Athena 3B

Gender Policies in Europe

Presentation by Martha Franken, director

International Conference: Gender Mainstreaming

Cosenza, December 2nd, 2005

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Outline

Athena 3b working groupEuropean Union – mainstreamingCouncil of Europe – mainstreamingFlanders – Equal Opportunities Policy

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Athena 3B

Athena = Advanced Thematic Network of Gender Studies in Europe

3B = “Reconceptualizing the Notion of Equal Opportunities and Rethinking the Policy Aims and Instruments – a joint effort of Women’s Studies in the Academia, Policy Makers and Women’s organizations

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Preliminary activities done

First meeting with participants in Madrid 2001 and Portoroz 2002 - growing groupFirst seminar and meeting in Antwerp July 2002 Stream Equality at Lund conference Aug 2003 (5 workshops in this stream)The meeting in Lund → paper: Scope of project

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3B Aims of project

Create a Task Force (Think tank)Develop strategic policy objectivesEU inventory of policy tools and instrumentsTraining of gender expertsIntroduction topic EO in university curricula

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3B Working Methods

Building up infrastructure for dialogue between actorsAnalysing bottlenecks, practices, implementationQuantitative/Qualitative research and surveySeminars with presentation of products

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3B Products of projectEU Task Force (platform for discussion)Discussion papersDatabase of expertsInventory and evaluation of policy tools & instrumentsInventory of best practices of training possibilitiesDevelopment of new policy recommendation and toolsTeaching materialsDissemination, articles, books...

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3B Participants (velvet triangle)

Mostly researchersA few policy makers A few women’s movementCombination of the threeMore actors of the velvet triangle in the national projects that will be going on in the frame of this project

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3B Involved countries

AustriaBelgiumCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkFinlandFranceGermanyGreeceHungary

IcelandItalyMaltaNetherlandsRomaniaSerbiaSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandUK

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Results in 2005

40 discussion papers exist about different topics: we are clusteringProgress available at website www.rosadoc.beExpertdatabase started www.rosadoc.beDigma database Amazone for mainstreaming instruments www.amazone.be

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European Union gender policy

Treaty of Rome 1957Gender Equality incorporated in DG Employment and Social PolicyMainstreaming introduced since 1995 (Beijing)

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Gender Mainstreaming in EU

Incorporation of Equal Opportunities into Community PoliciesFramework Strategy on E O for Men and Women (2001 – 2005)Action Programme on E O (2001 – 2005)

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Incorporation of EO into community Policies

The EU sets out the principle that the gender perspective should systematically be taken into account in all Community Policies and Actions; this should be done actively and openly at the planning stageAct: Communication of the Commission 21 february 1996

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Mainstreaming in different areas

Employment and the labour marketWomen entrepreneursEducation and trainingPeople’s rightsDevelopment cooperationStaff policyThe European Structural Funds

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Community Framework Strategy

Objective:To establish a framework for action providing for gender mainstreaming in all Community Activities in suc a way that they help to attain the goal of removing inequalities and promoting gender equalityAct: Commission communication 7 June 2000

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Community Framework Strategy

Dual-track approach: Gender mainstreaming in all Community policies Introduction of special measures for women

The ms approach marks a major change compared to past

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Community Framework Strategy

The framework strategy encompasses five inter-related fields of action:

Economic lifeEqual participation and representationSocial rightsCivil lifeGender roles and stereotypes

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5th Community Action Programme on EO

Objective:To promote equality for men and women, particularly by assisting and supporting the Com Framework strategy= funding of projectsAct: Council Decision 20 December 2000

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5th Community Action Programme

The actions:Raising awarenessAnalysis of factors and policiesTransnational cooperation

Funding: 50 mio euro for 2001 - 2005

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Future Actions EU

The framework strategy and community Action programme will be followed by a programme called “Progress” 2007: European Year of Equal Opportunities for AllEuropean Gender Institute

www.europa.eu.int

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I. What is Council of Europe ?political organisationfounded in 1949started with 10 now 44 European member statesAims:

promote democracy, human rights and rule of law;develop common responses to political, social, cultural and legal challenges;

headquarters: Strasbourg (France)2 constituent organs : committee of Ministers and Parliamentary Assembly+ CLRAEEuropean Court of Human Rights

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Working Structures for Equality

CDEGMandate CDEGCDEG working groupssecretariat : Equality division in Media, Equality and Minorities Departmentclose cooperation with other committees and international organisations

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Themes for Equality in CoE

A. Human Rights: protection, promotion and prevention

B. Human Rights and democratic practices on a daily basis

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A.Human Rights : protection, promotion and prevention

Trafficking in human beings for sexual exploitationcombating violence against womenfree choice in matters of reproduction and lifestylesHuman Rights of girls and young womenMigration and equality between women and menwomen’s participation in conflict prevention and peacebuilding

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B.Human Rights and democracy

Balanced representation of Women and Men in all Aspects of LifeGender MainstreamingEquality in Working WorldThe Role of Men…Institutional MechanismsCo-operation with NGO’s

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What is Mainstreaming ?

Definition

Gender Mainstreaming is the (re)organisation, improvement, development and evaluation of policy processes, so that a gender equality perspective is incorporated in all policies at all levels and at all stages, by the actors normally involved in policymaking.

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PrerequisitesPolitical willSpecific gender equality policyStatisticsComprehensive knowledge of gender relations Knowledge of the administrationNecessary funds and Human ResourcesParticipation of both sexes in decision-making processes

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Mainstreaming : When?Which moment in the policy

process?

•Policy preparing and planning stage

•Policy deciding stage•Policy implementing stage•Policy evaluating stage

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Mainstreaming : what ?Which policy areas?

•Most policy fields are relevant for gender mainstreaming because they directly or indirectly have an impact on the life of women and men

•One can start with the crucial areas of concern

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Mainstreaming : where ?

Which policy levels?

•All levels

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Coe : new developments

Recommendation R(98)14 on Gender mainstreamingMessage to other steering committees of the Coe to use GM in their programmes of activitiesInformal network on GM – yearly meetingNew report on Gender Budgeting

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Gender Budgeting

Definition:

GB is an application of gender mainstreaming in the budgetary process. It means a gender-based assessment of budgets, incorporating a gender perspective at all levels of the budgetary process and restructuring revenues and expenditures in order to promote gender equality.

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Equal Opportunities in Flanders

A mainstreaming case: Situated in coordination department of Ministry of FlandersInterdepartmental Commission Equal OpportunitiesNew approach with Open Coordination Method