multi-media campaign in the Netherlands and a talk show with guests from the north and the south of the EU showed that both leading a public debate and triggering discussions between couples can help to attain a more even distribution of unpaid work in people's homes.

During this final plenary session, representatives of three European cities also shared their experiences of generating change in their cities through new approaches to gender equality. Marcel Esteve i Robert, Mayor of Vilafranca del Penedés in Spain, reported on an EQUAL partnership that succeeded in turning undeclared domestic work into regular jobs for women and in channelling its approach into the legislative process of its region. Jocelyne Bougeard, Deputy Mayor of Rennes in France, demonstrated how harmonising the "times of the city", like the opening hours of local authorities, stores and other service providers, childcare facilities and schools and the schedules of public transport systems can help women and men to balance the conflicting pressures in their daily lives. And last but not least, Giuliana Cominetti, Equal Opportunities Councillor of the municipality of Lodi in Italy, explained how a network of local resource centres for gender equality was established thanks to EQUAL. In several cities, these centres are providing information, counselling and advice that make a major difference to the daily reality of those women who are seeking to reconcile work and family life.

In their closing speeches, both Fay Devonic, the Head of the European Commission's Unit on Equality for Women and Men, and Soledad Murillo, Secretary General for Equal Opportunities at the Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs stressed the persistent inequalities in the labour market and in most spheres of society. They urged political decision-makers at all levels, and also employers, social partners and the key actors representing civil society to reinforce their commitment to gender equality. "Promoting equality between women and men is a question of democracy and human dignity. Real democracy requires parity of women and men in political and economic decision-making," said Fay Devonic, "at the same time, gender equality policies are contributing to increasing employment levels and economic growth." Closing the Policy Forum, Soledad Murillo reminded participants of a simple truth that sometimes tends to be forgotten: "Women are not a minority and should not be treated as such," she said, "Women form the majority of European citizens. We should demand and much more actively pursue our right to an equal share in economic and political power."

The workshops minutes:

Workshop 1: Gender equality, a key to successful employment policies
Workshop 2: Gender equality, a key to effective education and training
Workshop 3: Gender equality, a key to better jobs and productivity
Workshop 4: Gender mainstreaming, moving beyond positive actions

A multimedia show, based on the contributions from several EQUAL DPs, was presented during the plenary session.
An original version (Powerpoint - 180 Mb) of this presentation will be sent on request (empl-equal-info@ec.europa.eu).
An online version (Windows Media Player needed) is accessible in higth and low resolution.

Gender equality show high resolution (19 minutes - 282 kbit/s)
Gender equality show low resolution (19 minutes - 118 kbit/s)

The speech of Lenia Samuel :

The speech of Peter Stub-Jørgensen :

The speech of Fay Devonic :

The speech of Soldedad Murillo :

All the preparatory documents from the conference

Articles and analyses can be found on ETG 4 page

Transnationality boosts gender equality

November 2005

Cross-border cooperation has strengthened EQUAL gender equality Development Partnerships (DPs) and has also improved their capacities for innovation and mainstreaming. This was one of the lessons that emerged from a seminar, held in Brussels on 15th and 16th November 2005. The remit of this Exchange Forum was to explore the impact of transnational work on the promotion of equal opportunities for women and men throughout the European Union.

The meeting brought together 25 DPs that belonged to the first generation of EQUAL projects and have subsequently been selected for the second round. In two working groups focusing on desegregation and reconciliation, they shared their good practices and also compared notes on problems and pitfalls. Following this exchange, they have all agreed to work together in drafting a new chapter of the ETG 4 Living Document on Gender Equality , which will contain detailed information on transnational success stories.

Between them, the 25 DPs have employed many different methods of transnational cooperation. DP representatives reported how they have used exchanges, study visits and the production of needs-tailored information material. Through such cooperation, the staff of the DPs and other members of their national partnerships have acquired detailed knowledge about gender equality legislation and practice in other Member States, and also about education, training, labour market systems and business and working cultures.

An intensive import - export process

It was obvious that there had been a lot of importing and exporting during the first round and that these activities will continue to be an important feature of transnational cooperation over the next couple of years. One such example was the transfer of mentoring schemes for women who were training for, or in the early stages of, a career within male dominated areas such as science, engineering, technology or construction. Schemes developed in the UK were imported by Finland and Germany where they were successfully adapted to these new contexts. "Now, in the second round," said Ros Wall, the project director of the UK DP, "we shall support our transnational partners in the new Member States to pilot those schemes in their own specific environments."

Comprehensive work-life-balance programmes involving employers in creating a combination of family friendly working time arrangements and various kinds of family support services also made their way from Italy to France and Spain. In addition, the concept of time policies developed by a number of French DPs was adopted by partners, particularly in southern countries, who then attempted to harmonise the opening hours of public and private services in their urban, or even rural, areas.

Taking some local employers and trade unionists to study different forms of work organisation in the Netherlands helped a Spanish DP to convince works councils that flexibility could have positive aspects for all concerned. This, in turn, stimulated the production of a guide of good practice in labour relations which will also be used in the second round.

Benefits beyond the boundaries of the DP

In a number of cases, the transfer of EQUAL good practices went beyond the organisations involved in national DPs. Several participants presented examples of how transnational input was impacting on the development of mainstream policies and practices in their countries. The gender mainstreaming concept developed by an Austrian project is in great demand in Spanish regions and these regions then organise training events for key players who are in a position to apply it to employment policies and practices. "Bringing not only the gender experts from our DP to act as trainers at these events, but also mayors or heads of public administrations is making a real difference," explains Heide Cortolezis from Austria. "These top people can share their positive experiences with Spanish peers who then begin to see the advantages. Integrating a gender dimension into local or regional employment policy by, for instance, providing flexible, good quality childcare has clearly helped to improve the delivery of the relevant programmes and thus the access of people with care responsibilities to the labour market." Similar experiences were reported from a Greek project that organised a meeting of mayors with their Italian counterparts. "Even the Swedes who often regard themselves as champions of gender equality discovered things to import from other countries," reported Asa Douhan who manages a DP that seeks to attract women and ethnic minorities to the construction industry. In fact, French construction companies taught Swedish employers about how public employment subsidies could help to increase female recruitment and these employers are now lobbying the government in Stockholm to introduce a similar programme. In Finland, things have already moved further. Study visits of government officials to the UK included meetings with the National Resource Centre on Women in SET (science, engineering and technology) that is building on EQUAL achievements and also opportunities to talk to with key people in the Department for Trade and Industry. Now similar centres are being piloted in two regions in Finland and the EQUAL DP has joined forces with key actors to disseminate and mainstream this model throughout the country. The experience acquired in France on cooperation between childminders who work at home and those in institutional childcare has been successfully transferred to Luxemburg.

A wealth of joint products and tools is available that can help second round EQUAL DPs and their project promoters who are establishing cross-border cooperation in a gender equality context. These products are geared to helping others study and apply EQUAL good practices related to desegregation and reconciliation and provide a sound basis on which further transnational cooperation can be built. The meeting in Brussels started to compile a list containing the best of these transnational products and this list will be updated with even more products from other DPs.

The participants in the Exchange Forum on transnationality had all been members of the European Thematic Group on Equal Opportunities (ETG 4) which, in 2003 and 2004, produced the first chapters of the ETG 4 Living Document on Gender Equality. These chapters were the basis of the European Model of Comprehensive Approaches to Gender Equality and can be found under the heading Background Documents in the ETG 4 pages of the EQUAL website.

ESF seminar on "Integrating Partnership and Gender Equality into ESF Programmes for 2007-2013"

January 2006

Partnership and gender equality will be essential features of the next generation of ESF programmes (2007-2013) and it is essential that these principles are effectively integrated into their new ESF programmes to support their reform agendas. To provide a platform for exchanging ideas, the Commission, in co-operation with Member States' working groups, organised a seminar in Brussels on January 19-20. This enabled more than 80 representatives responsible for the design of the new ESF programmes from Member States, and delegates from Bulgaria and Romania, together with staff from the geographical and EQUAL units of the Commission to share experience and identify issues and solutions.

In her opening speech, Lenia Samuel, Deputy-Director General of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, stressed the importance of sharing experiences and exchanging good practice in order to get the most out of ESF programmes and projects. She highlighted that partnership and gender equality need to be integrated both as "policy objectives, reflecting essential elements of the European social model", and as "instruments to achieving employment and social policy objectives" as they are "essential features of good governance, and contribute to modernising existing employment policies and adjusting established delivery systems". She explained that "the Commission expects partnership and gender equality approaches to be fully incorporated into the design of new ESF programmes. They must not be seen as 'an optional extra', but become an integral part of all new ESF programmes".

Participants at the seminar The seminar used an interactive working method with short presentations from Member State representatives to provide an insight into what Member States were currently considering and planning. The presentations were followed by group discussions, focussing on specific questions and issues. The first half of the seminar focussed on the horizontal principle of partnership, the second half on gender equality. For each of these principles reflection notes had been developed by a group of Members State representatives highlighting the benefits of applying the principle, implementation options at programme level, and implementing provisions to ensure effective delivery. These notes provided background for discussions.

The reflection note and the presentations stressed the key role that partnership can play in supporting reforms of labour market policies and delivery systems. Partnership is about integrating stakeholders in the preparation, programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects and programmes. EQUAL has shown that structured involvement of key stakeholders will have clear added value and help underpin the strategic capacity at local, regional and national level to deliver the Lisbon targets.

The seminar gave participants a sound insight into Member States' experience of partnership, and their thoughts and plans for embedding it into the new ESF Programmes. Key statements on difficulties in implementing partnership at programme and project level included:

The capacity and resources needed to set up and manage partnership activity
Developing a common understanding amongst partners regarding roles and responsibilities
The need to develop strong day-to-day co-ordination and management
Ensuring an equal voice and sense of ownership for all of the partners

Member State presentation Presentations from Member States gave examples of how to design a partnership approach into their National Strategic Reference Frameworks and Operational Programmes to support the reform process. In working group discussions, Member States identified a range of critical issues that they will need to address to make the partnership approach a success. These included:

Good planning by defining common objectives, agreeing on each partner's role and contribution, setting milestones and defining indicators for results
Ensuring that partnership can be implemented and co-ordinated at different levels - national, regional and local - to involve all relevant stakeholders
Providing training, support and capacity building (financed by projects directly or through technical assistance)
Establishing written contracts and agreements between the partners and ensuring their early involvement in the process

Concerning gender equality, the presentations provided an introduction into the main issues and in particular, how to use gender mainstreaming as a tool to achieve gender equality in the ESF.

As regards implementation, participants identified some of the main difficulties and obstacles that have to be overcome to ensure that gender equality is effectively integrated into the programmes:

Lack of political will;
Lack of expertise to apply the tool of gender mainstreaming which is perceived as too complicated;
Overall persistence of gender stereotypes;

Proposed solutions emerging from the group work reflected issues raised by Member States in their presentations on a way forward:

Sensitising top decision-makers;
Providing training for those in charge of drawing up the National Strategic Reference Frameworks and Operational Programmes;
Ensuring that "programme designers" have access to gender experts and/or people with expertise in the process of writing and implementing the Operational Programmes;
Gender equality as a "standing topic" in all Monitoring Committee meetings.

Together, the working groups also drew up a priority list of resources and coordination needs they wish to address in the future. These included:

Support to increase understanding and know-how of gender mainstreaming to enable the "translation" of this abstract concept into reality, i.e. dossiers of good practices, guides, awareness raising events and campaigns;
Provision of clear objectives and guidelines and the development of indicators;
Raising the visibility of gender mainstreaming as a strategy that generates win-win-situations in terms of economic development, job creation, innovation potential, productivity, ... to counteract its perception as a threat that increases the administrative burden.

For both principles, seminar participants reviewed the two models for integrating them into an ESF programme: a dedicated priority, or a cross-cutting requirement in all priority axes. There was no clear pattern of preferences for the two models, which perhaps suggested a bias in favour of a third option - a combination of the two.

It was clear that some groups were largely in favour of the Commission taking a leading role in facilitating partnership and gender equality, while others made clear that Member States should set the guidelines and establish the priorities for action while the Commission's role would be to provide complementary support.

In his closing address, Peter Stub Jørgensen, Director for National Employment and Social Inclusion, Monitoring and ESF Operations of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, stressed the relevance of these principles, and the need to provide for, and develop sound capacities to manage partnership and gender equality operations. He also made clear that "the new regulations will give Member States more flexibility to manage the funds and meet their specific needs. In principle, there will no rules from Brussels beyond what is in the Regulations.

However, the Commission will continue to facilitate the exchange of good practice, experience and potential solutions to help you develop and implement your programmes. The Commission is prepared to respond to requests from Member States to continue with these types of learning platforms if there is a demand to do so."

Throughout the seminar, and in their evaluation sheets, participants expressed the need for more events and exchanges of this kind - particularly at programme rather than project level. This was particularly important for New Member States.

Spain presents its national mainstreaming plan and launches Action 3

April 2006

On February 27th, Spain ESF Unit held a nationwide Conference in Madrid to present its new Mainstreaming Plan for the second round of EQUAL. More than 350 people attended the event, including one representative of each DP, policy-makers, representatives of all regional governments, other relevant public institutions at national and local level, third sector organisations, and mass media.

The speakers presenting the new plan Mr. Juan José Barrera, General Director of Social Economy, Self-Employment and ESF in Spain, welcomed the participants and stated the interest of the Ministry of Labour in getting the most out of EQUAL in terms of policy development. Mr. Barrera asked the participants to do their best to mainstream the good practices of EQUAL and seize the opportunity to influence in the new programming period 2007-2013.Bearing this task in mind, Mr. Carlos Tortuero, ESF Director in Spain, presented the core elements of the National Mainstreaming Plan approved by the National Monitoring Committee on December 16th 2005.

"It is of the greatest importance to involve key actors and policy makers from the planning phase and throughout implementation and maintaining a continuous feedback between Equal and relevant decision makers to ensure the pull and push dimension is adequately achieved" said Mr. Tortuero. He explained the general process for the adequate mainstreaming: Equal projects produce innovative practices taking into account policy gaps or shortcomings. Those practices are them duly disseminated among decision makers so that they become integrated into employment and human resources policies.

The new Mainstreaming Plan

The new mainstreaming plan The new Mainstreaming Plan sets ambitious objectives and quantitative targets. Such objectives and targets are as follows:

Horizontal mainstreaming: to ensure DP members adopt the solutions successfully tried out in Equal so that they are maintained once the project is over. For this purpose, each DP should prove the effective transfer of at least one of their innovations to any of its members.

Enlarged horizontal mainstreaming: to mainstream the DPs' successful methods into the practices and policies of other organisations not included in the DP but working on the same decision or operational level. To accomplish this aim, every DP should undertake at least one action for the horizontal transfer of its solutions to other organisations and a minimum of 50% of the DPs should achieve such goal either through their own mainstreaming plans or through an Action 3 project.

Vertical mainstreaming: to transfer EQUAL best practices into regional, national or European policies, including Operational Programmes, sectorial plans, collective agreements, etc. The target is that at least 25% of DPs implement an Action 3 project aimed to vertical mainstreaming. Also, each member of the Monitoring Committee that decides to establish a thematic network within Action 3 should prove the mainstreaming of at least one Equal practice into their own policies

To meet these challenges, appropriate emphasis to mainstreaming must be given in each and every phase of the Equal implementation:

During the project selection phase, by selecting those projects with the best mainstreaming potential both in terms of DP composition and innovation needed by policy.

During the creation and consolidation of Development Partnerships

By improving the mainstreaming capacity of each project through the adjustment and improvement of their work-plan and by requiring each of them to establish a detailed "Mainstreaming Plan" within their context.
By having DPs nominate a person responsible for the implementation of the mainstreaming actions provided for in the project.
By obtaining from the relevant public bodies which are part of the DP the formal commitment to try and incorporate to their policies those best practices successfully tried out by them.

During the implementation phase:

Through the monitoring of the compliance with each DPs' own mainstreaming plan by the Managing Authority.
Through the assistance to each DP mainstreaming process by the Support Structure.
By promoting dissemination activities of DPs.
Ensuring relevant innovations, lessons and good practices are disseminated and mainstreamed through the work of national thematic groups involving key actors and policy makers.
Funding under Action 3 projects of dissemination and mainstreaming of those good practices which are most interesting for policy development.

The stakeholders of the EQUAL mainstreaming strategy include the Managing Authority, the policymakers represented in the Monitoring Committee, the National Mainstreaming Group, the 4 National Thematic Groups (employability, entrepreneurship, adaptability and Equal opportunities) and other relevant decision-makers. All of them are backed by the National Support Structure.

As regards Action 3, the most noticeable change introduced in the new Plan is that, in addition to DPs, Monitoring Committee members may submit proposals for mainstreaming activities.

The audience The European dimension of mainstreaming and thematic work was described by Mr. Ramón Puig de la Bellacasa from the Equal Unit of DG Employment. Mr. Puig said that the EU Commission is strongly committed to the support of thematic and mainstreaming activities. This is being done through the promotion of learning platforms, exchanges, events, peer reviews, policy fora and communities of practices and through the publication of a European wide Newsletter. Also, European thematic experts will be working with State Members' networks to identify and disseminate success stories. The different mainstreaming strategies are available at: http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/equal/mainstreaming/index_en.cfm

The presentations were followed by a very lively debate between the public and the speakers.

Finally, two successful examples of Action 3 projects in Equal 1st round gave the audience the opportunity to see how mainstreaming works in practice.

The DP Nexos was able to transfer its model of immigrant families integration to national authorities such as the Ministry of Labour (DG Family and DG Immigrant Policies and Women's Institute), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (International Cooperation Agency), and to regional and local legislation related to employment.
http://www.cepaim.org/ad_nexos/web/inicio.htm

The IO Metal project was invited to a hearing before the Committee of Equal Opportunities of the Spanish Parliament where they explained the outcomes of their activities and recommended several legal provisions based on the DP successful experiences.
http://www.femeval.es/equal

All presentations of the event can be downloaded at:
http://www.mtas.es/uafse/equal/documentacion.htm

Spain presents its national mainstreaming plan and launches Action 3

April 2006

The new Mainstreaming Plan

The new mainstreaming plan The new Mainstreaming Plan sets ambitious objectives and quantitative targets. Such objectives and targets are as follows:

To meet these challenges, appropriate emphasis to mainstreaming must be given in each and every phase of the Equal implementation:

During the project selection phase, by selecting those projects with the best mainstreaming potential both in terms of DP composition and innovation needed by policy.

During the creation and consolidation of Development Partnerships

By improving the mainstreaming capacity of each project through the adjustment and improvement of their work-plan and by requiring each of them to establish a detailed "Mainstreaming Plan" within their context.
By having DPs nominate a person responsible for the implementation of the mainstreaming actions provided for in the project.
By obtaining from the relevant public bodies which are part of the DP the formal commitment to try and incorporate to their policies those best practices successfully tried out by them.

During the implementation phase:

Through the monitoring of the compliance with each DPs' own mainstreaming plan by the Managing Authority.
Through the assistance to each DP mainstreaming process by the Support Structure.
By promoting dissemination activities of DPs.
Ensuring relevant innovations, lessons and good practices are disseminated and mainstreamed through the work of national thematic groups involving key actors and policy makers.
Funding under Action 3 projects of dissemination and mainstreaming of those good practices which are most interesting for policy development.

As regards Action 3, the most noticeable change introduced in the new Plan is that, in addition to DPs, Monitoring Committee members may submit proposals for mainstreaming activities.

The presentations were followed by a very lively debate between the public and the speakers.

Finally, two successful examples of Action 3 projects in Equal 1st round gave the audience the opportunity to see how mainstreaming works in practice.

All presentations of the event can be downloaded at:
http://www.mtas.es/uafse/equal/documentacion.htm

GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN

Gender equality and women’s participation have been evolving phenomena from the last century worldwide. The number of women entering into political, economical or social arena is increasing in every country of each continent. Women have demonstrated that by standing for what they think is just and right, they are able to make a difference and make the world the way it is shaped today.

Much of the contribution of women is unrecorded or unnoticed. However, women contribute in numerous ways through organizations, movements, associations and groups of different nature ensuring that their voice is heard. As a feminist scholar and historian, Mary R. Beard wrote: “ …the person abilities, interest, ideas and activities of women must receive an attention commensurate with their energy in history. Women have done far more than exist and bear and rear children. They have played a great role in directing human events as thought and action. Women have been a force in making all the history that has been made”[1]

Women in the Euro-Med show an exciting and diverse picture which reflects the diversity of the region, too. They represent women in groups and associations of diverse interest and aspirations to make their environment a better place. They contribute to the welfare of women in politics, social and economic fields. They organize themselves in governmental and non-governmental organizations, intellectual associations, or through movements (such as for economic projects or peace building). They are becoming members of local, national and international organizations. Professional pursuit is no longer solely for economic reasons but to prove the efficient and invaluable contribution women are capable of making. The millions of women in the Euro-Med have embarked on the journey and have become part of a growing global network of successful projects and initiatives. Women of the Euro-Med face similar challenges to those in other parts of the world: being a woman. Fundamental questions of womanhood and participation have not changed and continue to be questioned. Their opportunities are as limited or broadened as in other countries. Their realities are similar yet in many cases specific to the socio-political context of the Euro-Med. They face different opportunities yet struggle for the same aim: to make women’s participation nothing unique but rather an equal footing to those of men.

Gender Equality-Realities and perceptions

Essential questions in gender equality in the Euro-Med context are:

Is gender equality a struggle for liberation of women from the oppression of men?
Is it a struggle against the “opposite sex”?
Are women’ rights universal or they are based on cultural and religious interpretations?
Should the laws and regulations be challenged or a mentality change is needed to happen in the societies of Europe and the Mediterranean countries?

The trends and ongoing debates in gender studies, on gender equality and women’s rights in the Euro-Med show a diverse picture. This diversity is manifested not only in the differences between approaches to gender equality in Europe and the Mediterranean world (much of which is Arab speaking -apart from Turkey and Israel -and is under religious laws) but also, and equally importantly, the diversity of approaches and opinions within the two regions.

Gender equality in the Euro-Med has been a challenging phenomenon. (Gender issues in the Euro-Med were first specifically mentioned at the Euro-Med Partnership Summit in 2001). Europe is often called the champion of rights and opportunities. This is manifested in the number of organizations and individuals who are actively involved in work to promote a better understanding of women’s roles and create a more positive image of femininity in European countries. As it is often acknowledged, most societies in the Mediterranean countries have patriarchal roots of governance and that is manifested in the countries’ records of exclusion of women from social and political processes. This patriarchal system has been constantly challenged by many groups (both at religious and non-religious level). In the Mediterranean world the gender roles have turned into gender stereotypes and it led to false interpretations of the role of men and women in the family as well as in the society. Moreover, these stereotypes have been constantly questioned by European (Western) ideologies of equality. The gradual integration of gender equality into the mainstream in the Mediterranean is slow and varies from country to country. The two regions seem to have a different image and approach to gender (in)equality, although they strive for the very same aim- make women’s realities understood.

Key concepts and approaches:

Gender is the term to express certain roles of men and women that are given to them on the basis of biological sex. It determines a person’s behavior, but -unlike biological sexes- it not at all an exclusive or static term. Gender equality is the manifestation of the involvement of both men and women at all sphere of the society. It refers to public as well as the private sphere where the roles determined by the biological sex manifest themselves. Gender equality is about men and women being visible in all spheres of public, political, social and economic life.

The following tables compare the gender gap in the Euro-Mediterranean region[2]. The survey looks at five main criteria to address gender equality: equal pay and access to jobs, representation of women in decision-making structures, equal access to education and access to reproductive healthcare.

BOTTOM 10 STATES FOR GENDER EQUALITY

49: Venezuela

50: Greece

51: Brazil

52: Mexico

53: India

54: South Korea

55: Jordan

56: Pakistan

57: Turkey

58: Egypt

[Source: World Economic Forum Gender Gap Index]

TOP 10 STATES FOR GENDER EQUALITY

1: Sweden

2: Norway

3: Iceland

4: Denmark

5: Finland

6: New Zealand

7: Canada

8: United Kingdom

9: Germany

10: Australia Source: World Economic Forum Gender Gap Index] [3]

When gender equality is not established or practiced in a society, the imbalance of women and men can lead to discrimination, which is named as sexual discrimination. It is based on the notion of women not being respected or equally treated as men at workplace or in private enterprises.

Women all around the world face violence-be it in war stricken areas or under disrespectful regimes or governance. Gender based violence is a form of violence that targets women. One form of it is domestic violence that is carried out on women by husband/ male partner or a cohabitant.

Feminism is a very diverse field, therefore difficult to define. The most general yet comprehensive approach to grasp the essence of it can be found in the following definition: “Present-day feminism is a struggle for the achievement of women’s equality, dignity and freedom of choice to control our lives and bodies within and outside the home”[4].

“Feminism is an idea where women stand for dignity, honor ...despite their ethnic or national or other differences” (Margot Badran)[5]

Origins of feminism

The term “feminism” was coined in the 1880’s by Hubertine Auclert. There were famous promoters of women’s rights and education before ( Mary Wollstonecraft or Marquis de Condorcet) but the first time women’s movements were called feminist happened a few decades later. By the beginning of the 20^th century feminism (originally a French word and ideology) entered into the English language. In the Mediterranean (mainly in Egypt) it was well used after the beginning of the century. In history feminism developed from fighting for legal reforms and claiming rights in education, employment and political participation for women to ensuring that discrimination against women is eliminated in all areas of life.

Different forms of feminism

There are numerous types of feminism. There are four types which are often regarded as the most fundamental ones:

Social feminism tackles issues related to social deprivation and fights for social rights of women. It also addresses the tension that has been created by social classes and structures. Their main argument is that women in the West are not valued as they do not produce tangible products for the society (as being at home is not regarded as valuable work)

Radical feminism challenges the roots of governance, promotes that change of legislation is not enough to bring about a change for more balanced society. It also expresses that men and women should be free from any form of stereotypes that society might have imposed on them. Radical feminists are often perceived as fundamental challengers of the basics of the societal structure.

Religious feminism is a form of feminism that stands for a religious interpretation of women and their roles in the society as well as in the family. Their interpretation of holy books is based on predispositions about women’s fundamental roles as mothers, wives and caretakers of the children and maintainers of a successful family environment. They challenge these roles and some are more radical than others[6]

Liberal feminism is, in essence, a voice of women who want to become (or think they should be) like men. They are also considered to be those who use legislation only to challenge existing inequalities in the society.

“Feminism is terrific for single women but failed completely to deal with motherhood” ( H Raouf Ezzat)[7] - Do you agree?

Characteristics of feminism in the Euro-Med

Similarities

In both the Mediterranean and the West feminism has been an evolving process rather than a new, abrupt phenomenon without grounding. It has developed out of a social manifestation of exclusion, segregation and oppression of rights for women.

They both legitimately challenge male authority and claim and reclaim women’s well deserved place at all level of the society.

Feminism in both regions tends to be in favor of education and certain rights to participate but often disregards the vital issue: the root of discrimination of men and women on the sole basis of gender differences.

In both context women have double responsibilities. They are expected to take on domestic roles as well as shoulder jobs with men.

In both regions we have witnessed the development and flourishing of women’s studies and taking women’s issues into the mainstream. It is a slow, step by step process but certainly raises awareness in societies.

Differences

Europe has somehow managed to take the issues of gender inequality into the mainstream (although it still needs to be further improved). This step is yet to happen in the Mediterranean where gender issues and feminism are still an unknown territory for many male (and female!).

One of major differences is related to religious feminism in both areas. It stands on much stronger grounds in the Med countries, although there are traces of it in Europe, too. As religion plays a very important role in the Mediterranean, women often find themselves in the midst of religious debates, defending their positions rather than simply seen as feminists.

The concepts mentioned above tie basic ideologies and perception together. In youth work they have become yardsticks and measures that need to be looked at. As all concepts are taught at schools and slowly are entering into mainstream discussions. We need to address them adequately. All of these concepts challenge the society whether in Europe or the Mediterranean in one way or another and young people are finding new and creative ways to answer them.

Further reading:

Gole, Nilufer (1996). The Forbidden Modern

Available at: http://weekly.ahram.org/eg/2002/569/cu1/htm

Websites:

http://www.mincom.gov.ma/english/generalities/mwoman/rights.htm

http://www.helsinki.fi/science/xantippa/wee/weetext/wee234.html

http://www.cddc.vt.edu/feminism/egy.html

The characteristics of Euro-Med in relation to gender issues

The commonalities and differences fall into four broad categories:

Differences in legal provisions for women
The realities of political participation
Provisions for women in social and economic fields
Women’s involvement with NGOs

1. One of the major differences between Europe and the Mediterranean is legally based. The idea of Western law being essentially different from religious laws is based upon the assumption that it came through revelation; therefore human beings have no personal choice and freedom in having agreements or disagreements about it. (for further references see Religion section) Most part of the Mediterranean region has religious laws (more specifically Islamic and Jewish laws ) while Europe is based on secular law systems which at times consider Christian roots and traditions. From a legal point of view the issues related to women’s human rights that seem irresolvable are as follows:

Personal matters

Sexual rights (family planning, adultery and fornication, adoption)

Witnessing

Marriage (forced and early marriages, polygamy)

Divorce

Custody of children

Female Genital Mutilation

Honor killing

Public matters

Leadership of women in a Muslim /religious society

Non-Muslim/Jewish minorities living under Muslim laws

Views on lesbians/ homosexuality

Economic matters

Inheritance

Property ownership

Maintenance

2. Women in Parliament

Comparing women’s political representation in Europe and the Mediterranean shows an interesting picture. In the following table the figures refer to Arab states in general, and Europe with the OSCE countries, therefore reference can made only in comparative terms. [8]

	Single House or lower House	Upper House or Senate	Both Houses combined
Nordic countries	39.9%	---	39.9%
Europe - OSCE member countries including Nordic countries	18.9%	16.9%	18.5%
Americas	18.8%	19.5%	18.9%
Europe - OSCE member countries excluding Nordic countries	16.9%	16.9%	16.9%
Asia	15.2%	13.5%	15.1%
Sub-Saharan Africa	15.0%	14.2%	14.9%
Pacific	11.2%	26.5%	13.3%
Arab States	8.8%	5.6%	8.1%
Regions are classified by descending order of the percentage of women in the lower or single House

3. Social and economic provisions for women

Many countries amongst the Mediterranean countries are still considered to lack basic provisions for women in both social and economic terms (many of them who do not have basic education and live under international poverty standards). This has a great impact especially on young people many of whom choose to leave their countries for better prospects in Europe. They opt for a socially and economically more stable environment. However, the Mediterranean region has undergone a great deal of development by introducing educational and social initiatives and run their projects aiming at women without basics provisions.

4. Women’s involvement with NGOs

NGOs are perhaps one of the most prominent examples of women’s participation and involvement in political, social and economical initiatives. A healthy civil society would welcome the flourishing of NGOs and support initiatives that enhance women’s participation in all spheres of life. Both Europe and Mediterranean have their own ways of developing the work of NGOs. Their different ways of developing a civil society based on different traditions challenge the way youth work should be managed and carried out. Europe has supported the development of NGOs for a long period of time as opposed to the Mediterranean, where the idea of civil society emerged much later ( in some countries it happened as a result of colonialism, or in Turkey it consisted of a different nature)[9]. Youth organizations need to understand that fundamental difference and it is reflected in the way youth organizations function.

Women in the Mediterranean were yet to fight to battle for public appearance until the 19^th century and took part in many different ways, although not necessarily seen in public. That slowed down their process of getting involved in larger scale.

General points for reflection:

For the majority of the European promoters of gender equality it is about legislating and putting women’s rights at a practical level. It is focused on the actual application of rules and regulations which run parallel with a rather practical process of women themselves setting up their networks and organizations. The Mediterranean countries have a slightly different approach to gender equality due to the different socio-historical and socio-economic development. There are certain elements of laws and regulations in place (some partly modeled by European laws). However, practice shows that violations are often justified by referring to culture and traditions. In both regions, regardless of the differences in gender debates women are subjects of widespread form of prejudice, racism and discrimination including Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. In general, the main sources of discrimination of women in the Mediterranean can be traced back to:

dependency and restriction based on traditions and customs
conservative interpretation of religious laws
provisions in secular law reinforcing women’s low social status and inequality
the combination of being born into religious family and being secular at the same time , which discriminates women in religious communities

How can we define the sources of discrimination of women in the Euro-Med? What can we learn from that comparison?

· Gender equality and gender studies ultimately evoke the redefinition of male-female relationships, motherhood, femininity and fatherhood. The development of gender theories is relation to the Mediterranean does not necessarily reflect whether there is a difference between men and women ( biological, social and emotional) but takes into account the nature of the differences. Gender studies in Europe often refer to biological and cultural differences. The Mediterranean further elaborates the nature of the differences as well as refers to class, religious and historical differences. What makes the two regions different is that after the redefinition process family still remains a fundamentally important unit of the society in the Mediterranean (but not necessarily in Europe). Therefore, the patriarchal roots are still strong and visible in most Mediterranean countries.

“Women in Europe experienced industrial revolution; women in the Mediterranean went through colonialism”[10]. Industrial revolution by nature being primarily an economic factor brought women into the arena to struggle for equal rights, while colonialism taught the valuable lessons of co-dependency on a foreign ( often perceived as interfering ) culture. Therefore, women in both regions have different experiences of equality, although both challenged their essential values of being a woman. In today’s youth culture this is reflected in forms of initiatives that rebel both against the cultural oppression of the society as well as the overwhelming power of Western culture. Both the Mediterranean and European countries went through intensive modernization process in the late 19^th century. However, in the former this modernization coincided with the time when women‘s issues were tackled as a result of colonial influences. Therefore, the difference in the two regions socio-political set up must be acknowledged and taken into consideration in many areas, including youth work.

The question of religion and its role cannot be ignored in gender debates in relation to the Mediterranean and Europe (for further references about religions please refer to Religion section). While Europe stands on secular grounds (although acknowledging Christian roots), religion is a dominant factor of the Mediterranean. This has given rise to many religiously rooted groups (youth and others,. The question of religions in the gender debates is important for many reasons. One of them is that “How does religion affect the way women represent themselves in the family or in society?”. Perception of women is often such that:

- they often fall into the stereotype of sexual roles

- they are represented as underclass citizens

- they are the property of their husbands

- enslaved to their mother-in law

- they are facilitators of men’s activities providing the harmonious home

- The general stereotype of women of religion is that the are submissive, docile, decorous, retiring, modest, patient, “utterly devoted to the family”

(Barbara Myerhoff), with no ambitions on their own.

Secularism in the region also plays crucial role in gender equality debates. It is often coupled with the motion of abandoning religions and considering only those elements of law important that can be found in both Western and in religious laws. Women’s reforms (secular) in the Med first addressed the welfare system looking for solutions to economic inequalities. This struggle for liberation led to gaining access in the public sphere. Therefore, secularism has been a viable tool to modernization and promotion of women’s rights.

Further reading:

Abu-Lughod, L. (1986), Veiled Sentiments: Honor and poetry in a Bedouin society, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

C Baum, “What made Yetta Work: The economic role of Eastern European Jewish women in the family”, Response: A Contemporary Jewish Review, Vol 8. No. 18 ( 1973) pp.32-8.

Websites:

http://www.merip.org/mer/mer205/simona.htm

http://www.euromedrights.net/english/Download/women_final_en.pdf

Legal provision for gender equality in the Euro-Med

Keywords:

Shari’ah= religious law of Muslims

Fiqh= Islamic Jurisprudence

Halacha= religious law of Jews

Beit din= religious courts of Jews

Supporting documents on gender equality in the Euro-Med:

UN Charter

Universal declaration of Human Rights ( UNDHR, 10 December 1948) ICCPR (International Convention on Civil and Political Rights)

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, 1981)
Universal Declaration of Islamic Human Rights (UDIHR, 19 Sept 1981)

Amsterdam Treaty (1998)- Articles 2, 3 (2), 13, 137 (1) , 141

UNIFEM ( 1976)

Comparing the Med region to Europe in terms of law and legal provisions is very complex. It entails legal systems as well as legal and cultural –social practices. Europe is often regarded as the region of more developed legal systems and practices. However, the Mediterranean countries bring a fusion of European and Arab, Asian (in case of Turkey) laws into the picture. They have a different way of developing their legal system which is often tainted by cultural practices that are not necessarily understood (therefore regarded as incompatible) with European standards. It is obvious that this field is one of the most complex one to understand the complexities of the Euro-Med.

For a comprehensive table see: Annex

The CEDAW international document is a very important yardstick in legal provisions for women in the area. [11]. Very many - both European and Mediterranean countries- have signed, ratified (with or without reservations) the document that prohibits the discrimination of women.
Beijing Platform for Action (1995)- 189 countries accepted the promotion of gender equality in twelve common areas ( poverty, education, violence against women, health, armed conflict, economy, decision making, institutional mechanism, human rights, media environment and young girls).
A few countries of the Mediterranean including Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Libya, and Egypt inherited its legal system from the Ottoman Empire. This system consists of elements of the Ottoman Law of Family Rights (OLFR) although extensively revised and modernized. This has a great impact on the development of legal instruments and their implementation.
Turkey is a very interesting example of the fusion of the Eastern and Western ideologies. Turkey attempted to move the state towards a secular Muslim state with great affinity. Equality between women and men started in 1857. In the 20^th century Mustafa Kamal Ataturk introduced new reforms for greater freedom and opportunities from women in the society. However, this meant to challenge Islam and reforms were made for a secular Turkey to be established.. The Civil Code of 1926 of Turkey was the fist secular code regulating family relations in the whole Muslim world modeled by the Swiss Code. This was amended in 2001 and the new code removed the clause that defines men as head of the household. In Turkey within the family women are traditionally considered to be secondary to men while in the public sphere they are expected to take responsible jobs just as men. This situation poses many interesting arguments.
The Palestinian territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip uses several laws and legislations. Some of them are from the Jordanian system ( such as Jordanian Law of Personal Status 1976 (West Bank , Jordanian Law of Shari`a Court Procedure no.31 1959 (West Bank). Law of Family Rights 1954 (Gaza Strip), Law of Shari`a Court Procedure no.12.1965 (Gaza Strip). The women of Palestine suffer a double victimization: they suffer directly the pains of Israeli occupation and arbitrary measures and they endure the setbacks of living in a traditional and conservative society that still considers them second-class citizens.
Israel’s legal system was modeled by the British legal system but incorporated the OLFR 1917. There are regulations for religious courts ( beit din and Shari’ah courts). Women’s Equal Rights Law enacted in 1951.
In Morocco the new reforms of Civil Status Code ( Moudawana) was announced in October 2003. It is a mixture of Islamic law and local customary law.
Europe has recently moved into an area of questioning and challenging religious practices and has started its battle with religious symbols (that includes Christian cross or Muslim’s women’s headscarf). Many countries ( including France, Germany, Holland ) have made a stand on banning the wearing of religious symbols in public institutions ( such as universities, banks and other public places) which stirred much debate.

For further research:

http://www.law.emory.edu/IFL/legal

http://www.helsinki.fi/science/xantippa/wle/wle13.html

http://pers-www.wlv.ac.uk/~le1810/wome.htm

http://www.helsinki.fi/science/xantippa/wee/wee23.html

On Gender Equality : http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/equ_opp/index_en.htm

Gender equality in the media

“The media are part of our cultural and symbolic order and our system of representation. They reflect us as the social output of culture. They transmit and reproduce both the values of the culture and the alienation mechanisms that underlie it. If we want to change the situation of women and men we have to consider how to break this chain of alienation. We need to establish new underpinnings for scientific research about women and new multidisciplinary analytical tools which correspond to cultural realities.” [12]

Literature about the representation of women in the media can be broadly categorized into two main groups.

Some claim that the image of women in the media unambiguously reflects the patriarchal society and its set up. This process is irreversible and unavoidable in today’s world of men. The representation of women is stipulated by men.
Yet some others clearly claim that women bring their own interest into the media in order to gain power and success, to be it position, to have fame or simply being acknowledged. They deem that representation of women lies in the hands of women themselves.

Women in the media are …

…who act in the media?

…who occupy high positions in the media?

…who make decisions in the media?

…who interpret media products?

Media indeed has an indispensable role to play to promote women’s rights if used in the right way. Media is not only a tool to create and alter an image of women but a place where these images are decided.

In the early and mid 70’s gender studies have become concerned about women’s representation in the media. Film makers started to look at women from the perspective of being defined as object produced by masculine culture and patriarchy rather than being subjects as women in their own rights. This led them to look at the historical and sociological perspective with regards to women and allowed them to define femininity in a new way. Later on, in the 80’s it changed into a search for possibilities to portray women in films being engendered as subjects.

Both in the West and Mediterranean the image of women have been abused and misused for rather dubious purposes. The beauty of a woman is the topic of Arab songs; the idea of temptation lingers. Women are being portrayed as temptresses, lovers and source of sexuality. Representation of women who are housewives and work at the same time tends to suggest that their life is not managed well; she has to compromise her family to be able to occupy higher position.

Images of women in todays’ media:

Sex and violence
Unhealthy body images
Sinful
Perfect bodies
Highly sexualized figures
Unrealistic female sexuality
Extreme cover up ( women of faith)

Why is the image of a woman’s body so prevalent in our society? And why is it so taboo in another?

“Representations are interpretations” (Angela Mc Robbie)

Media stereotyping is perhaps one of the most prevalent problems. Women are being defined by their outer (often accentuated) qualities rather than for their set of values they stand for and positive attributes they possess. The ideal women in the Arab world tend to be portrayed as housewives whose main (and unfortunately only) interest is in running the household. Both images are free from critical analysis and independent thinking about women.

Many countries in the Arab world have powerful media/film culture. However, in the Arab region (mainly in the Middle East) there is a growing demand for female broadcasters who are well versed and well spoken at the same time. This puts even more pressure on women. They have to fight for their individual progress as well as conform to the requirements of the Arab media. Arab media has made significant changes in terms of ambitions for global power. It targets the world sphere as a major field of work rather than solely representing Arab interests.

How to improve media coverage of women…what do you think?

There should be no special magazine/newspaper made for exclusive images of women?
There has to be a consistent national and local coverage?
There has to be coverage of women of all types (age, race and faith)?
There has to be coverage of women being positively taking action?
There has to be coverage of women of success?
Women are individuals, not “someone’s someone”?
There has to be focus on the real woman rather than on her appearance?

Further reading:

Fatema Mernissi, The Satellite, The Prince and Scheherezade: The rise of Women as Communicators in Digital Islam available at http://www.tbsjournal.com/mernissi.htm

www.cmfmena.org/publicaitons/womens_rights.rtf

http://www.mediawatch.ca

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031029/2003102925.html

best and worst images of women: http://www.mediawatch.ca/imagegallery.html

Challenges of gender equality in the Euro-Med

A few facts and figures

Available at: www.kamilat.org

Everyday, 6000 girls are genitally mutilated in the world
75% of the refugees and internally displaced in the world are women who have lost their families and their homes.
In the former Yugoslavia, 20,000 women and girls (reported) were raped during the first months of the war.
90% of the rural female labor force are called "housewives" and excluded from the formal definition of economic activity.
In both developed and developing countries, women work 35 hours more than men every week.
Women produce 80% of the food on the planet, but receive less than 10% of agricultural assistance.
70% of the world's illiterates are female.
Two-thirds of the children who receive less than four years of education are girls.
For every year beyond fourth grade that girls attend to school, family size drops 20%, child deaths drop 10%, and wages rise 20%; yet, the international aid dedicated to education is declining.
Nowhere in the world where women's wages are equal to those of men.
Out of more than 180 countries, only five are currently headed by women.
6% of the world's total cabinet ministers are women.
Only 11% of members of national parliaments are women. In UN agencies, only 11% of senior officials are women.

Also note that

70% of the 36 million Europeans living in poverty are women. They make up 55% of the long-term unemployed, 90% of single parents, who live in still greater deprivation, 80% of part-time workers, mostly employed in flexible and insecure jobs not eligible for employment protection and social benefits.[13]

“Liberation is having the opportunity to do your own thing. Marriage enabled me to do it more confidently, more successfully” (Mary Stott)

Europe has a long history of women being excluded from the public. A well-known ideology of the 19^th century articulated that women’s place is at home and their main duty and responsibility is the bearing of the children. Many girls were educated solely for the purpose of becoming better wives and mothers. Therefore, this idea of education limited to specific roles significantly reduced women’s interest in public affairs. In contrast, the feminist movements not only changed the situation and perception of women but also (perhaps unknowingly) challenged the fundamental roles and social set up in any society.

Equality and family in the Euro-Med poses interesting arguments. There is a need to look at ways to improve the opposition to women who choose to remain in their homes and consider family as the career ( in Europe) as well as to those who decide to pursue a carrier as politicians or in the media ( in the Mediterranean) . Both cases can be a source of conflict in their specific contexts. What is equal to one person may not be equality for another. Women often learn this lesson through the hard way simply because they lack the appropriate social structure, network and support. Social roles and a set of duties and responsibilities tend to be two different domains in the Mediterranean, whereas in the European context they are becoming part of one another.

The basic institution of a Muslim society is the family. It is similarly reflected in Judaism and Christianity. The West often looks at the family structure as backward and oppressive as much as an obstacle to modernity. Family and marriage is based on the notion of a balance created in the universe by God. This balance has to be reflected in the households and manifested in the way members of the household share their responsibilities and duties. The mutual respect and relationship between the family members is the first step towards a responsible participation in the society. Therefore, to ensure that the family members learn the basics of their religion (and its social, economical and spiritual aspects) one third of the legal injunctions in the Qur’an are about regulating family matters.

For reflection:

Polygamy in France? ( around 140,000 people live in polygamous marriages)
In Albania women are often the main breadwinners of the family
Women are taken to court for terminating pregnancy illegally on a daily basis in Portugal
Abortion issue divides countries with religious interest ( Central Europe such as Poland, Hungary)
Up to 20,000 foreign women - the majority from the former Soviet Bloc - are working as sex slaves in a billion-dollar industry, which services more than one million men across the country in Greece
Single women lose IVF (in vitro fertilization) rights in Slovenia? They are not given the option to be fertilized through artificial treatment, therefore deprived of their rights to have children.
The pay gap (unequal payment for the same job done by men or women) between the genders in Britain is the worst in Europe. Women earn much less for the same work done than men.

The EU's fertility rate fell to 1.48 children per woman in 2003, below the 2.1 level needed to replace the population because of Inflexible working hours and financial and career aspirations many women are putting off having a family until they are in their late 30s and early 40s[14]

The UN estimates 5,000 women are killed in the name of honor each year, mainly in the Middle East and Asia
Profits for prostitution are: Industrialized countries: $67,200, Middle East: $45,000 and in transition countries: $23,500[15]
The number of young people leaving their countries for the US or Europe as better career prospects is increasing

Further reading:

http://www.hrw.org/wr2k5/wr2005.pdf

http://www.tunisiaonline.com/women/women2.html

http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/whrr/index.cfm?sister=utl&CFID=8551681&CFTOKEN=56848987

http://www.coe.int/T/E/Human%5FRights/Equality

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/correspondent/europe/1247521.stm

Examples of good practice

At what capacity	Example	What does it do?
NGO International	The European Women's Lobby	It aims to work towards “Mobilizing Young Women for Equality in Europe". It targets young women to be inspired to enter to public sphere at local, national and European level. The tackled many areas inducing health, education, politics…etc. A comprehensive guide is available in several languages. http://youngwomen.womenlobby.org/en/project
NGO	Projects in Turkey: The Purple Needle Campaign Women’s Rainbow Platform Flying Broom Association Women’s Library Foundation for Women’s Solidarity The National Programme for the Enhancement of Women’s Integration in Development and Association for Supporting and Educating Women Candidates	Turkey has served as a good example of women getting more and more involved at various levels and promote participation through successful projects especially after the 1980s. The mentioned projects tackle various issues from education to family laws and challenge men in their roles as head of the family. For more info on Turkey see: http://www.bianet.org/2003/03/21_eng/news9362.htm
Support network	“Follow the Women”	It was set up to create a support network and for future action towards peace. It aims to empower women, especially those who live “out of reach” to have their say. This event is creating publicity mainly because of its nature: a cycling project that would attract the attention of those in decision making position. http://www.followthewomen.com

Further reading:

www.kssgm.gov.tr

http://www.arabwomencourt.org/- fighting against violence of women in the Arab world

Looking into the future ….

There are very positive, forward thinking initiatives in the Euro-Med that demonstrate high level of awareness and understanding of gender issues. It can be attributed to the fact that more and more channels are opening for discussions and mutual understanding of what women’s roles and responsibilities are at a universal level and this has crept into mainstream discussions in both the Mediterranean and Europe.

However, there is a great need to realize that without sustained and long – term commitment there is no successful development. This can be challenged by youth work, which can offer solutions and creative ways to improve the situation of women in the Euro-Med.

What obstacles can be identified to women’s participation in both Europe and the Mediterranean?

- unstable governments

- relationship between NGOs and activists

- lack of dialogues between state and civil society ( if any)

- lack of properly functioning civil society

- rising fundamentalism

- financial difficulties

- persistent military conflicts

- Long standing social customs have been rarely challenged. Practices are being called religious without any need for justification.

Europe’s long struggle to integrate women’s work into its mainstream continues to be an important area to be improved. Women are reconciling their positions, setting new priorities and revisit their positions on public and social affairs. This struggle has supported and inspired female participation in the Mediterranean region just as women in the Arab world motivated European movements. They are intertwined and continue to develop in the light of each other.

Women’s participation is a manifold phenomenon. It is manifested at different platforms and levels. The problem with religion has been that even though most religious movements would agree on women’s need to participate and become public figures, they are not quite sure how to translate this message into practice. The Mediterranean myth of women being behind veils and left out is only partially true. They run community projects, social and educational initiatives as well as struggle for active participation in politics. They challenge male dominance by inventing arts and media projects. They may be perceived as invisible but their work flourishes and blossoms in a new generation of young people who consider equal participation and women’s rights as main priority. On the contrary, there are more and more women getting involved with political parties especially in Egypt, Jordan and Turkey. Religions can play a very important role in motivating women to get involved in politics and public affairs. Most religious movements have specially promoted women to work in the public sphere. There is undoubtedly a rise of religious and conservative women’s group stepping into the public space (e.g. Turkey, Egypt and Morocco).

Women’s work and participation broadly depends on the values promoted by the various traditions of feminism (namely: equal rights traditions, socialist tradition, modern- often regarded as radical -feminism) and specifically defined by the infrastructures and legal provisions of each country. Involvement and participation is looked at in a diverse manner and provide frameworks within which women find their space to work. Equal rights tradition promotes women’s full inclusiveness in obtaining and maintaining high positions at the work place. Socialist traditions tend to advocate changes in family life, marriage and relationships. Modern feminism moved a step further. It recognized to a greater extent that participation can not be fully achieved unless there is a radical change in the way men and women perceive each other. This radical change needs to be translated into the requirements of workforce and treat women equally to men.

Specific issues concerning young people:

- Some youth and minority groups have difficulties in cooperating with state institutions because of lacking appropriate legal status

- Young people from minority background often suffer from low self-esteem, confidence and their sense of belonging is often fragile

- Human rights education is insufficient in education and in youth work, therefore young people have little or no reference points.

- Religious minorities are still a taboo in many societies

Can you think about any more reasons?

..And how can they be challenged….

- Allowing more work and research about various networks and associations to raise awareness and acknowledge women’s struggle for equality

- Activism has to be made ( nationally and internationally) part of a democratic society and mobilization of citizens

- Gradual integration of women’s talent into policy making procedures

- Setting up more networks and support groups internationally for mutual learning and inspiration

- Training both sexes on women’s issues

- Acknowledge arts and social projects at national and international level

Today’s young people are tomorrow’s active citizens. Young people under the age of 25 make up half of the population and more than 80% of them live in developing countries. By starting to educate the youth from young age they can be empowered and understand the prime importance of human dignity, rights and responsibility and start building a more just society. Their spiritual, intellectual capability needs to be nurtured and provided for. The skills young people can offer needs to be cherished and developed but only in short term measures but rather consistently and in line with a global framework to establish equality in all spheres of life- be it political, economic or social. If young people are involved in the development process they can remove obstacles to active participation and empower their peers to create a powerful, new kind of citizen that is concerned about equality issues.

The issue of women’s participation is often regarded as a harsh, thorny reality. However, looking at the achievements demonstrate the results of hard work, clear vision and commitment. It needs to be acknowledged and appreciated to give hope and inspiration for the many women who seemingly or invisibly work hard to achieve balance, equality and justice for all.

Conclusion

All women in the world share common concerns. Equality needs to be established on the basic understanding of human rights. The challenges which women face in the Euro-Med are not, in any way, different from the rest of the world. There are universally acknowledged issues that need to be tackled by women and for women. These issues, once acknowledged and appreciated can be transformed into a more active realm- the empowerment of women. This is certainly a gradual process but as it is an ongoing development, vital for the stability of any society in the future.

Women have and are making a huge difference in the world by stepping up and vocalize their opinions. The specific historical and socio-economic preamble of the Euro-Med has posed many interesting debates and offered creative solutions that can be utilized in other parts of the world. There have been great many lessons learnt and drawn that can be used for future development. Women of the Euro-Med have struggled their way through to a more tolerant and mutually exclusive cooperation that is the part of a wider picture- a more just and tolerant humanity.

The fundamental challenge of establishing gender equality, however, still exists. By enabling and educating women in short and long term, by giving them the right tools will help to reach the aim of a better society and a better world. There is a great need for commitment from international as well as national and local communities to realize that this can only be achieved by a commitment given by all participant- men and women of all walks of life.

Follow the Women Community

Tuesday, 6 February 2007

Gender & gender equality

"Gender equality" Policy forum in Madrid

Transnationality boosts gender equality

An intensive import - export process

Benefits beyond the boundaries of the DP

ESF seminar on "Integrating Partnership and Gender Equality into ESF Programmes for 2007-2013"

Spain presents its national mainstreaming plan and launches Action 3

The new Mainstreaming Plan

Spain presents its national mainstreaming plan and launches Action 3

The new Mainstreaming Plan

Conclusion

Suggested Reading List

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