luisa vinciguerra, women for europe, girne 2011

Luisa Vinciguerra - MORE WOMEN IN SENIOR POSITIONS 1

WOMEN FOR EUROPE THE ROLE OF INNER WHEEL

Girne Conference

ECONOMIC STABILITY AND GROWTH: MORE WOMEN IN

SENIOR POSITIONS. ROLE AND PROMOTION STRATEGIES OF

INNER WHEEL

Luisa Vinciguerra


Contents

4.ROLE AND PROMOTION STRATEGIES OF INNER WHEEL: PROMOTING AWARENESS, PROMOTING EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP.

3.SITUATION IN VARIOUS SECTOR - THE CALL OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

2.ECONOMIC STABILITY AND GROWTH: MORE WOMEN IN SENIOR POSITIONS.

1. ECONOMY, GENDER, ...AND THE PROJECT'S MISSION

Luisa Vinciguerra - MORE WOMEN IN SENIOR POSITIONS

41. ECONOMY, GENDER, ...AND THE PROJECT'S MISSION

The mission of the Project is"A EUROPE FOR WOMEN, WOMEN FOR EUROPE: THE ROLE OF THE INNER WHEEL”


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The Inner Wheel Members of the European Countries, which have a medium high socio-cultural target, are cultured and active in their professions, and have been and are also the protagonists of this season in which the European Union has dedicated constant attention to such problematic themes.

Only in more recent years has growing attention been given to the problem of access of women to retributive work, to the problems of female work, and the European Strategy for Employment has established the objective of increasing female employment rate and of promoting equal opportunity (removing the existing inequalities).

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2.ECONOMIC STABILITY AND GROWTH: MORE WOMEN IN SENIOR POSITIONS. The Women remain

considerably under-represented in top management, including in economic and social decision-making bodies.

Women’s limited access to top management and decision-making posts is the result of multiple forms of discrimination to which they are exposed throughout their lives.

“Women are under-represented in all forms of leadership positions: political leadership, the senior civil service and corporate boardrooms. At the same time, the companies where women are most strongly represented are also the companies that perform best financially”.

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Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on Links between gender equality, economic growth and employment rates, October 2009

7Luisa Vinciguerra - MORE WOMEN IN SENIOR POSITIONS

Report on Equality between women and men, European Commission, 2009

“An equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes is a democratic and economic necessity. In the current economic situation it is all the more important to mobilise all talents. This is not the time to waste skills and production potential because of outdated perceptions of women’s and men’s roles and leadership abilities”.

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Gender balance amongst board members of the largest publicly listed companies, 2009

An example:…the Women are in gray….


TO ACHIEVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND TREATMENT

It is necessary

to set up and effectively implement far-reaching and

comprehensive anti-discrimination policies

to introduce progressive measures to enable women to

reconcile family and professional responsibilities

In addition

positive measures should be envisaged to help women

break through the glass ceiling

which holds them back in the area of professional

competition.

3.SITUATION IN VARIOUS SECTOR A. THE CALL OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF

THE COUNCIL OF EUROPEB. EUROPEAN COMMISSION ADOPTED NEW

STRATEGY ON GENDER EQUALITY

IT IS EV

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HAT

Too few women are in the highest posts in politics

Too few women are leaders in the public service

Too few women are in decision-making posts in major companies

Too few women are leaders in political parties and trade unions



A.THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE CALLED ON MEMBER STATES…. TO

combat gender discrimination in education and employment;

ensure reconciliation of private and working life;

tackle the gender salary gap; promote training on gender equality in

schools and public administration;


support the preparation and implementation of training programmes and databases geared to supporting women in their professional careers and in access to top management and decision-making posts in the public and private sectors;

ensure that the gender dimension is included in all calls for public tender;

promote the feminisation of post titles;


set an example by adopting action plans aimed at improving the representation of women in decision-making bodies in all branches of administration, at local, regional and central levels, as well as in state-owned companies;

introduce the obligation for state-owned and large private companies to guarantee a minimum 40% of representation of women on their governing and management boards.

THE ASSEMBLY CALLED ON COUNCIL OF EUROPE MEMBER STATES

TO ENCOURAGE COMPANIES, FIRMS AND ASSOCIATIONS OPERATING IN THE PRIVATE AND

VOLUNTARY SECTORS… TO


GENDER QUOTAS

PROMOTING EXEMPLARITY

ENABLING WOMEN TO RECONCILE

FAMILY AND PROFESSIONAL

LIFE

INFLUENCING ATTITUDES

The measures to ensure balanced representation of women in top

management could be


THE GENDER EQUALITY STRATEGY ADOPTED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION SPELLS OUT A SERIES OF ACTIONS BASED AROUND FIVE PRIORITIES:

1. THE ECONOMY AND LABOUR MARKET

2. EQUAL PAY 3. EQUALITY IN SENIOR

POSITIONS 4. TACKLING GENDER VIOLENCE 5. AND PROMOTING EQUALITY

BEYOND THE EU.

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19Gender Equality Dialogue

The Commission will also set up a yearly top-level Gender Equality Dialogue involving the presidencies of the European Parliament, the Council, European social partners and civil society in order to assess progress in implementing the strategy.


THE KEY OF SUCCESS

A new collective awareness

A change of attitudes in both women and men

Balanced access of women to managerial and decision-making posts, including in the socio-economic field, would be a genuine qualitative leap forward towards achieving de facto equality between women and men in society.

4.ROLE AND PROMOTION STRATEGIES OF INNER WHEEL

PROMOTING AWARENESS, PROMOTING EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP


What is the role of the Inner Wheel? Is it a easy role?

Inner Wheel can do a GREAT DEAL in this context. Inner Wheel has a ROLE. I’m convinced that the social gried Inner Wheel should seriously TAKE ACTION and DEVOTE ATTENTION to these issues, which concern women in their respective countries.

THE PATH WILL STILL BE A LONG ONE


MORE AWARNESS

The Inner Wheel Women must become more aware, and then, transmit their renewed AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE through Club or District initiatives, as a cultural service.

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TH

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CAMPAIG

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The Inner Wheel must always be ACTIVE, as a Service Club, within the European Union, next to all the other NGOs (organisations and female associations) which represent the world of Women and which can bring AN EXTRA VALUE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAMMES TO WOMEN, in a broad and dedicated sense.

The INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS AND SENSITISATION ACTIONS are some of the activities which Inner Wheel, united with other organisations committed in the sector, should promote in order to achieve the Project's objectives.

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25IW Members are precious human resources….not only are they constantly committed to service in Developing Countries…. But they can, also, get involved and make their mark in a concrete way in the social processes of the community in which they operate. The work of Inner Wheel is in fact also a work involving relationships, to help understand and promote spread and promotion of European citizenship.


…a certain number of background questions

EU

• What relations do women maintain with the EU and what are their expectations of the EU?

EU

• What role do they ascribe to the European Institutions, and what role would they like to see them play?

EU

• Why do women perceive the EU as distant?


27ROLE OF INNER WHEEL

The link between women and the EU is weaker than between men and the EU.Today, women do not sense what the role of the EU is, as well as its relevance to their specific concerns. They have little interest in it and have less knowledge of it than men. This would explain why women perceive the EU as distant. Towards the role of Inner Wheel, if we can we manage to break this vicious circle, women will better understand the pertinence of the EU, have a greater interest and better knowledge of it, and feel closer to it.

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WOMEN IN POWER


IF THE EUROPEAN UNION IS PERCEIVED AS REMOTE AND DISTANT , IT IS BECAUSE THE UNION DOES NOT

SUFFICIENTLY COMMUNICATE ITS POLICIES IN WHICH EUROPEAN WOMEN COULD FEEL ENGAGED AND

INVOLVED


If:Women feel the EU isn’t very relevant to them

Women have less interest in the EUWomen know less about the EU

Women feel the EU is distant from them

On average women have a lower level of

economic security than men

Women are more interested in national and local rather than

European politics

Although women perceive the EU as remote, they know the EU is important

They expect a different

European Union

INNER WHEEL SHOULD DISCUSS THESE ISSUES WITHIN THE ASSOCIATION, SPREAD DOCUMENTS

AND NEWS, TO ENSURE THAT:


ROLE OF INNER WHEELWomen feel the EU is relevant to them

Women know more about the EU

Women feel close to the EU

EU

luisa vinciguerra, women for europe, girne 2011

Education

women foreurope

equal participation

important tobetween

senior positions10

leadership positions

inner wheel luisa vinciguerra

trade unionsluisa vinciguerra

gender dimension