15 Amendments of Maria ARENA related to 2015/2220(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Citation 1 (new)
Citation 1 (new)
– having regard to the EC Joint Staff Working Document "Gender equality and Women's Empowerment: Transforming lives of Girls and Women Through EU External relations 2016-2020",
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the conclusion of the EPCA with Kazakhstan, and calls on the Commission to step up negotiations with other countries in the region; insists on the importance to have a comprehensive approach with a strong political and human rights dialogue beside the strengthening of commercial and economic relations; reiterates its position that progress in the negotiations depends on the progress made in political reform; believes that WTO membership also makes an important contribution in this respect, and calls on Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to follow the example of the other Central Asian stats well as ILO and other UN agencies;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas in Kazakhstan, despite the enactment of the Strategy for Gender Equality 2006-2016, negligible changes are reported by UN institutions regarding the situation of women; whereas women face distinct economic hardship, employment discrimination and remain vulnerable to trafficking, especially for sexual exploitation;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises that Central Asia is a strategic partner for the EU in its attempts to diversify the sources of its energy supply and ensure energy security; believes that the future EU-Central Asia strategy must have a wider vision in the energy field in compliance with European commitments in sustainable development, which should also extend to countries like Azerbaijan and Iran;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas various forms of violence against women remains a widespread problem in Uzbekistan which has no legislation prohibiting domestic violence, in Tajikistan where trafficking in persons, including sex and labour trafficking is a particular issue of concern, as well as in Kirghizstan where bride kidnapping, spousal rape and domestic violence are still reported;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas in Turkmenistan, data collection on women's rights is scarce, and issues such as forced marriage, discrimination against separated and divorced women, domestic violence and trafficking in women and girls, remain widespread;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Recognises that Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan face individual challenges in advancing human rights, however the region faces common challenges as regards addressing and promoting women's rights and gender equality;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that despite all five Central Asian countries ratifying the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, significant inequalities between men and women still exist in Central Asia; is concerned that 29% of women in the region are victims of physical or sexual violence; Calls the five countries to fully implement the CEDAW;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Believes that the economic diversification of the region provides added value in terms of regional development, stability and security; considers it essential to modernise infrastructure, transport and interconnections, particularly in rural areas, taking into account social, economic and environment balance;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Asks EEAS, within the review of its Central Asia Strategy and in line with its 2016-2020 priorities, to establish a comprehensive Gender Equality Action Plan with concrete actions to improve women's rights and women's living conditions in particular in order to tackle discrimination, forced marriages, violence against women and trafficking in women and girls;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that women play a full and crucial role in agricultural production and farming across all Central Asian countries, with the average share of women employed in the agricultural sector standing at 58%3 and calls all Central Asian countries to encourage employment of women and female entrepreneurship particularly in rural areas; Calls for promoting and monitoring economic and social rights and empowerment of girls and women as key objective to the EU external relations with the region; __________________ 3 World Bank statistics 2012
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for continued efforts to support the modernisation of the economy of these countries and to help them create a favourable environment for foreign investment by strengthening the rule of law, reducing bureaucratic burdens and administrative interference in enterprises, reforming the judicial system tofor fighting corruption, ensure theing protection of foreign investment, and fighting corruptionthe people and of foreign investments;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises the steps taken by individual Central Asian countries to improve gender equality, such as the amendments to Articles 154 and 155 of Kyrgyzstan’s Criminal Code which came into force in February 2014 and toughened the penalty for the widely practiced custom of bride- kidnapping; welcomes Kazakhstan’s Gender Equality Strategy and its 45 political, social and economic measures; asks the Commission to further support the Central Asian countries in developing their women’s rights agendas but notes that protection of women's rights and promotion of gender equality across the region still remain a challenge;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Welcomes Kazakhstan's Gender Equality Strategy and its 45 political, social and economic measures; asks the Commission to further support the Central Asian countries in developing their women's rights agendas and calls for a better implementation of this strategy; Regrets the lack of female representation in Kazakh public decision- making bodies despite a 30 per cent quota being legally required in political institutions;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Asks the Commission to further support the Central Asian countries in developing their women's rights agendas and to encourage each Central Asian countries to enact legislation which explicitly prohibits all forms of violence and discrimination against women, including sexual, physical, physiological and economic abuse;