2015/2228(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Recital A

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Recital A e (new)

Ae. whereas the economic crisis has affected women in particular, increasing their risk of poverty;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Recital A f (new)

Af. whereas bullying has profound effects on educational achievement, with differences between boys and girls regarding its psychological impact and its effect on their performance;

Amendment 12 #

Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI, Andrew LEWER, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Draft opinion
Recital A g (new)

Ag. whereas vocational and top-up training are helpful when it comes to entering employment;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises that ~~equal access to affordable childcare and free, high-quality~~regardless of gender differences equal access to various forms of affordable, high-quality childcare and education is central tofor securing equal opportunities and breaking poverty cycles; however notes that an increase in accessibility to education does not necessarily imply an increase in quality of education;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises that equal access to affordable childcare ~~and~~is of key importance in maintaining a work-life balance that will prevent women from being obliged to work on a part-time or half-time basis or to give up working altogether and that access to free, high-quality education is central to securing equal opportunities and breaking poverty cycles;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises that ~~equal access to affordable~~high quality and decent jobs, social protection measures, equal access to public childcare services and free, high-quality education isare central to securing equal opportunities and breaking poverty cycles;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises that equal access to affordable childcare and free, high-quality education is central to securing equal opportunities ~~and~~between boys and girls, while breaking poverty cycles, especially for women;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises that equal access to affordable childcare and free, high-quality education is central to securing equal opportunities and breaking poverty cycles, but points out that such access is dependent on the number of places that are available in childcare facilities; urges, therefore, that priority be given to expanding childcare provision;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Calls on the EU and Member States to abandon the austerity economic approach and to deliver targeted policies aimed at securing high quality and decent jobs and social protection measures for women and men, primarily focusing on those that are facing poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Notes that education and culture play a crucial role when it comes to challenging and changing attitudes and stereotypes, and in helping women and girls achieve equality;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas governments have committed, in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to ensuring that all boys and girls complete a full elementary education; whereas the Parliament organised an event "Empowering girls and women through education" on International Women's Day in May 2015; whereas education, both formal and informal, is instrumental in overcoming marginalisation and multiple discrimination, in terms of creating dialogue, openness and understanding between communities, and in terms of empowering marginalised communities;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Stresses that gender discrimination is an even more relevant factor, making things harder for girls regarding not only access to education but also the purpose thereof, which must be to encourage the development of their personalities, abilities and self-esteem, as well as their mental and physical aptitudes, through enhancement of their potential;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Strongly believes that EU Member States should introduce a guaranteed minimum income to effectively address poverty;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Highlights the immediate necessity to close the gap between women's general high level of education in the EU and the professional opportunities available to them afterwards, meaning a loss to society as a whole;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Stresses the importance of training teachers to be aware of the impact of gender roles and gender stereotyping and the importance of preventing this; whereas boys and girls must receive instruction designed to prevent gender stereotyping in line with the messages to be sent regarding equal educational opportunities;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1c. Stresses the importance of ensuring support and investment for learning activities and opportunities in addition to those offered by formal education, especially for girls, giving them the opportunity to acquire soft skills and cross-cutting qualifications with a view to facilitating the development of European citizenship; emphasises also the importance of non-formal education in drawing people with low skills and at risk of poverty into the world of education and work;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)

1d. Stresses the need to extend vocational, top-up and other forms of training and guidance to adults, especially women, in order to enhance their integration or reintegration into the labour market and thereby reduce the risk of poverty;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights that gender equality in education implies that girls and boys, women and men, are afforded the same chances and treatment in access, process and outcome for high-quality education, as well as positive measures by which structural, cultural, and intersectional gender inequality is overcome so that women and girls can be empowered through education;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights that gender equality in education implies that girls and boys, women and men, are afforded with the same chances and treatment in access, process and outcome for high-quality education;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights that gender equality in education implies that girls and boys, women and men, are afforded the same chances and treatment in access, process and outcome for high-quality education; calls on the EU and Member States to adequately counter the persistent obstacles in terms of financial issues, social rights limitations and socio-cultural stereotypes;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights that gender equality in education implies that girls and boys, women and men, are afforded the same chances and treatment in access, process and outcome for high-quality education; points out that, although women make up 60% of all graduates in the EU, unemployment remains higher among women than among men; stresses, therefore, the need for sustainable responses that make gender equality a central consideration in careers guidance policies and policies to safeguard jobs and boost growth;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas one of the Europe 2020 Strategy goals is to reduce the number of Europeans living below the national poverty lines, lifting over 20 million people out of poverty by 2020;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Stresses the need for gender awareness to be embedded into teacher and professional training programmes in order to increase understanding of gender stereotyping to reduce unintended consequences;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2. Asks the Commission to provide a breakdown by gender and age regarding participation in European educational mobility programmes, such as Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Europe for Citizens;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Stresses the need for school inspections to examine the extent to which gender stereotypes are being challenged in the classroom and careers advice to increase gender neutral teaching practices;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)

2c. Calls for funding mechanisms which incentivise Further and Higher Education providers to achieve equal representation in areas where there is a gender imbalance;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)

2d. Stresses the need for gender dis- aggregated data in order to better understand the situation for girls, boys, men, and women, and to therefore be able to provide more effective responses to imbalances;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 e (new)

2e. Stresses the need to provide a rights- based and gender-sensitive learning environment for all learners both in terms of curriculum and pedagogy, where children (and girls in particular) can learn about their rights and experience democratic processes in schools as well as in informal learning environments;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 f (new)

2f. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to remove barriers to access to formal and informal education, as well as to lifelong learning, by improving awareness and guidance, providing financial support as well as support such as childcare and care for the elderly to enable women and men to participate in lifelong learning, adopting an intergenerational approach and fostering the role played by European Institutions;

Amendment 37 #

Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI, Andrew LEWER, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 g (new)

2g. Considers that the EU Structural Funds and particularly the European Social Fund must support educational projects with a gender-specific nature as well as gender-sensitive educational structures;

Amendment 38 #

Louise BOURS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that gender mainstreaming at all levels of the education system is needed, including assessing the implications for girls and boys, women and men of any planned action and the need to let the concerns and experiences of all, form the design, implementation and evaluation of policies;deleted

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that ~~gender mainstreaming at all levels of the education system is needed, including assessing the implications for girls and boys, women and men of any planned action and the need to let the co~~a successful fight against poverty has to take into account gender differences and gender specificity and that the fundamental equality of chancerns can~~d experiences of all, form the design, implementation and evaluation of polici~~not be achieved by ideologically neglecting or ignoring these differences;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas education for gender equality must aim to combat the 'feminisation of poverty' by overcoming gender stereotypes, and leading to an increased representation of women and girls and other genders in the economic, social, and political spheres;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Stresses that women and girls are free to decide on their choice of educational path, professional life and career, including when the decision they take is to devote themselves to family and motherhood;

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Stresses that gender disaggregated data is central to this priority;

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Stresses the importance of acknowledging and promoting in educational institutions the role of a mother in family and society, the value of maternity and femininity;

Amendment 46 #

Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI, Andrew LEWER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3c. Expresses concern that women who have children are discriminated against in the workplace because they are mothers and not because their job performance is different compared to their peer, urges Member States to promote actively the positive image of mothers as employees and combat the phenomenon of 'motherhood penalty', evidenced by a number of researches;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)

3d. Highlights that promoting the idea of a family-friendly workplace, improving the availability and quality of part-time and flexible working, and investing in various forms of childcare are vital in increasing women employability and in combating feminine poverty;

Amendment 48 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)

3e. Stresses that a practice of gender neutrality and deliberately blurring the borders between masculinity and femininity increasingly used by a number of pre-schools and schools is not a rightful way of fighting gender stereotypes and ensuring gender equality in educational and working environment, and its consequences could be detrimental to children's psychological health and wellbeing;

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 f (new)

3f. Calls for Article 10(1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights to be respected, pursuant to which private schools and schools run by churches or other religious organisations are not required to include content based on concepts of socio- cultural gender in their curricula;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas Europe 2020 targets include a reduction in early school leaving rates to below 10%;

Amendment 50 #

Louise BOURS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses that in all Member States the risk of poverty and social exclusion among children is strongly linked to their parents’ level of education, and in particular to that of their mothers, their situation in the labour market and their social conditions; pPoints out that a lack of education is a major risk factor for child poverty and social exclusion; notes that a number of family-related factors such as family instability and lifestyle, ~~single parenthood,~~ poor living conditions, physical and mental health problems and domestic violence can, moreover, increase the likelihood of young people giving up education and training prematurely;

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses that in all Member States the risk of poverty and social exclusion among children is strongly linked to their parents’' level of education, and in particular the level of education to that of their mothers, their situation in the labour market and their social ~~conditions; points out that a lack of educat~~inclusion is aof major risk factor for child poverty and social exclusion; notes that a number of family-related factors such as family instability and lifestyle, single parenthood, poor living conditions, physical and mental health problems and domestic violence can, moreover, increase the likelihood of young people giving up education and training prematurely;importance; points out that a lack of education is a major risk factor.

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses that in all Member States the risk of poverty and social exclusion among children is strongly linked to their parents’ level of education, ~~and in particular to that of their mothers, their situation in the labour market and their social conditions; points out that a lack of education is a~~their precarious and poor working situation and their social conditions; points out that a lack of quality and decent jobs, social protection measures and education are major risk factors for child poverty and social exclusion; notes that a number of family- related factors such as ~~family instability and lifestyle~~parents working instability, single parenthood, poor living conditions, physical and mental health problems and domestic violence can, moreover, increase the likelihood of young people giving up education and training prematurely;

Amendment 53 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses that in all Member States the risk of poverty and social exclusion among children is strongly linked to their parents’ level of education, ~~and in particular to that of their mothers,~~ their situation in the labour market and their social conditions; points out that a lack of education is a major risk factor for child poverty and social exclusion; notes that a number of family-related factors such as family instability and lifestyle, single parenthood, poor living conditions, physical and mental health problems and domestic violence can, moreover, increase the likelihood of young people giving up education and training prematurely; believes that this highlights the need always to involve parents as closely as possible in the learning process and to improve civics teaching provision at all levels;

Amendment 54 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses that in all Member States the risk of poverty and social exclusion among children is strongly linked to their parents’ level of education, and in particular to that of their mothers, ~~their~~parents' situation in the labour market and their social conditions, and family support services offered by states; points out that a lack of education is a major risk factor for child poverty and social exclusion; notes that a number of family-related factors such as family instability and lifestyle, single parenthood, poor living conditions, physical and mental health problems and domestic violence can, moreover, increase the likelihood of young people giving up education and training prematurely;

Amendment 55 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses that in all Member States the risk of poverty and social exclusion among children is strongly linked to their parents and carers’ level of education, and in particular to that of their mothers, their situation in the labour market and their social conditions; points out that a lack of education is a major risk factor for child poverty and social exclusion; notes that a number of family-related factors such as family instability and lifestyle, single parenthood, poor living conditions, physical and mental health problems and domestic violence can, moreover, increase the likelihood of young people giving up education and training prematurely;

Amendment 56 #

Santiago FISAS AYXELÀ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Points to the importance of sport as a character-forming tool and a vehicle for conveying values serving to overcome prejudices and stereotypes that prevent women and men from developing according to their own expectations and their individual ability;

Amendment 57 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls for the Commission and Member States to invest in formal and informal education and life-long learning to combat poverty and increase women's representation in traditionally male- dominated fields such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and entrepreneurship, which include positive female role-models and peer-to- peer mentor networks, thereby overcoming gender stereotypes and prejudices;

Amendment 58 #

Marc JOULAUD

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Points out that poverty can consciously or unconsciously influence boys’ and girls’ educational choices by making money a factor; stresses, therefore, the important role that advice for families from educational guidance staff plays in allowing boys and girls to realise their full potential by helping them to make the right educational choices;

Amendment 59 #

Santiago FISAS AYXELÀ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Calls on the Member States to lay greater emphasis on the importance of good physical education for both sexes, and suggest that they devise the strategies needed to cover that point;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)

Ab. whereas austerity measures and the reforms of the national labour market adopted by Member States produced the increasing of poverty, the worsening of the unemployment rates and the multiplication of precarious and poor jobs; whereas women have been hit harder;

Amendment 60 #

Santiago FISAS AYXELÀ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)

4d. Points to the importance of education through sport and to the potential value of sport in helping socially vulnerable young people to put their lives back on track, and calls on the Member States and sports bodies to promote fair play policies in competitions;

Amendment 61 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls in particular the right of ~~migrant and refugee~~all children, both boys and girls, to have access to education, as established in Article 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child;

Amendment 62 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls in particular the right of migrant and refugee children, both boys and girls, to have access to education, this being one of the priorities of our societies in Europe;

Amendment 63 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls in particular the right of migrant and refugee children, both boys and girls, to have access to education, stresses therefore that urgent measures in the field of migrant education should be taken both at EU and national levels in light of the progressing migrant crisis, emphasizes that education is key to integration and employability and that a failure of the national education systems to meet this challenge may provoke further cultural segregation and deepen social divisions;

Amendment 64 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls in particular the right of migrant and refugee children, both boys and girls, to have access to education; insists that any education policy put in place to address the intersection of gender equality and poverty, must also specifically take into account the situation of women facing multiple discrimination, such as women migrants and asylum seekers, women with disabilities, LGBTI women, Roma women, and women carers;

Amendment 65 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls in particular the right of migrant and refugee children, both boys and girls, to have access to education; points out that access to education, in both refugee camps and host municipalities, meeting requisite quality standards and accompanied by linguistic and psychological support, must not be undermined by bureaucratic and administrative issues relating to recognition of refugee status;

Amendment 66 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Recalls that migrant women and children are amongst the most vulnerable groups and at high risk of economic and social exclusion in terms of reduced access to primary healthcare services and decent housing;

Amendment 67 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Emphasises the importance of men and boys being actively engaged on the issue of gender equality, and that formal and informal education and life-long learning programmes on gender equality must also engage boys and men, in order to help overcome the social exclusion and discrimination which exacerbate female poverty;

Amendment 68 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses the need for a special focus on groups suffering from multiple forms of discrimination, including migrants, refugees, people with disabilities, young carers, and others;

Amendment 69 #

Louise BOURS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)

Ab. whereas the Europe 2020 target is to ensure that 40% of 30-34 year-olds have received a university education, compared with the current average of 37.9 %; whereas the average figure for women has exceeded 42.3 %, compared with 33.6% for men;

Amendment 70 #

Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI, Andrew LEWER, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Affirms~~Points out that, in comparison to girls, boys are ~~almost~~ twice as likely to leave school with low or no qualifications ~~but that socio-economic background and status seem to be a stronger predictor of educational achievement than gender alone.~~and accordingly calls for appropriate educational support to be provided in order to redress this imbalance;

Amendment 71 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Affirms that in comparison to girls, boys are almost twice as likely to leave school with low or no qualifications but that socio-economic background and status seem to be a stronger predictor of educational condition and achievement than gender alone., hence the need to focus on social and economic challenges in establishing high-quality educational opportunities for all;

Amendment 72 #

Marc JOULAUD, Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Feels that the Member States should accept and respect in their educational polices the differences between men and women in their choice of professional training and careers;

Amendment 73 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Stresses the importance of lifelong learning in providing fresh opportunities for adults who were obliged to leave school early or whose initial educational choices did not allow them to realise their potential or their ambitions;

Amendment 74 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to guarantee access to professional training programmes for young people and adults, and to promote those programmes; points to the important role played by the European Social Fund in helping people into employment by financing training policies, and calls on Member States and local authorities to encourage use of the fund;

Amendment 75 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Stresses the contribution of voluntary organisations and the tertiary sector in this area and urges the Member States to support their efforts; recalls the high level of participation by women in voluntary educational and other activities, supporting and improving educational opportunities for refugee and deprived children for example;

Amendment 76 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Points out that the 2008 crisis put a brake on women’s progression on and access to the labour market, where they are losing out to men with the same qualifications; calls on the Commission to take steps to ensure career equality and thus prevent women from experiencing slower career progression and falling into poverty; calls, with a view to increasing the number of women in all areas of the labour market and ensuring equal opportunities, for special support measures that will allow women to combine work and training and at the same time share family responsibilities with their spouses;

Amendment 77 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Maintains that the participation of girls in school life is a prerequisite in efforts to prevent early school leaving, given that girls acquire confidence through being given the opportunity to actively change for the better their own lives or those of others; notes that the involvement of girls may also help to change public perceptions of what they are able to do and ensure that they are perceived as citizens and as active members of society when it comes to upholding individual rights;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Recital A c (new)

Ac. whereas average participation in adult learning in the EU is 11 %, compared with the Europe 2020 target of 15 %, with lower participation among women, mainly due to the difficulty of combining such activities with the need to balance the demands of work and family life;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Recital A d (new)

Ad. whereas poverty is a major factor when it comes to equal access to education, given the direct and indirect costs involved;

source: 571.713

2016/02/04 EMPL 102 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Recital A (new)

A. whereas employment rates are generally lower among women in comparison with men: in 2014, the employment rate for men stood at 70.1 % in the EU-28, as compared with 59.6 % for women1a ; __________________ 1a http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics- explained/index.php?title=Employment_st atistics&oldid=190559.

Amendment 10 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 a (new)

-1a. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to take steps to combat all forms of multiple discrimination on gender basis, to ensure application of the principle of non-discrimination and equality in the labour market and in access to employment, and in particular to adopt social protection measures to ensure that women's pay and welfare entitlements, including pensions, are equal to those of men with the same or similar experience doing the same job or a job of equal value;

Amendment 100 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 f (new)

5f. Calls for the effective development of indicators on women's poverty and social exclusion on the basis of those developed in 2007; 1a __________________ 1aCouncil of the European Union, Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs, “Review of the implementation by the member States and the EU institutions of the Beijing Platform for Action – Indicators in respect of Women and Poverty” – Draft Council Conclusions”, December 2007, 13947/07 ADD

Amendment 101 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 g (new)

5g. Considers that child poverty is linked to women's poverty and therefore calls on Member States to implement the Recommendation on Child Poverty and well-being 1b and to use the indicator- based monitoring framework therein; __________________ 1bEuropean Commission Recommendation on Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage, Brussels, 20.2.2013 C(2013) 778 final

Amendment 102 #

Marian HARKIN, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Ivo VAJGL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 h (new)

5h. Underlines the crucial role of high quality public services, especially for women, as they are more dependent on such services; underlines the importance of universal access to high-quality, affordable, conveniently located and demand-driven public services in the fight against poverty;

Amendment 11 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 b (new)

-1b. Calls on the Commission for full implementation and revision of the Directive 2006/54/EC on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation, with a compulsory requirement for companies to draw up measures or plans on gender equality, including actions on desegregation, the development of pay systems and measures to support women's careers;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that closing the gender pay gap requires increased transparency in pay systems, gender-neutral classification, ~~a reversal of the onu~~enforcement of relevant EU legislation and a strong emphasis ofn p~~roof when it comes to challenging gender discrimination in the workplace, and desegregation of the workforc~~olicies that promote the reconciliation of professional and family life;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that closing the gender pay gap requires increased transparency in pay systems and subsequent implementation of the Commission's recommendation on wage transparency, gender-neutral classification, athe reversal of the ~~onus~~burden of proof when it comes to challenging gender discrimination in the workplace, and desegregation of the workforce;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that ~~closing~~ the gender pay gap ~~requires~~can only be closed by increased transparency in pay systems~~, gender-neutral classification, a reversal of the onus of proof when it comes to challenging gender~~ and an improvement in statistical data, gender-neutral job diescri~~mination in the workplace, and desegregation of the~~ptions and a balanced workforce;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that closing the gender pay gap requires increased transparency in pay systems, gender-neutral classification, increased participation of women in the labour market, a reversal of the onus of proof when it comes to challenging gender discrimination in the workplace, and desegregation of the workforce;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that closing the gender pay gap requires increased transparency in pay systems (including data broken down by sector), gender-neutral classification, a reversal of the onus of proof when it comes to challenging gender discrimination in the workplace, and desegregation of the workforce;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that closing the gender pay gap requires increased transparency in pay systems, gender-neutral job classification, a reversal of the onus of proof when it comes to challenging gender discrimination in the workplace, and desegregation of the workforce;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that closing the gender pay gap requires increased transparency in pay systems, gender-neutral classification, and a reversal of the onus of proof when it comes to challenging gender discrimination in the workplace~~, and desegregation of the workforce~~;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Considers that men must be encouraged and engaged to promote gender equality in all areas and at all levels of the labour market;

Amendment 2 #

Csaba SÓGOR

Draft opinion
Recital B (new)

B. whereas the objective of ensuring equality between men and women dates back to the 1957 Treaty of Rome, according to the European Commission in 2015 women still earned 16% less per hour than men for the same work. Considers that greater equality on the labour market would not only bring benefits to women but to the economy and society in general;

Amendment 20 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Brando BENIFEI, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Points out that the gender pay and career development gap continues for women working in the ICT sector; stresses that the principle of equal pay for equal work in the same workplace to ensure just and fair wages is being challenged even though it constitutes one of the fundamental pillars of social justice in the labour market and should therefore be protected above all else; reiterates that inequalities should not be allowed to take root in the digital economy as regards equal pay and career development; stresses that an increasing labour market participation of women and related investments in social inclusion policies will help to reduce the gender pay gap; highlights the importance of collective bargaining also in the digital market economy to safeguard quality and security of jobs in times of digitalisation;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Takes the view that the elimination of the gender pay gap requires greater transparency in the payment process, the reversal of the burden of proof in cases of discrimination against women and compliance with the principle of equal opportunities for men and women;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Considers that mandatory gender pay audits and action plans for equal pay are necessary and that companies not complying with this should be subjected to financial sanctions;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Stresses that discrimination in the labour market is one of the main causes of gender inequality in society at large and that equal opportunities in the working life and women's economic independence is crucial for gender equality in other areas; calls therefore on the Commission and the Member States to put forward strong measures against gender-based discrimination in the labour market, covering various aspects such as recruitment, pay, social benefits and pensions; stresses furthermore, when addressing discrimination, the importance of taking into account the multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination affecting women with disabilities, migrant and ethnic minority women, Roma women, older women, single mothers and LGBTIQ persons;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Notes that the gender pay gap makes women more likely to fall into poverty after retirement;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1c. Notes that women who have a disability or stay at home to care for a family member are disproportionally at risk of falling into poverty;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1c. Underlines that not only outright discrimination but also the persistence of stereotypical representations of masculinity and femininity in different sectors and professions on the labour market, which underlie and reinforce unequal power relations and structures between women and men, is a continuing problem that must be addressed;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Considers that efforts to close the gender pay gap will benefit from measures that improve conditions for all low- and medium-waged workers, including reversing the trend of declining labour income share and linking wage growth to productivity1, increasing the minimum wage, reducing unemployment and boosting collective bargaining rights; __________________ 1International Labour Organisation, Global Wage Report 2012/13: Wages and equitable growth, 2013.deleted

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Considers that efforts to close the gender pay gap will benefit from measures that improve conditions for all low- and medium-waged workers, in~~cluding reversing the trend of declining labour income share and linking wage growth to productivity1, increasing the minimum wage,~~ particular measures to reduc~~ing~~e unemployment and ~~boosting collective bargaining rights; __________________ 1 International Labour Organisation, Global Wage Report 2012/13: Wages and equitable growth, 2013.~~introduce a minimum wage;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Considers that ~~efforts to~~ closeing the gender pay gap ~~will benefit from measures that improve conditions for all low- and medium-waged workers, including reversing the trend of declining labour income share and linking wage growth to~~can be promoted by achieving gender equality and better using the talents and abilities of women, and that wage growth is dependent on increasing productivity1, increasing the minimum wage, reducing unemployment and boosting collective bargaining rights; __________________ 1 International Labour Organisation, Global Wage Report 2012/13: Wages and equitable growth, 2013.and that this also applies to the minimum wage; is aware that collective bargaining rights will be safeguarded;

Amendment 3 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Recital C (new)

C. whereas women are generally paid around 16 % less than men, and the gender pay gap often leads to women receiving lower pensions than men – on average across the EU, women's pensions are 39 % lower than men's;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Considers that efforts to close the gender pay gap will benefit from measures that improve conditions for all low- and medium-waged workers, including reversing the trend of declining labour income share and linking wage growth to productivity1, ~~increasing the minimum wage, reducing unemployment and boosting~~and recognises the importance of collective bargaining ~~rights~~; __________________ 1 International Labour Organisation, Global Wage Report 2012/13: Wages and equitable growth, 2013.

Amendment 31 #

Marian HARKIN, Ivo VAJGL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Considers that efforts to close the gender pay gap will benefit from measures that improve conditions for all ~~low- and medium-waged~~ workers, including reversing the trend of declining labour income share and linking wage growth to productivity1 , increasing the minimum wage, reducing unemployment ~~and~~, boosting collective bargaining ~~rights~~and facilitating care leave and ensuring that credits are part of any package on such leave; __________________ 1 International Labour Organisation, Global Wage Report 2012/13: Wages and equitable growth, 2013.

Amendment 32 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Considers that efforts to close the gender pay gap will benefit from measures that improve conditions for all low- and medium-waged workers, including reversing the trend of declining labour income share and linking wage growth to productivity1 , increasing the minimum wage, investing in social protection systems, reducing unemployment and boosting collective bargaining rights; __________________ 1 International Labour Organisation, Global Wage Report 2012/13: Wages and equitable growth, 2013.

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Considers that efforts to close the gender pay gap will benefit from measures that improve conditions for all low- and medium-waged workers, including reversing the trend of declining labour income share and linking wage growth to productivity1 , increasing, where applicable, the minimum wage, reducing unemployment and boosting collective bargaining rights; __________________ 1 International Labour Organisation, Global Wage Report 2012/13: Wages and equitable growth, 2013.

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Considers that efforts to close the gender pay gap will benefit from measures that improve conditions for all low- and medium-waged workers, including reversing the trend of declining labour income share and linking wage growth to productivity1 , introducing and increasing the minimum wage, reducing unemployment and boosting collective bargaining rights; __________________ 1 International Labour Organisation, Global Wage Report 2012/13: Wages and equitable growth, 2013.

Amendment 35 #

Lynn BOYLAN, Tania GONZÁLEZ PEÑAS, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Considers it urgent to develop an EU level definition of work of equal value, taking into account ECJ case law, to ensure that factors such as the working conditions, the responsibility conferred on the workers and the physical or mental requirements of the work are taken into consideration; considers it urgent to address the issue of equal pay for 'work of equal value' across different sectors so that a broader interpretation can be applied to cover differences in pay for work which may not appear comparable from the outset, for example, the nursing sector compared to the manufacturing sector;

Amendment 36 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Highlights that women pensioners run higher poverty risks than men as a consequence of the inequalities existing between men and women in the labour market; stresses the importance of combating indirect discrimination in pension schemes, not only in occupational schemes but also in the practices of statutory pension schemes; therefore, as regards the occupational old age pensions schemes, which are also deeply involved in the processes of reforming old age pensions, they are increasingly run according to insurance principles and thus under the criteria of capitalization, and this might give rise to many gaps in terms of social protection1c ; emphasises that the Court of Justice of the European Union has made it clear that occupational pension schemes are to be considered as pay and that the principle of equal treatment therefore applies to these schemes as well; __________________ 1c http://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender- equality/files/conference_sept_2011/dgjus tice_oldagepensionspublication3march20 11_en.pdf

Amendment 37 #

Deirdre CLUNE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Notes that women tend to be second earners and ICT jobs feature heavily in this field, encourages the commission and member states to have tax and benefit systems that are free of disincentives for second earners to work or work more;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Notes with concern that the financial crisis and response to it has impacted disproportionately on women in the EU in a number of ways - layoffs in the public service, where women constitute on average more than two-thirds of the workforce, have driven many women into unemployment or precarious, low-paid work; funding cuts to public services have increased women's risk of poverty, social exclusion, health problems and violence; home repossessions by banks have increased poverty and the risk of homelessness among women and children; notes that single mothers and single women pensioners have faced the biggest cumulative losses as a result of austerity policies;

Amendment 39 #

Jana TOOM, Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Ivo VAJGL, Marian HARKIN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Emphasises that employment is a key strategy for reduction of poverty among women; notes that proactive measures are needed to improve women's situation in the labour market, including elimination of gender stereotyping in employment through awareness-raising campaigns, proper counselling of women and girls on their professional choices, and policies to increase the number of women in responsible positions in companies and public institutions;

Amendment 4 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Brando BENIFEI, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Recital D (new)

D. whereas parental poverty often leads to child poverty and seriously affects children later in life; whereas single- parent families, especially families headed by single mothers, are at greater risk of poverty or social exclusion (49.8% compared to 25.2%, although there are large differences between countries, according to EU-SILC1b , which is related to the feminisation of poverty, women's overrepresentation in precarious work and as involuntary part-time workers, stated in the disproportionate time spent by women in unpaid work, interruptions in women's careers to care for children or other family members, and pay gap between men and women; __________________ 1b Save the Children, "Child Poverty and Social Exclusion in Europe", Brussels, 2014, p.14.

Amendment 40 #

Ivo VAJGL, Marian HARKIN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Considers that the gender pay gap in pensions, which stands at 39%1a and is a determining factor of women's poverty risk in the EU, needs to be tackled by a wide range of comprehensive instruments for enabling gender equality within different sector policies, such as the adjustment of pension systems, education, career planning, parental leave system and other parenthood supporting services; __________________ 1aEuropean Parliament resolution of 9 September 2015 on the Report on the implementation, results and overall assessment of the 2012 European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations (2014/2255(INI)); http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getD oc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P8-TA- 2015-0309+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN

Amendment 41 #

Lynn BOYLAN, Tania GONZÁLEZ PEÑAS, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Notes that cuts to family benefit and welfare systems implemented as part of austerity programmes in some Member States have reduced the income of women and increased the level of poverty among women and children; urges Member States in which this has occurred to immediately restore their family benefit and welfare systems to ensure an adequate minimum income;

Amendment 42 #

Lynn BOYLAN, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)

2c. Notes that women struggle to build up sufficient contributions across both the private and public pension systems as a result of the pay gap, precarious and low- paid work, carrying out unpaid caring, and being excluded from the labour market for long periods over the course of their lives as a result of the prohibitive cost of childcare in many Member States; calls for Member States to introduce "care credits" to allow women outside the formal labour market to collect pension contributions;

Amendment 43 #

Lynn BOYLAN, Tania GONZÁLEZ PEÑAS, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)

2d. Considers that austerity policies are resulting in the reprivatisation of care, which not only reduces access to care services but significantly increases the burden on women in childcare and care for older people and people with disabilities by shifting the responsibility for care from society to women; calls on the Member States to restore high-quality and accessible public services including childcare, disability and elderly care;

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that women are disproportionately and often involuntarily concentrated in precarious work; urges the Member States to consider implementing the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendations intended to reduce the scale of precarious work2, such as restricting the circumstances in which precarious contracts can be used and limiting the length of time workers can be employed on such a contract, after which they must be given a permanent contract; __________________ 2International Labour Organisation, Policies and regulations to combat precarious employment, 2011.deleted

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that women are disproportionately and often involuntarily concentrated in precarious work; urges the Member States to consider implementing the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendations intended to reduce the scale of precarious work2, such as restricting the circumstances in which precarious contracts can be used ~~and limiting the length of time workers can be employed on such a contract, after which they must be given a permanent contract~~; __________________ 2 International Labour Organisation, Policies and regulations to combat precarious employment, 2011.

Amendment 46 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that women amore disproportionately and often involuntarily concentrated in precarious work; urges the Member States to consider implementing the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendations intended to reduce often have atypical, flexible employment situations than men; urges the Member States to promote dialogue withe scale of precarious work2, such as restricting the circumstances in which precarious contracts can be used and limiting the length of time workers can be employed on such a contract, after which they must be given a permanent contract; __________________ 2 International Labour Organisation, Policies and regulations to combat precarious employment, 2011.ocial partners in order to ensure better employment situations;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that women are ~~disproportionately and often involuntarily concentrated in precarious~~more often employed in less stable work; urges the Member States to consider implementing the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendations intended to reduce the scale of ~~precarious work2, such as restrict~~flexible work2, e.g.by analysing the circumstances in which ~~precarious~~such contracts can be used and ~~limi~~creating ~~the length of time workers can be employed on such a contract, after which they must be given a permanent contract~~rules restricting successive fixed-term employment contracts without substantial justification; __________________ 2 International Labour Organisation, Policies and regulations to combat precarious employment, 2011.

Amendment 48 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. NCalls on the Member States to step up their efforts to combat undeclared work and precarious jobs; highlights the high levels of undeclared work performed by women, which negatively impact on women's income, social security coverage and protection and have a bad effect on the EU's GDP levels; notes that women are disproportionately and often involuntarily concentrated in precarious work; urges the Member States to consider implementing the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendations intended to reduce the scale of precarious work2 , such as restricting the circumstances in which precarious or atypical contracts can be used and limiting the length of time workers can be employed on such a contract, after which they must be given a permanent contract; __________________ 2 International Labour Organisation, Policies and regulations to combat precarious employment, 2011.

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that women are disproportionately and often involuntarily concentrated in precarious work including high levels of part-time work, low-paid, fixed term and zero-hour contracts; notes that working part-time contributes to the risk of poverty; recalls in this context that equality between men and women can only be achieved through a fair redistribution of paid and unpaid work as well as of work, family and care responsibilities; urges the Member States to consider implementing the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendations intended to reduce the scale of precarious work2 , such as restricting the circumstances in which precarious contracts can be used and limiting the length of time workers can be employed on such a contract, after which they must be given a permanent contract; __________________ 2 International Labour Organisation, Policies and regulations to combat precarious employment, 2011.

Amendment 5 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Brando BENIFEI, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Recital E (new)

E. whereas the ICT sector is characterised by both vertical and horizontal segregation which is even higher than in many other sectors, as well as a gap between women's educational qualifications and their position in the ICT sector; whereas the majority (54 %) of women employed in the ICT sector occupy low- paid and low skilled positions and only a small minority of them (8 %) are in the high skill software engineer positions; whereas women are also underrepresented in the decision-making within this sector with only 19,2 % of ICT sector workers having female bosses compared to 45,2 % of non-ICT sector workers;

Amendment 50 #

Lynn BOYLAN, Tania GONZÁLEZ PEÑAS, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that women are disproportionately and often involuntarily concentrated in precarious work; urges the Member States to consider implementing the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendations intended to reduce the scale of precarious work2 , such as restricting the circumstances in which precarious contracts can be used and limiting the length of time workers can be employed on such a contract, after which they must be given a permanent contract; considers furthermore that the public sector and the female dominated professions must be given a higher status; __________________ 2 International Labour Organisation, Policies and regulations to combat precarious employment, 2011.

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that women are disproportionately and often involuntarily concentrated in precarious work; urges the Member States to consider implementing the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendations intended to reduce the scale of precarious work2 , such as restricting the circumstances in which precarious contracts can be used, using tax measures to disincentivise the over-use of temporary contracts, and limiting the length of time workers can be employed on such a contract, after which they must be given a permanent contract; __________________ 2 International Labour Organisation, Policies and regulations to combat precarious employment, 2011.

Amendment 52 #

Marian HARKIN, Jana TOOM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that women are disproportionately and often involuntarily concentrated in precarious work; urges the Member States to consider implementing the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendations intended to reduce the scale of precarious work2 , such as restricting the circumstances in which precarious contracts can be used and limiting the length of time workers can be employed on such a contract, after which they must be given the option of a permanent contract; __________________ 2 International Labour Organisation, Policies and regulations to combat precarious employment, 2011.

Amendment 53 #

Deirdre CLUNE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to address the situation, with a positive approach, regarding flexible work and job security that is prominent in the ICT sector, whereas it has been shown that flexible work can help women gain a foothold in the marketplace;

Amendment 54 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Notes that another facet of job precariousness is the extent of involuntary part-time work, which has increased from 16.7% to 19.6% of total employment and the spread and diversification of forms of casual working; the self-employment rate of women continued to be around 10%, while the male rate remained roughly one in five;

Amendment 55 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Stresses that despite the fact that women are increasingly well qualified, even out-performing men in terms of educational attainment, they continue to be underrepresented in the labour market; therefore, it leads to the need for further action towards a comprehensive integration of the work-life balance approach into policy making, including care facilities, leave and flexible working time arrangement, as well as tax and benefit systems free of disincentives for second earners to work or work more;

Amendment 56 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Brando BENIFEI, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3c. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to enhance the reconciliation of work and private life by concrete measures, guaranteeing better protection of women at work, such as urgently proposing new legislative proposal on Maternity leave Directive, Carers´ leave Directive, reinforcing legislation on paternity leave;

Amendment 57 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)

3d. Calls on the Commission to break the so-called "glass ceiling" that hinders women from accessing managerial and top positions; calls, therefore, for swift adoption of the Women on Boards Directive as an important first step for equal representation in the public and private sectors, and stresses the Commission's responsibility to take any action that could help break the deadlock in Council regarding EU legislation addressing transparency and greater gender balance in recruitment for decision-making positions;

Amendment 58 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the lack of affordable childcare contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and related pension gap, and the disproportionate number of women who are in precarious work and in or at risk of poverty; urges the Member States to ensurecombining work and family life, particularly by means of affordable and accessible childcare services, helps prevent poverty among women, and calls on the Member States to pay particular attention to the issue of access to affordable and access toible childcare ~~by,~~; for example, ~~increasing~~ expenditure on the provision of childcare services and/or subsidies to households~~, incentivising~~ could be increased, and incentives created for employers to contribut~~ions~~e to childcare costs~~, and making better use of EU funds~~;

Amendment 59 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the lack of affordable childcare contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and related pension gap~~, and the disproportionate number of women who are in precarious work and~~; notes that retired women are the most vulnerable group and often live in or at risk of poverty; urges the Member States, therefore, to ensure access to childcare by, for example, increasing expenditure on the provision of childcare services and/or subsidies to households, incentivising employer contributions to childcare costs, and making better use of EU funds, to increase the presence of women in the labour market through measures which will make better coordination of professional and private life possible and take particular account of difficult family situations, such as bringing up children with special needs, and calls on the Member States to treat the issue of reducing the pension gap as an economic objective which is closely linked with achieving the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy;

Amendment 6 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Recital F (new)

F. whereas enhancing women's labour market participation can help to address their increased risk of poverty and social exclusion, especially in case of single parent families, as well as help prevent their experience of poverty in old age due to lower pension entitlements;

Amendment 60 #

Claude ROLIN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the lack of affordable childcare contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and related pension gap, and the disproportionate number of women who are in precarious work and in or at risk of poverty; urges the Member States to ensure better access to childcare by, for example, increasing expenditure on the provision of childcare services and/or subsidies to households, incentivising employer contributions to childcare costs, and making better use of EU funds, in particular by drawing on inspiration from best practices in each Member State;

Amendment 61 #

Heinz K. BECKER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the lack of affordable ~~childcare contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and related pension gap~~and high-quality care arrangements and services with respect to children, older people and other relatives in need of care contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and related pension gap (due to women having to decrease or give up paid labour as a result of their caring tasks, leading to loss of social security and pension rights), and the disproportionate number of women who are in precarious work and in or at risk of poverty; urges the Member States to ensure access to c~~hildcare by, for example, increasing~~are support services by, for example, ensuring adequate expenditure on the provision of c~~hildcare~~are and support services and/or subsidies to households, incentivising employer contributions to childcare costs, improving the attractiveness of the health and social services sector for both men and women, in particular for young people, respite care and carer-friendly work environments - enabling the combination of work and informal care - and making better use of EU funds;

Amendment 62 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Notes that the lack of affordable child~~Stresses that reconciliation of work and family life is a key condition for gender equality; underlines that the lack of affordable, accessible and quality child and elderly care contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and related pension gap, and the disproportionate number of women who are in precarious work and in or at risk of poverty; urges the Member States to ensure access to child and elderly care by, for example, increasing expenditure on the provision of such~~ildcare~~ services and/or subsidies to households, incentivising employer contributions to childcare costs, and making better use of EU funds; underlines in this regard in particular the importance of reaching the Barcelona targets for childcare; highlights that these targets were originally set for the year 2020 and that they have still not been met by a majority of the Member States;

Amendment 63 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Notes that~~Calls on the Member States to create better conditions for employment of women; stresses in this regard the Barcelona Objectives and the importance of accessible and affordable quality childcare for the employment rate of women; notes that cuts in public services and social infrastructure are disproportionately hitting women and thereby having a detrimental impact on women's participation in the labour market and thereby increase women's risk of poverty, social exclusion, health problems and violence, and especially the lack of affordable childcare contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and related pension gap, and the disproportionate number of women who are in precarious work and in or at risk of poverty; urges the Member States to ensure access to childcare by, for example, increasing expenditure on the provision of childcare services and/or subsidies to households, incentivising employer contributions to childcare costs, and making better use of EU funds;

Amendment 64 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that ~~the lack of affordable childcare contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and related pension gap, and the disproportionate number of women who ar~~women are particularly often in part-time work, which may be lin precarious work and in or at risk of poverty; urges the Member States to ensure access to childcare by, for example, increasing expenditure on the provision of childcare services and/or subsidies to households,ked to a lack of affordable childcare services; notes that access to childcare is important and calls on the Member States to incentivis~~ing~~e employer contributions to childcare costs, and mak~~ing~~e better use of EU funds;

Amendment 65 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the lack of affordable ~~childcare~~and high-quality care and support services for children, persons with a disability and elderly persons contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and related pension gap, and the disproportionate number of women who are in precarious work and in or at risk of poverty; urges the Member States to ensure access to ~~childcare~~these services by, for example, ~~increasing~~offering adequate expenditure on the provision of c~~hildcare~~are and support services and/or subsidies to households, incentivising employer contributions to childcare costs, making the health and social care sector more attractive to men and women and, in particular, young people, and making better use of EU funds;

Amendment 66 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the lack of affordable quality childcare as well as care and support services for other dependent persons, contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and related pension gap, and the disproportionate number of women who are in precarious work and in or at risk of poverty; points out this is especially the case in single-headed households the majority of which are headed by women; urges the Member States to ensure access to ~~childcare~~these services by, for example, increasing expenditure on the provision of c~~hildcare services and/or subsidies to households, incentivising employer contributions to childcare costs~~are and support services improving the attractiveness of working in these sectors for both women and men, and making better use of EU funds;

Amendment 67 #

Marian HARKIN, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Ivo VAJGL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that, among other factors, the lack of affordable childcare, the need to preserve a balance between work and private life, stereotypical education and segregation on the employment market contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and related pension gap, and the disproportionate number of women who are in precarious work and in or at risk of poverty; urges the Member States to ensure access to childcare by, for example, increasing expenditure on the provision of childcare services and/or subsidies to households, incentivising employer contributions to childcare costs, and making better use of EU funds; calls on the Member States to encourage girls and women to opt for non-stereotypical education and training;

Amendment 68 #

Jana TOOM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the lack of affordable childcare contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and related pension gap, and the disproportionate number of women who are in precarious work and in or at risk of poverty; urges the Member States to ensure access to childcare by, for example, increasing expenditure on the provision of childcare services and/or subsidies to households, including parental leave, incentivising employer contributions to childcare costs, and making better use of EU funds; guarantying that pensionable service of the person includes the time during which a parent, guardian or actual caregiver cares for a child until the child attains 3 years of age;

Amendment 69 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the lack of a~~ffordable child~~ccessible, affordable and quality childcare, disability and elderly support and care contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and related pension gap, and the disproportionate number of women who are in precarious work and in or at risk of poverty; urges the Member States to ensure access to ~~childcare~~these services by, for example, ~~increasing~~ensuring adequate expenditure on the provision of c~~hildcare~~are and support services and/or subsidies to households, incentivising employer contributions to childcare costs, and making better use of EU funds;

Amendment 7 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Recital G (new)

G. whereas encouraging more women to enter and stay on the labour market can also help to counterbalance the effects of a shrinking working-age population projected in most EU Member States by enhancing labour supply and it would thereby help reduce the strain on public finances and social protection systems, make better use of women's skills and competences and raise growth potential and competitiveness;

Amendment 70 #

Jérôme LAVRILLEUX

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 71 #

Lynn BOYLAN, Tania GONZÁLEZ PEÑAS, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the lack of free or affordable high-quality childcare contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and related pension gap, and the disproportionate number of women who are in precarious work and in or at risk of poverty; urges the Member States to ensure access to childcare by, for example, increasing expenditure on the provision of childcare services and/or subsidies to households, incentivising employer contributions to childcare costs, and making better use of EU funds;

Amendment 72 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Brando BENIFEI, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Reiterates its call on the Commission and Member States to introduce a Child Guarantee with its specific fund so that every child in poverty can have access to free healthcare, free education, free childcare, decent housing and adequate nutrition, as part of a European integrated plan to combat child poverty including both the Child Guarantee and programmes offering support and opportunities for the parents to come out of social exclusion situations and to integrate the labour market;

Amendment 73 #

Maria ARENA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Reiterates its disappointment of the withdrawal of the maternity leave Directive after many years of efforts to unblock the deadlock and thus guaranteeing a better protection for the European citizens

Amendment 74 #

Dieter-Lebrecht KOCH, Sven SCHULZE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Notes that high-quality and accessible education is the most important tool for beginning to eliminate social inequalities; stresses, moreover, the need to ensure that continuous training is accessible to elderly women, with particular reference to filling in gaps in digital skills;

Amendment 75 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the Member States to make better use of the European structural and investment funds, particularly the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund, to prevent women being in or at risk of poverty;

Amendment 76 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Stresses the need to increase the number of social workers in the field in areas suffering from extreme poverty; stresses, in this regard, the role played by health workers and their work with mothers and children in deprived areas;

Amendment 77 #

Maria ARENA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Considers that in order to reinforce reconciliation of private and professional life, the EU legal instruments must be completed by a paternity leave Directive;

Amendment 78 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Highlights the role of entrepreneurship as one of the paths to women’s economic independence; urges the Member States to increase availability and awareness of opportunities, e.g. microloans, which represent a way to obtain funding without entering into excessive debt (usury);

Amendment 79 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)

4d. Calls on the Member States to cooperate in the fight against poverty with NGOs which operate successfully in areas afflicted by extreme poverty and which have precious know-how in local communities; calls on the Member States to support effective collaboration at the local level;

Amendment 8 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS

Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. Takes the view that gender equality, by increasing social and economic well- being, benefits not only women but society as a whole; recalls that effectively challenging gender stereotypes is crucial to increasing women's participation in all segments of the labour market; calls on the EU to be a champion in challenging gender stereotypes, especially in the areas of education, work and further training;

Amendment 80 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Notes that women’s economic independence plays a ~~crucial~~n important role in their ability to escape situations of domestic violence, and that women who have exhausted their paid leave are at risk of losing their jobs and economic independence; calls on the Commission and the Member States to consider introducing a statutory right to paidxtricate themselves from situations of domestic violence ~~leave~~.

Amendment 81 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Notes that women’s economic independence plays a crucial role in their ability to escape situations of domestic violence, and that women who have exhausted their paid leave are at risk of losing their jobs and economic independence; calls on the Commission and the Member States to consider introducing a statutory right to paid domestic violence leave.;

Amendment 82 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Notes that women’s economic independence plays a crucial role in their ability to escape situations of domestic violence, and that women who have exhausted their paid leave are at risk of losing their jobs andStresses the need for determined efforts to combat domestic violence, particularly against women; recognises that women’s economic independence~~; calls on the Commission and the Member States to consider introducing a statutory right to paid~~ plays a crucial role in their ability to escape situations of domestic violence ~~leave.~~;

Amendment 83 #

Marian HARKIN, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Notes that women’s economic independence plays a crucial role in their lives and their ability to escape situations of domestic violence, and that women who have exhausted their paid leave are at risk of losing their jobs and economic independence; calls on the Commission and the Member States to consider and introduc~~ing a statutory right to paid domestic violence leave.~~e further measures to raise awareness of the problem of domestic violence and to help the victims of such violence;

Amendment 84 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Notes that women’'s economic independence plays a crucial role in their ability to escape situations of domestic violence, and that women who have exhausted their paid leave are at risk of losing their jobs and economic independence; calls on the Commission ~~and the Member States to consider introducing a statutory right to~~to examine the feasibility and the positive outcomes of introducing a system of paid domestic violence leave.;

Amendment 85 #

Claude ROLIN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Notes that women’s economic independence plays a crucial role in their ability to escape situations of domestic violence, and that women who have exhausted their paid leave are at risk of losing their jobs and economic independence; calls on the ~~Commission and the Member State~~social partners to consider introducing a statutory right to paid domestic violence leave in order, for example, to allow the people concerned to have the time to manage medical appointments, court appearances and other duties that must be addressed in such situations.

Amendment 86 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Notes that women’'s economic independence plays a crucial role in their ability to escape situations of domestic violence, and that women who have exhausted their paid leave are at risk of losing their jobs and economic independence; calls on the Commission and the Member States to consider introducing a statutory right to paid ~~domestic violence leave.~~leave for victims of domestic violence as well as the introduction of "care credits" to allow women outside the labour market to collect pension contributions;

Amendment 87 #

Lynn BOYLAN, Tania GONZÁLEZ PEÑAS, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Notes that women’s economic independence plays a crucial role in their ability to escape situations of domestic violence, and that women who have exhausted their paid leave are at risk of losing their jobs and economic independence; notes that the recent introduction of domestic violence leave in Australia and the US has provided many workers with employment protection when dealing with the impact of domestic violence, for example, moving house and attending medical and legal appointments; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ~~consider~~ introduc~~ing~~e a statutory right to paid domestic violence leave.

Amendment 88 #

Jérôme LAVRILLEUX

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

Amendment 89 #

Lynn BOYLAN, Tania GONZÁLEZ PEÑAS, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Considers that while the promotion of female entrepreneurship may reduce poverty for some women in the EU, it is not nearly a sufficient policy measure to address the scale of the problem; believes that policies which promote a guaranteed adequate minimum income, accessible public services including care services, and secure jobs which incorporate a living wage and a fair work-life balance will make a more significant impact on reducing poverty for a much larger number of women;

Amendment 9 #

Dieter-Lebrecht KOCH, Sven SCHULZE

Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. Notes that the gender-specific employment, pay and associated pension gap, together with the fact that most single-parent families are headed by women, contribute to the situation whereby women are particularly affected or threatened by poverty;

Amendment 90 #

Marian HARKIN, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Ivo VAJGL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Believes that supporting women entrepreneurs through various EU programmes can play a role in generating employment and alleviating poverty.

Amendment 91 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Notes that poverty continues to be measured on accumulated household income, which assumes that all members of the household earn the same and distribute resources equally, calls for individualised rights and calculations based on individual incomes to reveal the true extent of women's poverty;

Amendment 92 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses the need for more appropriate indicators at EU level to improve data collection and qualitative analysis as well as gender-responsive budgeting to capture the gender dimension of poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 93 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Calls on the Member States to reform pension systems in view of closing the pension gap; calls on the Member States to take account of women's life course by introducing care credits for both women and men as equivalent periods for building up pension rights; Calls on Members States to guarantee individual pension rights for elderly women and shared pension rights in case of divorce and legal separation;

Amendment 94 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Brando BENIFEI, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the country-specific recommendations in the European Semester on addressing the gender pay gap are implemented;

Amendment 95 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Calls on the Member States to use Structural funds, in particular European Social Fund, to improve education and training with a view to improving labour market access and combating unemployment, poverty and social exclusion; highlights that the 20 percent share of the European Social Funds (ESF) allocated to social inclusion measures and social innovation projects should be used more actively to support initiatives aimed at empowering women experiencing poverty and social exclusion; and urges the Member States to undertake more information campaigns on opportunities for participation in EU funded projects;

Amendment 96 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Calls on the Member States to introduce accessible and adequate minimum income schemes that are accessible for all that need them as the basis for high level social protection and full participation in society across the life span;

Amendment 97 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5d. Calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure the structural and investment funds as well as the European Fund for Strategic Investments contribute to reducing women's poverty in view of achieving the overall Europe 2020 poverty reduction target; calls on the Member States to make sure that the allocated 20% of ESF funding for social inclusion measures are also used to increase support to small local projects aimed at empowering women experiencing poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 98 #

Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Marita ULVSKOG, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS, Elena GENTILE, Jan KELLER, Flavio ZANONATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5d. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to involve social partners (trade unions and employers) and civil society, including gender equality bodies, in the realisation of gender equality, with a view to fostering equal treatment; stresses that social dialogue must include the monitoring and promotion of gender equality practices at the workplace, including flexible working arrangements, with the aim of facilitating the reconciliation of work and private life; stresses the importance of collective agreements in combating discrimination and promoting equality between women and men at work, as well as other instruments such as codes of conduct, research or exchanges of experience and good practice in the area of gender equality.

Amendment 99 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5e. Calls on the European Commission and the Member States to implement gender budgeting as a tool for ensuring budgetary decisions take into account the gender dimension and address differentiated impacts;

source: 576.702

2016/02/25 FEMM 265 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 2

– having regard to Articles 8, 9, 151, 153 and 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)

- having regard to its resolution of 5 April 2011 on priorities and outline of a new EU policy framework to fight violence against women,

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)

Ka. whereas gender-based violence often lead women to poverty and social exclusion, since violence has consequences on their health and frequently leads to job loss and homelessness;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)

Ka. whereas gender equality provides a tool for combating poverty among women as it has a positive impact on productivity and economic growth and leads to greater participation of women in the labour market, which in turn has many social and economic benefits;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)

Ka. whereas investing in policies to support women not only reduces the poverty of the women themselves but also improves their families' living conditions, in particular those of their children;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)

Kb. whereas women at risk of poverty and social exclusion are disproportionately vulnerable to people trafficking and sexual exploitation;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)

Kb. whereas combating poverty is one of the five measurable targets proposed for EU 2020, which encourages the adoption of national policies to protect women, in particular, from the risk of poverty;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K c (new)

Kc. whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that women form the majority of the world’s poorest people and the number of women living in rural poverty has increased by 50% since 1975, that women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours and produce half of the world’s food, yet they earn only 10% of the world’s income and own less than 1% of the world’s property, that violence against women throughout the world and in all cultures prevails on an unimaginable scale, and women’s access to justice is often paired with discriminatory obstacles – in law as well as in practice, that multiple forms of discrimination based on gender and other factors such as race, ethnicity, caste, disability, persons affected by HIV/AIDS, sexual orientation or gender identity further compound the risk of economic hardship, exclusion and violence against women;

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 a (new)

-1a. Deplores the adoption of austerity measures and a deregulation agenda by the EU and its Member States which were introduced as a response to the economic crisis as they are the main cause of the increasing rate of people at risk of poverty in the EU, especially in the case of women and other groups experiencing social disadvantage;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 a (new)

-1a. Points out the importance of fighting tax avoidance and the implementation of redistributive tax policies to combat poverty; regrets the tendency in some Member States to increase indirect taxes which is a regressive measure that worsens the situation of groups experiencing social disadvantage;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 b (new)

-1b. Stresses that tax policies have a gender dimension; calls on the Member States to avoid gender discrimination in their tax policies and apply a reduce VAT rate to women's necessity goods such as tampons;

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 c (new)

-1c. Underlines the crucial role of high quality public services to combat poverty, especially female poverty, as women are more dependent on such services;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)

- having regard to its resolution of 20 April 2012 on women and climate change,

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Notes that the lack~~Considers that Member States should prioritise the issue of reconciling family and professional life by introducing family-friendly working arrangements, such as flexible working hours and the possibility of teleworking; stresses the importance of affordable high- quality care, whether for children or for the sick or elderly~~, contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and the related pension gap; emphasises that equal access to childcar~~; emphasises that equal access to arrangements making it possible to reconcile family and professional life and to free, high-quality education isare central to securing equal opportunities and breaking poverty cycles;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that the lack of affordable high- quality care, whether for children or for the sick or elderly, contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and the related pension gap; emphasises that equal access to childcare and free, high-quality education is central to securing equal opportunities and breaking poverty cycles as this helps women acquire the qualifications that serve to secure employment; advocates the flexibility that will enable women to achieve balance between their working and family lives;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that the lack of ~~affordabl~~free high- quality care, whether for children or for the sick or elderly, in particular crèches, nursery schools and long-term care facilities, contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and the related pension gap; emphasises that equal access to ~~childcare and~~ free, high- quality childcare and education is central to securing equal opportunities and breaking poverty cycles;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that the lack of affordable high- quality care, whether for children or for the sick or elderly, contributes to social exclusion, to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and the related pension gap; emphasises that equal access to ~~child~~early childhood education and care, and free, high-quality education and family support services is central to securing equal opportunities and breaking poverty cycles;

Amendment 114 #

Julie WARD, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that the lack of affordable high- quality care, whether for children or for the sick or elderly, contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and the related pension gap; emphasises that equal access to childcare and free, high-quality formal, informal, and non-formal education is central to securing equal opportunities and breaking poverty cycles;

Amendment 115 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that the lack of affordable high- quality care, whether for children or for the sick, dependent persons or elderly, contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and the related pension gap; emphasises that equal access to childcare and free, high-quality education is central to securing equal opportunities and breaking poverty cycles;

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that the lack of affordable high- quality care~~, whether~~ for children ~~or for~~, the sick orand the elderly, contributes to the gender employment gap, the pay gap and the related pension gap; emphasises that equal access to childcare and free, high- quality education is central to securing equal opportunities and breaking poverty cycles;

Amendment 117 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 118 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Notes that men devote only nine hours per week to caring and housework, whereas the figure for women is 26 hours;

Amendment 119 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Rejects the austerity policies that the Troika has imposed on a number of Member States; argues that austerity policies, like the EU’s economic governance policies, have been a decisive factor in the exponential increase in poverty, particularly among women;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)

- having regard to its resolution of 6 February 2013 on the 57th session on UN CSW: Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls,

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Considers that elderly women can be the victims of direct or indirect discrimination on the labour market and even of multiple discrimination, and that this issue should be addressed from a gender equality perspective; stresses that employment must be seen as the best means of fighting female poverty; calls for the participation of women of all ages in lifelong training programmes to be facilitated; emphasises that reconciling working and family life and continuing training also requires special attention and support from a gender equality perspective;

Amendment 121 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Deeply deplores the austerity policies pursued by the European Union which, together with the economic crisis, are helping to increase the rate of poverty, particularly among women;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Calls on the Commission to take into account, in its work on the new legal framework for improving the work-life balance, differentiated models of childcare which give parents the freedom to choose the model of childcare and do not discriminate against mothers who prefer personal childcare over institutional care;

Amendment 123 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Stresses that a work-life balance is impossible for single mothers without the involvement of fathers in childcare;

Amendment 124 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to develop and utilise the available financial instruments, including the Social Investment Package, to meet the Barcelona objectives; calls, in this context, for the Social Fund and the ERDF to be improved, for priority to be given, in the use of social investments and the EFSI regulation, to the establishment of public and private childcare facilities, and for the flexibility mechanism introduced in the context of the Stability and Growth Pact to be used for financing of childcare facilities; proposes the creation of a specific line in the EU budget to fund, through a co-financing mechanism, incentives for specific areas where there is a shortage of childcare facilities and where the female employment rate is extremely low;deleted

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 126 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to develop and utilise the available financial instruments, including the Social Investment Package, to meet the Barcelona objectives; calls, in this context, for the Social Fund and the ERDF to be improved, for priority to be given, in the use of social investments and the EFSI regulation, to the establishment of public and private ~~childcare facilitie~~facilities for the care of children and other dependent persons, and for the flexibility mechanism introduced in the context of the Stability and Growth Pact to be used for financing of childcare facilities; proposes the creation of a specific line in the EU budget to fund, through a co- financing mechanism, incentives for specific areas where there is a shortage of ~~childcare facilitie~~facilities for the care of children and other dependent persons and where the female employment rate is extremely low;

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to develop and utilise the available policy and financial instruments, including the Social Investment Package, to meet the Barcelona objectives; calls, in this context, for the Social Fund and the ERDF to be improved, for priority to be given, in the use of social investments and the EFSI regulation, to the establishment of public and private childcare facilities, and for the flexibility mechanism introduced in the context of the Stability and Growth Pact to be used for financing of ~~childcare facilities~~early childhood education and care (ECEC); proposes the creation of a specific line in the EU budget to fund, through a co- financing mechanism, incentives for specific areas where there is a shortage of ~~childcare~~ECEC facilities and where the female employment rate is extremely low;

Amendment 128 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to develop and utilise the available financial instruments, including the Social Investment Package, to meet the Barcelona objectives; calls, in this context, for the Social Fund and the ERDF to be ~~improv~~optimised, for priority to be given, in the use of social investments and the EFSI regulation, to the establishment of public ~~and private childcar~~childcare and assistance facilities, and for the flexibility mechanism introduced in the context of the Stability and Growth Pact to be used for financing of childcare and assistance facilities; proposes th~~e creation of a specific line in the EU budget to fund~~at the Commission allocate specific resources, through a co- financing mechanism, to promote incentives for specific areas where there is a shortage of childcare and assistance facilities and where the female employment rate is extremely low;

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Calls on Member States to implement policies that will protect, upgrade and promote free, high-quality public services, above all in the areas of health, education, social security and justice; points out that it is crucial for public services to have the necessary financial and human resources to fulfil their objectives;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)

- having regard to its resolution of 8 October 2015 on the renewal of the EU Plan of Action on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Development,

Amendment 130 #

Mary HONEYBALL, Anna HEDH, Julie WARD, Soraya POST, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Malin BJÖRK, Terry REINTKE, Ernest URTASUN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Highlights that the lack of recognition of LGBTI families by many Member States, most notably by unequal marriage or partnership laws and parental recognition laws, results in lower incomes and higher costs for LGBTI people, increasing the risk of poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 131 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take the necessary measures to promote the reconciliation of work and private life, in order to enable women, particularly those most at risk of poverty, to pursue their careers on a full- time basis or, if they prefer, to have access to part-time or flexible-time work;

Amendment 132 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote policies to facilitate access to credit, also through microcredit instruments, in order to support and develop female entrepreneurship;

Amendment 133 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

Amendment 134 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the Commission to ~~undertake a comprehensive and global legislative action to modernise in a coherent way the types of leave, namely maternity, paternity, parental and carers’ leave, so as to boost~~resume work on the maternity leave directive, the draft of which was withdrawn owing to a prolonged stalemate in the negotiations in the Council, in order to ensure an EU- wide system of guarantees for workers which is optimum for mothers and will strengthen women’'s participation in the labour market;

Amendment 135 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the Commission, in close coordination with the Member States, to undertake a comprehensive and global legislative action to m~~odernise in a coherent way~~eet the needs of mothers and fathers concerning the types of leave, namely maternity, paternity, parental and carers’ leave, so as to boost women’s participation in the labour market; calls on the Member States to lay down legislation to safeguard or enhance maternity and paternity rights;

Amendment 136 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the Commission to undertake a comprehensive and global legislative action to modernise in a coherent way the types of leave, namely maternity, paternity, parental and carers’ leave, ~~so as to boost women's~~in particular in order to help men play an active role as fathers and thus give women equal opportunities to participat~~ion~~e in the labour market, which will in turn make them economically more independent;

Amendment 137 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the Commission to undertake a comprehensive and global legislative action to modernise in a coherent way the types of leave, namely maternity, paternity, parental and carers’ leave, so as to boost women’s participation in the labour market; underlines the fact that only 2.7 percent of the persons using their right of parental leave were men in 2010 which emphasises the need for concrete action for non-transferable parental leave rights;

Amendment 138 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

Amendment 139 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the Commission to undertake a comprehensive and global legislative action to modernise in a coherent way the types of leave, namely maternity, paternity, parental and carers’ leave, so as to boost women’s participation in the labour market, bearing in mind that some Member States have already passed legislation on this issue that goes beyond the provisions of EU law;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 25 June 2015 on the application of Directive 2006/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (2014/2160 (INI)) and the minority opinion annexed thereto8a, __________________ 8a Texts adopted P8_TA(2015)0351

Amendment 140 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the ~~Commission~~Member States to undertake a comprehensive and global legislative action to modernise in a coherent way the types of leave, namely maternity, paternity, parental and carers’ leave, so as to boost women’s participation in the labour market;

Amendment 141 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Urges the Commission to incorporate a more robust social dimension and a gender pillar in the European Semester;

Amendment 142 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Deplores the Commission decision to withdraw the Maternity Leave Directive; calls on the Commission to put forward a new proposal and to respect Parliament's position to increase the current minimum guaranteed maternity leave from 14 to 20 weeks fully paid and for the mandatory right to paid paternity leave;

Amendment 143 #

Maria ARENA, Julie WARD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Reiterates its disappointment of the withdrawal of the maternity leave Directive after many years of efforts to unblock the deadlock and thus guaranteeing a better protection for the European citizens;

Amendment 144 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Regrets that the proposal to revise the directive on maternity leave has been withdrawn and believes that specific measures need to be taken in all Member States to improve the work-life balance for women;

Amendment 145 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Welcomes the proposal to introduce carers' leave as foreseen in the Commission Roadmap on a new start to address the challenges of work-life balance faced by working families; calls on the Commission to put forward a legislative proposal to include this provision;

Amendment 146 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

~~4. Calls for there to be a move towards the individualisation of rights in social equity policy;~~deleted

Amendment 147 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

~~4. Calls for there to be a move towards the individualisation of rights in social equity policy;~~deleted

Amendment 148 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

~~4. Calls for there to be a move towards the individualisation of rights in social equity policy;~~deleted

Amendment 149 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for the~~re to be a move towards th~~ work done by people who devote their time iand~~ividualisation of rights in social equity policy~~ skills to bringing up children and caring for the elderly to be recognised;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 b (new)

– having regard to the ‘Single parents and employment in Europe’ study of April 2014 ordered by the Commission;

Amendment 150 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for there to be a move towards the in~~dividualisation of rights in social equity polic~~troduction of an income tax splitting system for families, which takes into account family sizes, in order to promote greater social equity;

Amendment 151 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for there to be a move towards ~~the individualis~~real development and implementation of rights in social equity policy;

Amendment 152 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement policies to promote the employment of women and the integration into the labour market of socially marginalised groups of women, in the light of the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy, with an emphasis on life- long learning, as it provides women with the necessary skills to access high quality jobs, and the development of affordable and high-quality public care services, flexible working time arrangements and measures to combat the segregation of men and women by occupation and sector; invites the Commission to promote female entrepreneurship as it contributes to general economic and social development, especially by providing measures including young women into the labour market;

Amendment 153 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement policies to promote the employment of women and the integration into the labour market of socially marginalised groups of women, ~~in the light of the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy,~~ with an emphasis on life- long learning, the development of ~~affordable and~~free high-quality public care services, ~~flexible~~adjustments to working time arrangements whenever workers – women or men – so request and measures to combat the segregation of men and women by occupation and sector;

Amendment 154 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement policies to promote the employment of women and the integration into the labour market of socially marginalised groups of women, in the light of the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy, with an emphasis on life- long learning, the development of affordable and high-quality public care services, flexible working time arrangements and measures to combat the segregation of men and women by occupation and sector, including in the world of enterprise and in positions of responsibility;

Amendment 155 #

Clare MOODY, Julie WARD, Mary HONEYBALL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement policies to promote the employment of women and the integration into the labour market of socially marginalised groups of women, in the light of the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy, with an emphasis on life- long learning so that women have the access and opportunity to re-skill in the ever-changing labour market, an increase in the promotion of STEM subjects aimed at young girls to address existing education stereotypes early and combat long-term gaps in employment and pay, the development of affordable and high- quality public care services, flexible working time arrangements and measures to combat the segregation of men and women by occupation and sector;

Amendment 156 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

Amendment 157 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

Amendment 158 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

Amendment 159 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Notes that the only way to fight poverty is through fairer distribution of wealth, better regulation of employment, higher wages, and more advanced welfare systems, to be achieved by means of, for example, collective bargaining;

Amendment 16 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 a (new)

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs on meeting the anti-poverty targets in light of increasing household costs, and the accompanying opinion by the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee,

Amendment 160 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses the crucial importance of: reforming macroeconomic, social and labour market policies by aligning these with gender equality policies in order to guarantee economic and social justice for women; of reconsidering the methods used to determine the poverty rate and of developing strategies to promote the fair distribution of wealth; of guaranteeing a minimum income and decent wages and pensions and creating more high-quality jobs, with entitlements, for women; and of enabling women and girls to benefit from public services of a high standard, including in terms of narrowing gender gaps when it comes to the improvement of social welfare services;

Amendment 161 #

Biljana BORZAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to develop and expand self- employment programs, underlines the importance of sharing and promoting best practices, mentorship, female role models and other support for unemployed women;

Amendment 162 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on the Member States to continue to work toward gender equality on corporate boards; calls on the Commission and the Member States to increase access to funding for women who want to start their own business or investment projects;

Amendment 163 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on the Member States to take measures to encourage people at risk of poverty to enter the labour market or make better use of their potential, for instance through policies in the area of vocational training or retraining;

Amendment 164 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Stresses the importance, in tackling poverty among working parents, of the possibility of using solutions adapted to the needs of families, such as teleworking and flexible working time arrangements;

Amendment 165 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that women are disproportionately and often involuntarily concentrated in precarious work; urges the Member States to consider ~~implementing~~going beyond the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendations intended to reduce the scale of precarious work~~, such as restricting the circumstances in which precarious contracts can be used and limiting the length of time workers can be employed on such a contract~~;

Amendment 166 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that women are disproportionately and often involuntarily concentrated in precarious work; urges the Member States to consider implementing the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendations intended to reduce the scale of precarious work, such as restricting the circumstances in which precarious contracts can be used and limiting the length of time workers can be employed on such a contract but also how employers can use precarious contracts piled up on each other instead of granting its employees full time contracts;

Amendment 167 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that women are disproportionately and often involuntarily concentrated in precarious work; urges the Member States to consider implementing the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendations intended to reduce the scale of precarious work, such as restricting the circumstances in which precarious contracts can be used and limiting the length of time workers can be employed on such a contract; notes that self-employment can also be precarious;

Amendment 168 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that women are disproportionately and often involuntarily concentrated in precarious work, including being used as fronts for businesses; urges the Member States to consider implementing the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendations intended to reduce the scale of precarious work, such as restricting the circumstances in which precarious contracts can be used and limiting the length of time workers can be employed on such a contract;

Amendment 169 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the Member States to enforce labour laws to promote employment regulation, collective bargaining, welfare provision, and fair wages; also calls on Member States to do away with legislation allowing, and serving to regulate, precarious work;

Amendment 17 #

Mary HONEYBALL, Anna HEDH, Julie WARD, Soraya POST, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Malin BJÖRK, Terry REINTKE, Ernest URTASUN

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas poverty rates among women vary greatly between the Member States; whereas regardless of how specific the groups at risk are such as oelderly women, ~~lone parents,~~single persons, single parents, lesbian women, bisexual women, transgender women and women with disabilities, the poverty rates among migrant women and women from ethnic minorities are the same throughout the European Union;

Amendment 170 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Considers that stablishing an adequate minimum wage improves the situation for all those affected by precarious work, including women; calls on the Member States that have no minimum wage to stablish one and on all Member States to stablish a minimum wage that enables an adequate level of income in order to avoid poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 171 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the Member States to monitor the rights of female workers, who increasingly work in low-paid jobs and are victims of discrimination;

Amendment 172 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Calls on the Member States to develop and strengthen national workplace supervision bodies by establishing proper conditions and providing them with means, including financial and human resources, enabling them to maintain an effective presence on the ground and hence to combat job insecurity, unregulated work, and employment- and wage-related discrimination, not least from a gender equality perspective;

Amendment 173 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Points out that there are new categories of women in poverty, consisting of young professional women, especially in certain Member States whose tax policies do not take into account the difficulties encountered by these categories, and which therefore condemn a large portion of young female graduates to a precarious working life and an income that rarely manages to rise above the poverty line (the 'new poor');

Amendment 174 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 c (new)

6c. Expresses particular concern at the fact that workers’ organisations, and trade unions especially, are being marginalised in the wage policy debate; points out that women are particularly affected by precarious work and various forms of ‘atypical work’, such as teleworking or homeworking, and are increasingly having to contend with the phenomenon of ‘worker and career individualisation’, an approach which bolsters the more broadly based offensive against collective bargaining;

Amendment 175 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Reiterates its call on the Commission to revise the existing legislation in order to ~~reduc~~close the pay and pension gap between men and women; notes that measures to increase wage transparency are fundamental to close the gender pay gap; calls on the Member States to implement Commission's recommendation on wage transparency;

Amendment 176 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Reiterates its call on the Commission to revise the existing legislation and, if appropriate, introduce penalties for non- compliance, in order to reduce the pay and pension gap between men and women;

Amendment 177 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Reiterates its call on the Commission to revise the existing legislation in order to reduce the pay and pension gap between men and women; stresses the importance of training in negotiating skills, which, with the trend towards salaries being more frequently negotiated individually, may have a positive impact in terms of levelling out the gender pay gap for work of equal quality;

Amendment 178 #

Sirpa PIETIKÄINEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Calls for the Commission, given the importance of ensuring adequate pension levels and closing the gender pension gap, to study extensively the impact of different pillars, pensions systems and their structures on both women and men. Based on the results, the Commission should propose actions and possible structural changes that are needed in order to ensure equal levels of pensions for women and men in different Member States;

Amendment 179 #

Mary HONEYBALL, Anna HEDH, Julie WARD, Soraya POST, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Malin BJÖRK, Terry REINTKE, Ernest URTASUN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Calls on the Commission to conduct a study how procedures related to the official recognition of the gender reassignment of a person, or the absence of such procedures, affect transgender people's position on the labour market, particularly their access to employment, level of remuneration, career development and pensions;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas there are 12 million more women than men living in conditions of poverty in the EU; whereas, furthermore, poverty rates among women vary greatly between the Member States; whereas regardless of how specific the groups at risk are such as older women, lone parents, women with disabilities, the poverty rates among migrant women and women from ethnic minorities are the same throughout the European Union;

Amendment 180 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Considers it urgent to develop an EU level definition of work of equal value, taking into account ECJ case law, to ensure that factors such as the working conditions, the responsibility conferred on the workers and the physical or mental requirements of the work are taken into consideration; considers it urgent to address the issue of equal pay for 'work of equal value' across different sectors so that a broader interpretation can be applied to cover differences in pay for work which may not appear comparable from the outset, for example, the nursing sector compared to the manufacturing sector;

Amendment 181 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Notes with concern that women often receive pensions that are worth barely more than the minimum subsistence level, there being various reasons for this such as their having taken a break in or stopped their working life to care for the family, the predominance of part-time contracts throughout their working life, or because they worked unpaid for their spouse, mainly in commerce or in farming, and did not contribute to a social security scheme;

Amendment 182 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Reminds the Commission and Member States of the need to adopt positive measures on favour of women and of men, not least to help them return to work after devoting time to their family, by promoting policies that facilitate reintegration into the job market;

Amendment 183 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Calls on the Commission to take account in its future actions of the fact that the best way to reduce poverty and combat social exclusion is to develop economic activity and jobs for people with appropriate qualifications, which requires restoring growth, stimulating competition and creating a favourable legal environment for European businesses, notably through reducing administrative burdens;

Amendment 184 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7b. Welcomes that the Commission considers 'equal pay for work of equal value' as one of the key areas for action in its new strategy for gender equality; deplores, however, that the Commission published only a staff working document downgrading its strategy for gender equality to an internal document; calls therefore on the Commission to adopt a Communication for a "New Strategy for Gender Equality and Women's Rights post 2015" so the objectives and policies included can be effectively implemented;

Amendment 185 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7b. Calls on the Member States to ensure that all persons who have temporarily interrupted their careers to bring up children or care for elderly persons can be reintegrated into the labour market and return to their former position and level of career advancement;

Amendment 186 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

Amendment 187 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

Amendment 188 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Invites the Commission to carry out an impact assessment on minimum income schemes in the EU and to consider further steps that would take into account the economic and social circumstances of each Member State as well as an assessment of whether the schemes enable households to meet basic personal needs; invites the Commission to evaluate on this basis the manner of, and the means for providing an adequate minimum income above the poverty threshold of 60% of national median income in all Member States in line with national practicpoints to the need for action at Member State level to establish a minimum income threshold, based on appropriate indicators, with a view to ensuring socio-economic cohesion, lowering the risk of unequal pay for the same activities, and ~~traditions~~reducing the poverty risk for the EU population as a whiole ~~respecting their individual characteristics in order to support social convergence across the EU~~; considers that the necessary minimum income schemes must provide for at least 60% of median income in the Member State concerned;

Amendment 189 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Invites the Commission to carry out an ~~impact~~ assessment on ~~minimum~~existing income schemes in the EU and ~~to consider further steps that would take into account the economic and social circumstances of each Member State as well as~~ an assessment of whether ~~the~~current schemes enable ~~households~~ to meet basic personal needs; invites the Commission to evaluate on this basis the manner of, and the means for establishing a universal basic income scheme to provid~~ing~~e an adequate ~~minimum~~ income above the poverty threshold of 60 % of national median income in all Member States ~~in line with national practices and traditions while respecting their individual characteristics in order to support social convergence across the EU~~;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas poverty rates among women vary greatly between the Member States; whereas regardless of how specific the groups at risk are such as older women, lone parents, women with disabilities, ~~the~~ poverty ~~rates~~ among migrant women and women from ethnic minorities ~~are the same~~is a growing reality throughout the European Union;

Amendment 190 #

Marijana PETIR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Invites the Commission to carry out an impact assessment on minimum income schemes in the EU and to consider further steps that would take into account the economic and social circumstances of each Member State as well as an assessment of whether the schemes enable households to meet basic personal needs; invites the Commission to evaluate on this basis the manner of, and the means for providing an adequate minimum income above the poverty threshold of 60 % of national median income in all Member States in line with national practices and traditions while respecting their individual characteristics in order to support social convergence across the EU; urges, once again, the Member States to introduce a minimum national pension which cannot be lower than the risk-of-poverty threshold;

Amendment 191 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Invites the Commission to carry out an impact assessment on minimum income schemes in the EU and to consider further steps that would take into account the economic and social circumstances of each Member State as well as an assessment of whether the schemes enable households to meet basic personal needs; and to consider introducing a social package that would guarantee European values in a globalised world; invites the Commission to evaluate on this basis the manner of, and the means for providing an adequate minimum income above the poverty threshold of 60 % of national median income in all Member States in line with national practices and traditions while respecting their individual characteristics in order to support social convergence across the EU;

Amendment 192 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Invites the Commission to carry out an impact assessment on minimum income schemes in the EU and to consider further steps that would take into account the economic and social circumstances of each Member State as well as an assessment of whether the schemes enable households to meet basic personal needs; invites the Commission to evaluate on this basis the manner of, and the means for providing where applicable an adequate minimum income above the poverty threshold of 60 % of national median income in all Member States in line with national practices and traditions while respecting their individual characteristics in order to support social convergence across the EU without causing a negative effect on collective agreements in specific member states;

Amendment 193 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

Amendment 194 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls on the Member States to take measures to recognise invisible and informal work in the field of intergenerational solidarity carried out by women/mothers, men/fathers and carers at a legal, social and economic level;

Amendment 195 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Reminds the Commission that elderly women are particularly affected by the gender pay gap as it also affects pensions, which increases the risk of extreme and persistent poverty once women have reached retirement age; considers women to be at greater risk of poverty than men, especially in old age;

Amendment 196 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Notes that people living in poverty often pay a higher unit cost compared to the better-off for the same goods and services that are essential to their social and economic survival, particularly with regard to telecommunications ~~and~~, energy, and water; calls on the Member States to work closely with suppliers and operators on the development of support schemes and social pricing for the most deprived in society;

Amendment 197 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Notes that people living in poverty often pay a higher unit cost compared to the better-off for the same goods and services that are essential to their social and economic survival, particularly with regard to telecommunications and energy; calls on the Member States to work closely with suppliers and operators on the development of support schemes and social pricing for the most deprived in society, particularly in regard to water and power supplies so as to eradicate energy poverty in households;

Amendment 198 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Urges the Commission to refrain from recommending reorganisation and cuts in Member States’ government departments or from promoting greater flexibility in employment or the privatisation of public services, as those approaches have unquestionably served to weaken the social rights of workers and made themselves felt more severely among women;

Amendment 199 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Reiterates the role of education in combating gender stereotypes and in combating the stigmatisation of poverty and through women's inclusion in sectors where they have been under-represented such as science, technology, engineering, and entrepreneurship, and calls on the Commission to incorporate vocational training targets for women in the country- specific recommendations;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)

- having regard to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention),

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas the increasing risk of poverty is closely and directly linked to the destruction of significant social functions performed by the state, as seen, for example, in the destruction of public social security systems in a number of Member States, along with cuts in key social benefits (family allowances, unemployment benefit, sickness benefits, and minimum social integration incomes), which affect many women, particularly those with dependent families who have to cope with all their household problems;

Amendment 200 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls on Member States to include investments in education on girls and women as an integral part of their economies and recovery plans as well as programmes sensitisations actions aimed at enabling parents and society in general to understand the importance of the role of education in empowering women and girls in social, economic, cultural and political fields to break out of the cycle of poverty;

Amendment 201 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Notes that education is key to ending the cycle of poverty; calls on Member States to increase funding for girls to study STEM and business fields before they are streamed; encourages Member States to work to aid young women in the transition from formal education to the labour market;

Amendment 202 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Points out that in order to be effective, the fight against poverty must take account of gender differences and the different societal roles that men and women have; stresses that it is not possible to attain equal opportunities for men and women through ideological questioning or ignoring these fundamental differences;

Amendment 203 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Recommends that Member States make visible and transparent provision in their national budgets for expenditure to combat poverty;

Amendment 204 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Stresses the need for all educational institutions to impart democratic values with a view to encouraging tolerance, active citizenship, social responsibility and respect for differences of gender, minorities, ethnical and religion groups and to include an holistic gender- perspective, in particular in the fields of continuing education and vocational training, in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as the role of the arts in intercultural exchanges;

Amendment 205 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Stresses that women’s rights should not be understood as being in competition with men's rights, since the introduction of solutions available to the general public that both men and women can use will provide solutions that will improve the situation of European families;

Amendment 206 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)

9c. Points out that, in accordance with the principle of gender equality, all measures and actions taken vis-à-vis women at risk of poverty must also cover men in similar situations, including single fathers, who are also at risk of poverty;

Amendment 207 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that the effects of poverty and social exclusion on children can last a lifetime and result in intergenerational transmission of poverty; stresses that in all Member States the risk of poverty and social exclusion among children is strongly linked to their parents’ level of education, and in particular to that of their mothers, and their parents’ situation in the labour market and their social conditions; stresses the need to establish a framework of support for teenage mothers, for whom leaving school early is a first step towards poverty; stresses the need to establish a comprehensive set of measures for tackling child poverty and promoting child well-being based on three pillars, namely access to adequate resources and reconciling work and family life; access to good quality services; and children's participation in decisions that affects them, and in cultural, leisure and sport activities;

Amendment 208 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that in all Member States the risk of poverty and social exclusion among children is strongly linked to their parents’ level of education, and in particular to that of their mothers, and their parents’ situation in the labour market and their social conditions; recommends that Member States ensure that all young people have access to high-quality free public education at all ages, including early childhood, with appropriate pupil- teacher ratios; stresses the need to establish a framework of support for teenage mothers, for whom leaving school early is a first step towards poverty;

Amendment 209 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that in all Member States the risk of poverty and social exclusion among children is strongly linked to their parents’ level of education, and in particular to that of their mothers, and their parents’ situation in the labour market and their social conditions; stresses the need to establish a framework of support for teenage mothers, for whom leaving school early is a first step towards poverty; reiterates the need of access to information to be made easily accessible on equal basis especially in the field of social securities, adult education, healthcare and economic support being available;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas women are a key force for economic and social development and education is one of the most effective strategies available for breaking out of the poverty cycle;

Amendment 210 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that in all Member States the risk of poverty and social exclusion among children is strongly linked to their parents’ level of education, and in particular to that of their mothers, ~~and their~~ parents’' situation in the labour market ~~and~~, their social ~~condition~~situation of parents and the forms of family support provided by the Member States; stresses the need to establish a framework of support for teenage mothers, for whom leaving school early is a first step towards poverty;

Amendment 211 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that in all Member States the risk of poverty and social exclusion among children is strongly linked to their parents’ level of education, and in particular to that of their mothers, and their parents’ situation in the labour market and their social conditions; stresses the need to ~~establish a f~~support, with targeted programme~~work of support for~~s, the ongoing education of teenage mothers, for whom leaving school early is a first step towards poverty;

Amendment 212 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that in all Member States the risk of poverty and social exclusion among children is strongly linked to the~~ir parents’~~ level of education, a~~nd in particular to that of their mothers~~vailable to them, and their parents’ situation in the labour market and their social conditions; stresses the need to establish a framework of support for teenage mothers, for whom leaving school early is a first step towards poverty;

Amendment 213 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that in all Member States the risk of poverty and social exclusion among children is strongly linked to their parents’ level of education, and in particular to that of their mothers, and their parents’ situation in the labour market and their social conditions; stresses the need to ~~establish a framework of~~provide structured support for teenage mothers, for whom leaving school early is a first step towards poverty;

Amendment 214 #

Mary HONEYBALL, Anna HEDH, Julie WARD, Soraya POST, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Malin BJÖRK, Terry REINTKE, Ernest URTASUN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Believes that equal treatment legislation is a vital instrument to combat poverty resulting from marginalisation and discrimination of sexual and gender minorities; calls in this regard on the Council to adopt the 2008 proposal for a directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation; calls furthermore, for the explicit inclusion in any future recast of the Gender Equality Directives of a ban on discrimination on grounds of gender identity;

Amendment 215 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Reaffirms the importance of economic and financial education at a young age, which has been shown to improve economic decision-making later in life, including in managing costs and incomes; recommends the exchange of best practice and the promotion of educational programmes targeting women and girls in vulnerable groups and marginalised communities facing poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 216 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Calls on the Member States to promote policies to strengthen and improve education, especially university education, and to invest more in training, in lifelong learning programmes and information campaigns, ensuring that meritocracy prevails in the subsequent integration of women into the labour market;

Amendment 217 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Points out that the lack of quality education is a factor that significantly increases the risk of child poverty and the social exclusion of children, and that a variety of factors related to family life – such as a lack of stability, violence or poor housing conditions – significantly exacerbate the risk of dropping out of school;

Amendment 218 #

Mary HONEYBALL, Anna HEDH, Julie WARD, Soraya POST, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Malin BJÖRK, Terry REINTKE, Ernest URTASUN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)

10b. Believes that improvement in rights awareness should be part of the efforts to combat gender-based poverty and exclusion; remains concerned that rights awareness in the area of discrimination on the basis of gender, gender identity and sexual orientation, and awareness of the existence of bodies and organisations offering support to victims of discrimination, is low; calls, in this regard, on the Commission to closely monitor the effectiveness of national complaint bodies and procedures in the context of the implementation of the gender equality directives with regard to gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment and the implementation of the employment equality directive with regard to sexual orientation;

Amendment 219 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas in times of economic recession such as these, people who already at risk of living in poverty – who are more likely to be women – are even more vulnerable, especially groups facing multiple disadvantages (people with disabilities, immigrants, single mothers, minorities, etc.);

Amendment 220 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Notes that the absence of a partner income is a major contributing factor to the poverty trap and to the social exclusion of women; notes the often precarious situation of widows, divorced women and single mothers who are heads of household, for whom an adequate level of maintenance ~~should be defin~~, psychological assistance and the opportunity to benefit from career guidance services should be provided;

Amendment 221 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Notes that the absence of a partner income is a major contributing factor to the poverty trap and to the social exclusion of women; notes the often precarious situation of divorced women who are heads of household, for whom an adequate level of maintenance should be defined; underlines the fact that divorced women are prone to discrimination and poverty is evidence of women not yet being fully economically independent which stipulates the need of further actions in the field of labour market and the closing of the gender pay gap;

Amendment 222 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Notes that the absence of a partner income ismay be a major contributing factor to the poverty trap and to the social exclusion of women; notes the often precarious situation of divorced women who are heads of household, for whom a~~n adequate level of maintenance~~ proper public policy should be defined;

Amendment 223 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Notes that the absence of a partner income is a major contributing factor to the poverty trap and to the social exclusion of women; notes the often precarious situation of divorced women ~~who are heads of household,~~to whom judges have granted custody of children and for whom an adequate level of maintenance should be defined;

Amendment 224 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

Amendment 225 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Calls on the Commission promote best practice on taxation policy that takes gender impacts into account, and promotes gender equality, particularly VAT, and taxation of household income, which at times can subject lower earners to higher rates of taxation;

Amendment 226 #

Karima DELLI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to consider introducing an unconditional universal basic income which would free many EU citizens from social exclusion arising from poverty; nevertheless warns that this universal basic income must not be viewed as a replacement income in the case of women on maternity leave;

Amendment 227 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)

11b. Stresses that data collection on household costs and income must be complimented by individualised data in order to account for gender-based inequalities within the households;

Amendment 228 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)

11c. Insists that macroeconomic policy must be compatible with social equality policy, and that it must include a strong gender perspective; Reiterates that financial institutions such as the ECB and national central banks must take into account social impacts, including impacts on gender inequalities, when modelling and deciding on macroeconomic monetary policies, or financial services policies;

Amendment 229 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 d (new)

11d. Emphasises that access to credit, financial services and advice is key to empowering women facing social exclusion in entrepreneurship, and increasing their representation in the sector; calls on the Commission and Member States to take effective measures to facilitate that access, particularly with regard to vulnerable women facing multiple discrimination;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas the austerity policies implemented by both the Commission and the Member States, in addition to the economic crisis of the past few years, have affected women in particular, exacerbating their state of poverty and increasingly excluding them from the labour market;

Amendment 230 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 e (new)

11e. Restates its support for the initiative to formulate a guideline reference budget, and calls on the Commission to include gender-specific considerations when designing it, including the gender inequalities faced within households;

Amendment 231 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 f (new)

11f. Reasserts the need to undertake research into female homelessness and its causes and drivers, as the phenomenon is captured inadequately in current data; notes that gender-specific elements that ought to be taken into account include gender-based economic dependency, temporary housing, or avoidance of social services;

Amendment 232 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 g (new)

11g. Calls for more ambitious action to tackle energy poverty, which disproportionately affects single women, single-parent and female-headed households; Urges the Commission and the Member States to establish a definition of energy poverty which takes into account gendered aspects of the phenomenon, and to include it in the future recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive; Highlights the important role of community energy initiatives such as cooperatives in empowering vulnerable energy consumers, particularly women facing poverty and social exclusion and marginalisation;

Amendment 233 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. NEmphasises that violence against women continues to be a significant problem in the European Union, affecting both the victims and the perpetrators thereof irrespective of their age, education, income level or social position, and its impact on the danger of marginalisation, poverty and social exclusion is constantly growing; notes that women’s economic independence plays a crucial role in their ~~ability to escape situations of~~ being able to flee a situation involving gender-violence; calls for the provision of social protection systems guaranteeing the social rights of women who are victims of violence;

Amendment 234 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Notes that women’s economic independence plays a crucial role in their ability to escape situations of violence as a proactive measure being taken; calls for the provision of social protection systems guaranteeing the social rights of women who are victims of violence; underlines the need of an increase in availability of information when it comes to legal services for victims of violence and further legislative measures to define gender based violence as a concrete criminal act closely related to hate crimes;

Amendment 235 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Notes that women’s economic independence plays a crucial role in their ability to escape situations of violence; calls for the provision of social protection systems guaranteeing the social rights of women who are victims of violence; calls on the EU and its Member States to ratify the Istanbul Convention and asks for an urgent initiative in order to stablish a European Directive on combating violence against women;

Amendment 236 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Notes that women’'s economic independence plays a crucial role in their ability to escape situations of violence; calls for the provision of social protection systems guaranteeing the social rights of women who are victims of violence; Reissues the call for the EU and all Member States to sign and ratify the Istanbul Convention;

Amendment 237 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Notes that women’s economic independence plays a crucial role in their ability to escape situations of violence; calls for the provision of social protection systems guaranteeing the social rights of women who are victims of violence in any form, be it domestic, trafficking, or prostitution;

Amendment 238 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Notes that women’s economic independence plays a crucial role in their ability to escape situations of violence; calls ~~for the provision of~~on the Member States to provide social protection systems guaranteeing the social rights of women who are victims of violence;

Amendment 239 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Believes there is a need of working proactive to overcome violence against women by targeting norms which glorifies violence; underlines that stereotypes and structures which are the foundation for men's violence against women to be combated by proactive measures through campaigns and further education on macho cultures on national level;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas the economic situation of women and men can only be analysed on the basis of objective data relating to clearly defined statistical parameters such as biological sex;

Amendment 240 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Calls once more for the Commission to present a European strategy against gender violence and to establish a European Year for combating gender- based violence;

Amendment 241 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Emphasises the importance of the Member States and regional and local authorities taking action to aid reintegration into the labour market for women who have suffered gender-based violence, using instruments such as the European Social Fund (ESF) or the Progress Programme;

Amendment 242 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Calls on the Member States to establish national plans to combat all forms of violence against women where such plans are not already in existence, to ensure ongoing and systematic monitoring to measure progress, to ensure the highest standards of legislation with regard to combating gender violence and to provide adequate funding for the protection of victims of gender violence, as a way to prevent and reduce poverty;

Amendment 243 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Points out that the new technologies should be regarded as a fundamental tool for creating new jobs and as an opportunity to bring women out of poverty;

Amendment 244 #

Marijana PETIR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Encourages the Member States, in cooperation with regional and local authorities, to help improve the quality of life of women in rural areas in order to reduce the risk of poverty while providing quality educational programmes aimed at empowering rural women, quality employment conditions for rural women and decent incomes; encourages the Member States to provide quality municipal, social and public infrastructure in order to improve general living conditions in rural areas;

Amendment 245 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)

12b. Highlights the need to combat the intersectional factors which results in violence against women by raising awareness to the intersectional structures which fuels gender based violence; asks the different institutes for gender equality in member states to cooperate in sharing best practices of diminishing violence against women; underlines the responsibility of both the European Union and the member states to increase awareness regarding violence against women and to work both proactive and to simplify the law field to reach a higher grade of convictions for crimes related to violence against women;

Amendment 246 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)

12b. Recognises, in addition, that finding meaningful solutions to tackling female poverty may be one way of reducing gender-based violence, since women in poverty are at greater risk of abuse;

Amendment 247 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)

12b. Points out that promoting free access to the Internet can remove all discrimination between those who have the economic means to access the Internet and those who do not, enabling women to obtain a better work-life balance, by teleworking, for example;

Amendment 248 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Believes that many aspects of ~~female~~ poverty in the societies of the Member States remain unrecognised, ~~including~~ for example ~~the~~, exclusion ~~of women~~ from access to culture and social participation; considers that the severe material deprivation indicators relating to access to culture are inadequate and that more indicators should be developed for assessing exclusion, particularly its influence on the vicious circle of poverty;

Amendment 249 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Believes that many aspects of female poverty remain unrecognised, including for example the exclusion of women from access to culture and social participation, and therefore calls on the Member States to provide the support necessary to ensure that all women can enjoy the right to culture, sport, and leisure, giving particular attention to women living in poverty, women with a disability, and migrant women; considers that the severe material deprivation indicators relating to access to culture are inadequate and that more indicators should be developed for assessing exclusion, particularly its influence on the vicious circle of poverty;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)

Ab. whereas the gap between the richest and the poorest is widening in Europe, with a severe imbalance in the distribution of wealth, and whereas income distribution has a decisive impact on reducing cycles of social inequality;

Amendment 250 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Believes that many aspects of female poverty remain unrecognised, including for example the exclusion of women from access to culture and social participation; considers that the severe material deprivation indicators ~~relating to~~exclude access to culture ~~are inadequate and that~~, and social participation, and are therefore provide an incomplete understanding of poverty; calls for more indicators ~~should~~to be developed for assessing exclusion, in terms of social, cultural, and political participation, and particularly its influence on the vicious cirycle of poverty, and its inter-generational impacts;

Amendment 251 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Calls for studies to be conducted that provide fresh statistics in this field and for these to be used to create an enlarged, comprehensive and reliable database;

Amendment 252 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Reasserts its call to the Commission to strive towards establishing a European Child Guarantee, ensuring that every European child at risk of poverty has access to free health care, free education, free childcare, decent housing and adequate nutrition; Emphasises that such a policy must address the situation of women and girls, particularly in vulnerable and marginalised communities;

Amendment 253 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Reports that disabled women often suffer discrimination within the family environment and in education, their employment opportunities are restricted and the social benefits they receive are not sufficient to stop them falling into poverty; stresses in this respect that Member States and regional and local authorities shall grant disabled women the specialist care they need to exercise their rights and shall propose actions to aid their integration in the labour market through additional support measures, in particular as regards education and training;

Amendment 254 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Stresses that climate change has a big impact on female poverty as women are more dependent on natural resources and, since they constitute a majority of world's poor, women have less resources to protect themselves of the negative effects of climate change such as health effects, droughts, natural disasters or displacement linked to environmental change;

Amendment 255 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13b. Notes that the Youth Guarantee initiative must include a gender perspective, addressing the situation of young men, women and persons of all gender identities in education, training, and labour markets;

Amendment 256 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13b. Deplores that a gender perspective has not been introduced systematically in EU's climate policies; calls on the EU institutions to systematically introduce gender mainstreaming in EU climate policies and legislation;

Amendment 257 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)

13c. Recalls that the EU plan of action on gender equality and women's empowerment in development is a fundamental tool to combat female poverty and gender inequality in third countries and therefore believes that GAP2 should take the form of a Commission communication; calls on the Commission to take into account EP's resolution on the renewal of the GAP;

Amendment 258 #

Mary HONEYBALL, Anna HEDH, Julie WARD, Soraya POST, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Malin BJÖRK, Terry REINTKE, Ernest URTASUN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Encourages the Member States and the Commission to develop exchanges of best practice on legislative and budgetary instruments for combating poverty; with a focus on those groups at particular risk of poverty, including migrant women, women from ethnic minorities, single women, lesbian women, bisexual women, transgender women, older women and women with disabilities;

Amendment 259 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Encourages the Member States and the Commission to develop exchanges of best practice on legislative and budgetary instruments for combating poverty and to introduce new individual indicators in respect of women and poverty as a tool to monitor the impact of broader social, economic and employment policies on women and poverty;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)

Ab. whereas 123 million people are currently at risk of poverty in Europe and the number of women is permanently higher than that of men, with some 65.1 million women against 58.8 million men;

Amendment 260 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Encourages the Member States and the Commission to collect gender-segregated statistics in order to develop exchanges of best practice on legislative and budgetary instruments for combating poverty;

Amendment 261 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Calls for the Commission’s recommendations to be applied and for work to be conducted in cooperation with the Commission;

Amendment 262 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Highlights the role of social enterprise in empowering and including women facing poverty and social exclusion and multiple discrimination;

Amendment 263 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Emphasises the importance of the EU’s policies, programmes and actions on development cooperation and aid being gender sensitive so that women may be empowered and achieve independence through education and training, and in order to combat gender discrimination and all forms of violence against women, including trafficking and female genital mutilation;

Amendment 264 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Calls on the Commission and the national governments of the Member States to encourage more studies into gender stereotypes and to collect additional data on these, defining suitable indicators for gender stereotypes and determining the poverty rate as well as their impact on combating poverty;

Amendment 265 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)

14b. Asks the Commission and the Member States to create stakeholder engagement processes that promote and facilitate the direct engagement of persons at risk of poverty and social inclusion, particularly women and girls, in policymaking on social inclusion at all levels;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)

Ac. whereas Eurostat data published in December 2015 show that 123 million citizens (24.4%) in the EU-28 were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, that women were particularly affected by the risk of poverty in the EU-28 in 2014, with the rate standing at 46.6% before social transfers and 17.7% after social transfers; whereas 38.9% of the population and 48.6% of single women in the EU-28 are not in a position to cope with unexpected expenses; Source: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics- explained/index.php/People_at_risk_of_p overty_or_social_exclusion and http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database ?node_code=ilc_li10

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)

Ac. whereas poverty has a different impact on women and men; whereas, unemployment rates being equal, women are more likely to fall below the poverty line than men;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)

Ad. whereas poverty and widening inequalities have worsened with the macroeconomic policies implemented by the EU and the austerity measures imposed in response to the economic crisis;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 5

— having regard to the EU’s growth strategy, Europe 2020, and in particular its objective to reduce the number of Europeans living below national poverty lines by 25 % by 2020, thereby lifting over 20 million people out of poverty, and the need to fully deploy Member States' social security and pensions systems to ensure adequate income support,

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas single-parent families, especially families headed by single mothers, are at greater risk of poverty or social exclusion; whereas according to Eurostat, women accounted for 56.6% of single-parent households in the Union in 2014; whereas poverty has a strong impact on children and the~~re is a risk of transmission of poverty over several generations~~ effects that poverty and social exclusion have on children can last an entire lifetime and continue across future generations; whereas the educational gap between children from different socio-economic backgrounds has increased (in 11 countries, the provision of early childhood education and care to children between the ages of 0 and 3 reaches no more than 15 % coverage);

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas large families and single- parent families, especially families headed by single mothers, are at greater risk of poverty or social exclusion; whereas according to Eurostat, women accounted for 56.6% of single-parent households in the Union in 2014; whereas poverty has a strong impact on children in large families and single-parent families and there is a risk of transmission of poverty over several generations;

Amendment 33 #

Mary HONEYBALL, Anna HEDH, Julie WARD, Soraya POST, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Malin BJÖRK, Terry REINTKE, Ernest URTASUN

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas the EU LGBT Survey finds that lesbian, bisexual and transgender women face a disproportionate risk of discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, in employment (19%), education (19%), housing (13%), healthcare (10%) and access to social services (8%); whereas this results in disproportionate risks to their economic and social well-being;

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas poverty is not necessarily a discriminatory factor if poor families maintain contacts and continue activities that are an expression of intergenerational solidarity;

Amendment 35 #

Marijana PETIR

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas women who live in rural areas are particularly affected by poverty; whereas many women who live in rural areas are not even registered on the labour market or registered as unemployed; whereas the rate of unemployment among women in rural areas is extremely high, and those who are employed have very low incomes; whereas women in rural areas have limited access to education, the early discovery of cancer and health care in general;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas living at risk of poverty ~~translate~~results into social exclusion ~~in terms of~~and limited access to ~~public transport,~~ primary healthcare services, education, decent housing ~~and culture~~, culture and public transport, as well as malnourishment and material deprivation;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas living at risk of poverty translates into social exclusion and lack of involvement in the life of society in terms of access to ~~public transport~~education, primary healthcare services, decent housing ~~and culture~~, culture and sport and public transport;

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas living at risk of poverty should translates into ~~social exclusion in terms of access to public transport, primary healthcare services, decent ho~~access to decent housing, primary healthcare services, education, justice, cultural inclusiong and ~~culture~~public transport;

Amendment 39 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas living at risk of poverty translates into social exclusion in terms of access to public transport, primary healthcare services, decent housing ~~and~~, education, life-long learning, and access to and participation in culture;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 7

~~– having regard to the European Social Fund Gender Mainstreaming Community of Practice (GenderCop), and in particular the GenderCop working group on poverty and inclusion,~~deleted

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas living at risk of poverty translates into social exclusion in terms of access to public transport, primary healthcare services, decent housing water and energy, education, training and culture;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas living at risk of poverty translates into social exclusion in terms of access to public transport, primary healthcare services, decent housing, information and culture;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas only 11 % of mothers in Europe want to be in full-time employment and 63 % of women would like to have the option of more flexible working hours so that they can tailor them to their family responsibilities8b ; __________________ 8bSurvey of Mothers in Europe 2011 results, Mouvement Mondial des Meres- Europe

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)

Cb. whereas significant problems in reconciling work and family life are making more and more people put off the decision to have their first child until later; whereas this is one of the factors behind the chronically low birth rates in most Member States;

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the gender pay gap stands at 16.3 % and whereas the atypical and flexible forms of working contracts (zero hour contracts, temporary work, interim jobs etc.) also affect women more than men; whereas these insecure contracts put women at greater risk of poverty and result in a category of the 'working poor' being created; whereas women are not equally represented in companies, nor in the political sphere, namely parliaments and government bodies and other decision- making positions;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the gender pay gap stands at 16.3 % and whereas the atypical and flexible forms of working contracts (zero hour contracts, temporary work, interim jobs etc.) also affect women more than men; whereas these insecure contracts put women at greater risk of poverty and result in a category of the less-well protected ‘working poor’ being created;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the gender pay gap stands at 16.3 % and whereas the atypical and ~~flexible~~uncertain forms of working contracts (zero hour contracts, temporary work, interim jobs etc.) also affect women more than men; whereas these insecure contracts put women at greater risk of poverty and result in a category of the 'working poor' being created;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the gender pay gap stands at 16.3 % and whereas the atypical and flexible forms of working contracts (zero hour contracts, temporary work, interim jobs, part-time working, etc.) also affect women more than men; whereas these insecure contracts put women at greater risk of poverty and result in a category of the 'working poor' being created;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas labour deregulation policies and the attack on collective bargaining are fostering an extension in working time in a number of Member States, without wage compensation, which is contributing to increased working class poverty; whereas these policies are promoting and encouraging precarious employment and the downgrading of the value of work, which has a particular impact on young people and working women, who are obliged to accept jobs with increasingly precarious conditions, often without any social protection;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas, very often, women who intend to set up a business have difficulty in gaining access to credit because traditional financial intermediaries are reluctant to grant loans, as they consider women entrepreneurs to be more exposed to risk and less inclined to make their businesses grow and to make profitable investments;

Amendment 5 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)

- having Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence ('the Istanbul Convention'),

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas women are often employed as domestic workers, in many cases outside the scope of national labour law; whereas undocumented women in particular run the risk of being forced to work and exploited in this area;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)

Db. whereas EU policies have promoted the privatisation and destruction of the network of public services and infrastructure providing care for children, the elderly and the sick, and the supply of these high-quality and free public services is now reduced or non-existent;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas women often take the responsibility for the care of elderly or ill family members as well as for children~~, resulting in their lower participation in the labour market, which consequently diminishes their overall income~~; whereas this is in addition to the fact that women are worst affected by unemployment, as well as suffering negative discrimination in relation to access to jobs – especially in the case of women who want to have children and women who are already mothers – and being particularly vulnerable to precarious employment and wage discrimination; whereas the establishment of high-quality free childcare services and facilities ~~at affordable prices~~ reduces the risk of impoverishment; whereas few Member States have achieved or surpassed the Barcelona objectives;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas women ~~oft~~more often than men take the responsibility for the care of elderly or ill family members as well as for children~~, resulting in their lower~~ and put their careers on hold more regularly, which prevents them making pension plans, forging a career and fully participationg in the ~~labour~~ market, ~~which consequentl~~thereby diminishesing their overall income; whereas the establishment of high-quality childcare services and facilities at affordable prices reduces the risk of impoverishment; whereas few Member States have achieved or surpassed the Barcelona objectives;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas women often take the responsibility for the care of elderly or ill family members as well as for children, resulting in their lower participation in the labour market, ~~which consequently diminishes their overall income~~and whereas these activities are not taken into account in terms of remuneration or taxation, or in terms of social protection; whereas the establishment of high-quality social childcare services and facilities at affordable prices reduces the risk of impoverishment; ~~whereas few Member States have achieved or surpassed the Barcelona objectives;~~

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas time use surveys find that women work more hours per week, paid and unpaid, than men; whereas women often take the responsibility for the care of elderly or ill family members as well as for children, resulting in their lower participation in the labour market, which consequently diminishes their overall income; whereas the establishment of high- quality childcare services and facilities at affordable prices reduces the risk of impoverishment; whereas few Member States have achieved or surpassed the Barcelona objectives;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas women often take the responsibility for the care of elderly or ill family members as well as for children, resulting in their lower participation in the labour market, which consequently diminishes their overall income; whereas the establishment of high-quality childcare services and facilities at affordable prices reduces the risk of impoverishment; whereas few Member States have achieved or surpassed the Barcelona objectives which must be seen as a necessity in order to increase an equal share of responsibility between caretakers;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas women often take the responsibility for the care of elderly ~~or ill~~, ill or dependent family members as well as for children, resulting in their lower participation in the labour market, which consequently diminishes their overall income; whereas the establishment of high- quality ~~childcare~~ services and facilities for the care of children or other dependent persons at affordable prices reduces the risk of impoverishment; whereas few Member States have achieved or surpassed the Barcelona objectives;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas women often take the responsibility for the care of elderly or ill family members as well as for children, resulting in their lower participation in the labour market, also through long periods of inactivity, which consequently diminishes their overall income; whereas the establishment of high-quality childcare services and facilities at affordable prices reduces the risk of impoverishment; whereas few Member States have achieved or surpassed the Barcelona objectives;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas women often take the responsibility for the care of elderly or ill family members as well as for children, resulting in their lower participation in the labour market, which consequently diminishes their overall income; whereas the establishment of high-quality ~~child~~early childhood education and care services and facilities at affordable prices reduces the risk of impoverishment; whereas few Member States have achieved or surpassed the Barcelona objectives;

Amendment 6 #

Mary HONEYBALL, Anna HEDH, Julie WARD, Soraya POST, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Malin BJÖRK, Terry REINTKE, Ernest URTASUN

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)

- having regard to the results of the European Union lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender survey carried out by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and published on 17 May 2013,

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas women often take the responsibility for the care of elderly or ill family members as well as for children, resulting in their lower participation in the labour market, which consequently diminishes their overall income; whereas the establishment of high-quality ~~childcare~~ services and facilities for the care of children and the elderly at affordable prices reduces the risk of impoverishment; whereas few Member States have achieved or surpassed the Barcelona objectives;

Amendment 61 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas given the inter-generational dimensions of poverty, addressing the situation of girls and young women facing social exclusion and poverty is key to tackling the feminisation of poverty;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas for the whole EU 27, 34 % of single mothers of active age are at risk of poverty versus 17 % in the case of other families of active age with children; whereas children from those families are disproportionately more likely to continue living in poverty in adulthood;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas, according to the 2014 study, single mothers had more difficulty in finding full-time work than women still in relationships, and single women working part-time were often employed in jobs that require few qualifications, which shows that it is not always possible to find jobs with sufficiently flexible working hours to reconcile work with the additional burden of parental responsibilities;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)

Fb. whereas a good education that improves a person’s chances of success on the job market is the best means of combating poverty; whereas adequate educational programmes increase a person’s potential by giving them an opportunity to develop their personality, skills, sense of self-worth and physical and psychological capacities;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F c (new)

Fc. whereas poverty is the most significant barrier to education given the considerable financial burden inherent in taking classes in order to become better qualified;

Amendment 66 #

Sirpa PIETIKÄINEN

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the pension gap averages 40%; whereas this pension gap represents an obstacle to women's economic independence and is one of the reasons why women find themselves falling below the poverty line as they grow older; whereas action is needed to secure equal access to decent pension schemes for women, correcting the imbalances created by persistent inequalities between men and women in the labour market;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the pension gap averages 40%; whereas this pension gap, which has its origins in wage discrimination and discrimination in access to employment, precarious employment and low wages, represents an obstacle to women's economic independence and is one of the reasons why women find themselves falling below the poverty line as they grow older;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the pension gap averages 40% as a result of the pay gap between women and men; whereas this pension gap represents an obstacle to women's economic independence and is one of the reasons why women find themselves falling below the poverty line as they grow older;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the pension entitlements gap averages 40%; whereas this ~~pension~~ gap represents an obstacle to women’s economic independence and is one of the reasons why women find themselves falling below the poverty line as they grow older;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)

- having regard to the Commission staff working document of 21 September 2015 entitled 'Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment: Transforming the Lives of Girls and Women through EU External Relations 2016-2020' (SWD(2015) 182 final),

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

Ga. whereas the introduction of a minimum income would enable women living in poverty to have some basic support for their living expenses and to be able to look after their children and loved ones;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

Ga. whereas women and girls are free to choose their preferred model of private and professional life and the educational path they take to achieve that way of life; whereas time devoted to the family and to motherhood should not be seen as time wasted as regards women’s personal development;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the increasing risk of poverty is closely linked to budget cuts in education, social security systems and care services; whereas women have been hardest hit by the crisis and the austerity measures taken in several European countries;deleted

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the increasing risk of poverty is closely linked to low wages, precarious employment, budget cuts in education, health, social security systems and care services; whereas women have been hardest hit by the crisis and the austerity measures ~~taken in several European countries~~imposed on a number of countries, which has increased their vulnerability both collectively and individually, exposing them to more serious exploitation and leading to poverty and marginalisation, which has also helped to fuel trafficking in women and prostitution;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the increasing risk of poverty is closely linked to budget cuts in education, social security systems and care services; whereas women and child have been hardest hit by the crisis and the austerity measures taken in several European countries;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas behind female poverty there is often a lack of education and meritocracy as regards access to jobs, which means that women, despite being better educated than men, have greater difficulties in entering the labour market and finding tasks that are commensurate with their skills, thus remaining unemployed;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas the pension gap decreased from 2006 to 2012 in those countries where Directive 2006/54/EC was implemented;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas the stereotypes widely conveyed by society contribute to the feminisation of poverty; whereas these stereotypes are developed during childhood and are reflected in the choice of training and education and on into the labour market; whereas women are still too often confined to ‘women-friendly’ tasks and remain under-represented in certain areas such as mathematics, science, engineering, and so on; whereas these stereotypeslarge number of obligations on single mothers, who make up the bulk of single parents, resulting from the need to reconcile parental responsibilities with the role of sole family breadwinner, is one of the causes of the feminisation of poverty; whereas it is children who are most affected by the negative consequences of parents being overburdened, and whereas this is reflected in the choice of training and education and on into the labour market; whereas women are still too often faced with an unfair choice between motherhood and career development; whereas the idea that women who are mothers are less productive leads to discrimination in terms of re~~crimin~~muneration;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas the social stereotypes widely conveyed ~~by society~~, which contribute to the feminisation of poverty, are promoted and fuelled by the ruling classes and reach and are reflected in the whole gamut of policies adopted in the Member States and the EU, from economic and social policy to education and cultural policy; whereas these stereotypes are developed during childhood and are reflected in the choice of training and education and on into the labour market; whereas women are still too often confined to ‘women-friendly’ tasks and remain under-represented in certain areas such as mathematics, science, engineering, and so on; whereas these stereotypes lead to discrimination in terms of recrimination;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)

- having regard to its resolution of 13 October 2005 on women and poverty in the European Union and its resolution of 3 February 2009 on non-discrimination based on sex and intergenerational solidarity,

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas the stereotypes widely conveyed by society are rooted in patriarchy and leave women in a subordinate role in society, contributeing to the feminisation of poverty; whereas these stereotypes are developed during childhood and are reflected in the choice of training and education and on into the labour market; whereas women are still too often confined to ‘women-friendly’ tasks and remain under-represented in certain areas such as mathematics, science, engineering, and so on; whereas these stereotypes lead to discrimination in terms of recrimination;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

Amendment 83 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

Amendment 84 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

Amendment 86 #

Sirpa PIETIKÄINEN

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

Ia. whereas women who belong to marginalized groups, such as migrants or LGBTI-people, often face multiple discrimination and are thereby in an especially vulnerable position in labour markets and with regards to social security;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

Ia. whereas social inequalities and inequalities between men and women can be combated only through policies guaranteeing a better distribution of wealth, based on an increase in real wages, action to promote labour regulation and labour protection, in particular through collective bargaining and the regulation of working time, and guaranteed universal free access to high- quality public healthcare and education services;

Amendment 88 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

Ia. whereas poverty and social exclusion, and women's economic dependency can be an exacerbating factor for violence against women and girls;

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

Ia. whereas there is a need for learning programmes that encourage women to choose scientific careers, which offer them the greatest employability;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 b (new)

- having regard to its position adopted at first reading on 20 October 2010 with a view to the adoption of Directive 2011/.../EU of the European Parliament and of the Council amending the Maternity Leave Directive,

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

Ia. whereas girls outperform boys in school but often they are prevented from translating this educational success into professional accomplishment by familial and other pressures;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas there are shortcomings in the characterisation of the concept of ‘household’ in terms both of data collection and of taxation; whereas this concept of ‘household’ does not allow the policy-making process to take into account the situation of women in terms of income or fiscal obligations; whereas the taxation system in force influences women’s access to the labour market and their economic independence;deleted

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas there are shortcomings in the characterisation of the concept of ‘household’ in terms both of data collection and of taxation; whereas this concept of ‘household’ does not allow the policy-making process to take into account the situation of women in terms of income or fiscal obligations; whereas the taxation system in force influences women's access to the labour market and their economic independence;deleted

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas there are shortcomings in the characterisation of the concept of ‘household’ in terms both of data collection and of taxation; whereas parameters other than the ‘household’ are rarely used when considering income inequalities; whereas this concept of ‘household’ does not allow the policy- making process to take into account the situation of women in terms of income or fiscal obligations; whereas the taxation system in force influences women’s access to the labour market and their economic independence;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas there are shortcomings in the characterisation of the concept of ‘'household’' in terms both of data collection and of taxation since it assumes that all members of the household earn the same and distribute resources equally ; whereas this concept of ‘'household’' does not allow the policy-making process to take into account the situation of women in terms of income or fiscal obligations; whereas the taxation system in force influences women's access to the labour market and their economic independence;

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas there are shortcomings in the characterisation of the concept of ‘household’ in terms both of data collection and of taxation; whereas this concept of ‘household’ does not allow the policy-making process to take into account the situation of women in terms of income or fiscal obligations; whereas ~~the~~ taxation systems in ~~force influences women's access to the labour market and their~~some Member States foster the 'man-as-breadwinner' model and thus do not support women's economic independence;

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas there are shortcomings in the characterisation of the concept of ‘household’ in terms ~~both~~ of data collection ~~and of taxation~~; whereas this concept of ‘household’ does not allow the policy-making process to take into account the situation of women in terms of income or fiscal obligations; ~~whereas the taxation system in force influences women's access to the labour market and their economic independence;~~

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K

K. whereas the Europe 2020 strategy, which ~~seeks to~~is supposed to be aimed at makeing the EU a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy, ~~entails ambitious targets, such as a 75 % employment rate and a reduction of at least 20 million in the number of people affected by or at risk of poverty and social exclusion by 2020;~~ is based on targets that are claimed to be ambitious but are in fact meaningless, such as a 75 % employment rate - which means accepting that around 25% of the working population will be unemployed and ‘unoccupied’ - and a reduction of at least 20 million in the number of people affected by or at risk of poverty and social exclusion by 2020 – which means acknowledging that in this scenario, 20% of the EU population will remain in this situation; whereas in practice the Europe 2020 strategy has meant unprecedented attacks on wages and social rights through direct wage cuts, labour deregulation, the spread of precarious employment, an increase in retirement age and the abolition of restrictions on the movement of labour in the EU, and has also meant an attack on public services and the destruction of the manufacturing base in the most weakened economies;

Amendment 98 #

Julie WARD, Maria ARENA, Mary HONEYBALL, Clare MOODY

Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)

Ka. whereas meeting the Europe 2020 anti-poverty targets requires significant new political impetus; whereas these targets cannot be met unless anti-poverty policy includes a strong gender dimension;

Amendment 99 #