50 Amendments of Julie WARD related to 2014/2247(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas marginalization is a social phenomenon, in which individuals or communities are socially excluded, systematically blocked from, or are denied access to participate in social and political processes which are essential to integrate society; whereas ‘marginalised communities' refers to diverse groups and individuals; whereas racism, patriarchy, economic disadvantages and other discriminatory systems contribute to creating layers of inequality and a dynamic of disempowerment for women within marginalised communities;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas ‘marginalised communities' refers to diverse groups and individuals; whereas racism, patriarchy, homophobia, economic disadvantages and other discriminatory systems contribute to creating layers of inequality and a dynamic of disempowerment for women within marginalised communities;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the consequences of the economic crisis and the cutbacks in public services have particularly worsenexacerbated the situation of women within marginalised communities;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas overcoming marginalisation and multiple discrimination requires direct grassroots engagement with the communities in question, socially, politically and economically, including stakeholder, civil society, and citizen involvement in policy-making processes; whereas a gender perspective must always be included in these processes, with a view to empowering women facing multiple discrimination to participate in them, and raise their voices in the public sphere;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas education, both formal and informal, is instrumental for overcoming marginalisation and multiple discrimination, in terms of creating dialogue, openness and understanding between communities, and in terms of empowering marginalised communities; whereas a gender perspective in education, and its role in empowering women and girls in marginalised communities must not be forgotten;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas the representation of women in marginalised communities in arts and culture and in the media is important for overcoming marginalisation, stereotyping, and multiple-discrimination;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas European cohesion policy strategies for empowering women in marginalised communities must take into account the situation of aging women, women with disabilities, women carers, and women with mental health problems;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Whereas the MS play a decisive role in creating an environment that defines and shapes marginalisation; they must reflect the needs of marginalised communities and to include their interests in the drafting and argumentation of operational programmes in front of the European Commission. Points out that these women face multiple discrimination, putting them at even greater risk of poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the EC to take on board affirmative action while drafting regional programmes in order to prevent the further decline of women in marginalised communities under the poverty line and pre-empt child poverty at an early stage;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund play a specific and significant role in fighting against poverty and promoting social inclusion, thus representing a crucial tool in the promotion of greater inclusion of marginalised communities.
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers it essential to include women and women's organisations from marginalised communities in the decision- making process on the allocation, use and implementation of the funds, at all levels, from local and regional authorities through to Member States and European institutions;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers it essential to include women andequality bodies, women's organisations and women from marginalised communities in the decision- making process on the allocation, use and, implementation and monitoring of the funds;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Points to the importance of empowering women within marginalised communities through stimulating women entrepreneurs and active women in those communities;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Draws attention to the fact that society does not acknowledge that marginalisation of certain communities such as women in precarious working conditions and the "working poor", single mothers, disadvantaged old women pensioners; calls on the Member States to clearly identify these groups and adopt programmes targeting the improvement of living conditions, access to healthcare and basic services;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas there is no EU definition of marginalised communities; whereas understanding the report begins by specifying certain attributes and characteristics of marginalised groups, such as living and working conditions, limited access to education and health care systems, early school leaving, accompanied by structural and systemic exclusion;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for support for an exchange of good practices and networking amongst women in marginalised communities, while promoting women in leadership positions within these communities;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Within the framework of the Cohesion Policy of the EU, calls on the Commission and the Member States to focus on regions with severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps as referred to in point 4 of Article 121 of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 and develop special provisions with possibilities for alternative employment and occupation, for the marginalised group of women in those communities, characterised by high poverty levels, lack of employment perspectives, voluntary abandonment of education, lack of social services, social isolation -and deriving from this higher risk of child poverty.
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Recognises that improved participation of women in enterprise and growth can be achieved by funding SME support services and financial services which meet the needs of women starting and developing businesses.
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the common characteristic shared by marginalised communities include communities of places, such as people living in rural areas, disadvantaged neighbourhood, rust-belts, and communities of interests such as people with disabilities, ethnic and linguistic minorities such as Roma, elderly people, people leaving care, homeless, refugees and asylum seekers;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Emphasises that special attention must be given to removing barriers to access to employment faced by women in marginalised communities, as well as the gender pay and pension gaps as relevant to these communities.
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
Gb. Whereas although these different types of marginalised communities share common difficulties and all suffer from multiple forms of stigmatisation and discrimination, they also have specific needs;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)
Recital G c (new)
Gc. whereas cohesion policy should address marginalised communities in their diversity, taking into account specific needs but not limiting its focus on a community in particular;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Highlights the important role social entrepreneurship, cooperatives, mutual, and alternative business can play in empowering women in marginalised communities; Recommends that cohesion funds, particularly the European Social Fund, support investment in this field with a strong gender perspective.
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Recalls the decision of the European Ombudsman Case: OI/8/2014/AN on the respect of fundamental rights in the implementation of the EU cohesion policy; strongly emphasises the need for all member state cohesion programmes to fully comply with the Charter of Fundamental Rights; agrees that civil society, including women's organisations, should be given a platform to report abuses of funds and Charter violations.
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Stresses the importance of lifelong learning for improving equality in education and training, particularly in vocational skills and in ICT; recognises the need for flexibility in delivery of education and training to reach women in rural areas.
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the inclusion of marginalised communities in funding programmes requires that efforts be made at all levels, as well as a long-term approach, permanent solutions, empowerment, building on experience and capacity building in order to end segregation and reach normalisation, promote social inclusion and improve the individual and collective well-being of communities;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Emphasises the need to strengthen regional, national, and European networks of women in marginalised communities, particularly in the fields of business, entrepreneurship, science and technology, education, media, and civic and political leadership.
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. Calls for European cohesion funds, and particularly the European Social Fund, to support formal and informal educational programmes, including vocational training and lifelong learning, for the empowerment of women and girls in marginalised communities.
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas alongside formal education, informal education and lifelong learning play a significant role in the integration of marginalised communities, overcoming structural limits of the formal education systems and allowing more flexibility in addressing the specific needs of marginalised communities;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6e. Calls for cohesion policy funds to support arts, culture, and media projects that empower women in marginalised communities, and that strive to break down stereotypes, stigma, and multiple- discrimination.
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
Recital H b (new)
Hb. whereas arts and culture based projects promoting intercultural exchanges, empowerment of participants, development of creative and social skills and active participation in the life of the local community are among the most effective tools to address social inclusion and integration;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls the European Commission to provide guidance on a definition of marginalised communities, which should be as comprehensive as possible in taking into account the specific situation, challenges and needs of each potential target group with the aim of promoting their socio-economic inclusion; emphasises that such guidance would further increase the effectiveness of Cohesion Policy in strengthening economic social and territorial cohesion throughout the European Union;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Finds regrettable that the Commission failed to provide sufficient information about the take-up of funding opportunities for marginalised communities; aAsks for an analysis to be carried out that would allow appropriate conclusions to be drawn and the obstacles that are preventing further take-up or the best possible results to be identified;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that the horizontal principle of equal opportunities and non- discrimination must be applied, as systemic causes of inequality need to be eradicated; emphasises that understanding and awareness-raising of systemic xenophobia and racism, such as anti-Gypsyism, should be a focal point when analysing the roots of exclusion, whether economic, social, cultural or based on gender, need to be eradicated;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that equality between women and men constitutes a funding principle that applies horizontally; considers that marginalised communities, particularly women and persons with disabilities in those communities, often face multiple forms of discrimination;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Highlights that the implementation of the cohesion policy must tackle the crucial challenge of poverty and exclusion of young people and children, including the transition from institutional to community-based care and services for vulnerable children;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Points out that the ‘explicit, but not exclusive' principle implies focusing on particular target groups while not excluding others in similar socio-economic circumstances nor triggering defensive reactions from the majority population because they feel their needs are not being addressed;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls for an alignment and stronger links between national strategies for marginalised communities, including National Roma Inclusion Strategies and, National Poverty Reduction Strategies and gender equality strategies with cohesion policy;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Calls for Member States and local authorities to encourage the use of ERDF to support SMEs and social enterprises involving and benefitting marginalised communities;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Finds regrettable that the Commission has accepted partnership agreements that do not include marginalised communities; asks the Commission to ensure inclusion of marginalised communities in the preparation, implementation of projectsand assessment of projects as a tool for empowering the concerned communities; calls for the Commission, national and local authorities to set up a structured dialogue with civil society and representatives of communities in relation to cohesion policy and marginalised communities in the cohesion policy post 2020; suggests recommendations in the European Semester as a suitable tool to promote action to be taken by the Member States;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Considers multi-level governance to play an important role; emphasises that involvement of local authorities is essential to reach the target group and requires the highest territorial proximity possible; highlights the importance of multi-level coordination to better connecting the regions to the EU, in particular for rural areas;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Highlights the need to also pay particular attention to the specific needs that marginalised communities living in rural areas face, including challenges related connectivity, mobility and access to services, but also in terms of cultural and social opportunities;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Underlines the need to build up the capacity of the stakeholders, including public services, administrations and civil society bodies; insist with a view of empowering communities, notably by allowing them to take a greater part in policy making; urges that targeted technical assistance and funding be used to this end;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Points out that EU-funded projects must have a long-term perspective in order to be effective; warns that implementers may satisfy the criteria set for inclusion on paper, while no and that the funds must support investingment in the actual needs of beneficiaries and not reachingwith mechanisms to ensure target groups are reached; calls for qualitative evaluation and monitoring mechanisms; calls on the Commission to put in place proactive and participatory monitoring and supervision of Members States' actions in the planning and evaluation process of funds;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Emphasises that representatives of marginalised communities need to be actively involved and enabled to participate as full members in monitoring; points out that considerable experience could have been gathered at local, regional, national and transnational level; underlines the need to disseminate and capitalise on best practices; calls on the Commission and Member States to initiate networking activities, including among socientistal, youth and community workers as well as academics and researchers;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on all public stakeholders to carry out awareness-raising of the fact that xenophobia and racism, such as anti- Gypsyism, leading to systemic exclusion must be eliminated; suggests educational and anti-discriminatory measures to be considered thorough analysis of the causes of discrimination and marginalisation and raise awareness of the partners involved in the implementation of cohesion policy;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Commission to issuprovide a communication outlining its intention to ensure that marginalised communities are included in EU fundsprehensive communication on the funding period 2007-2013 with regards to the use of the EU structural funds for marginalised communities, including an in depth analysis, best practise examples and policy recommendations for the new period;