40 Amendments of Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ related to 2014/2217(INI)
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas equality between women and men is a fundamental right recognised in the Treaty on European Union and the Charter of Fundamental Rights; whereas, likewise, the European Union’s objective in this field is to ensure equal opportunities and treatment for men and women and to combat all discrimination based on sex; whereas although the Union has set itself the specific task of mainstreaming gender equality in all its activities, many inequalities between men and women still remain;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas, even though the European directives on equal treatment for men and women adopted since 1975 and the steps, sometimes in the form of legislation, that some Member States have taken to promote changes as regards gender equality have made a considerable contribution towards effectively promoting equality between women and men, this trend is still excessively slow and the progress made is insufficient, given that many inequalities remain with regard to women’s rights, human rights, career, employment and pay prospects, access to education and health services, levels of political representation, participation in the economy and in decision-making processes, etc.;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas traditional gender roles and stereotypes continue to have a strong influence on the division of roles between women and men in the home, in the workplace and in society at large, thereby limiting women’s range of employment choices and their personal and professional development, impeding them from realising their full potential as individuals and as economic players;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the fiscal consolidation policies being pursued by Member States are primarily affecting the public sector, in which women are represented more strongly and of which they are the main beneficiaries, and are thus hurting in two ways, and whereas these policies are making employment more insecure, not least because of the increase in part-time working (32% of women compared with 8.2% of men) and temporary contracts;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the existing taxation systems in some Member States are predicated on a narrow view of the family to the extent that they are biased towards families in which only one of the two parents is working inasmuch as, in many cases, they deter women from going out to work and fail to provide sufficient support to single-parent families, large families and families supporting dependent relatives;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas women make up around 60% of university graduates, yet their representation in senior official and decision-making positions is disproportionately low;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas there is a strong horizontal segregation or gender-specific division of labour: almost half the women in employment are concentrated in 10 of the 130 occupations listed in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) drawn up by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and only 16% of workers hold jobs in sectors with an equal proportion of men and women;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the female employment rate is 63%, whereas the gender pay gap stands at 16.4% and the pension gap at 39%, whereas 73% of the members serving in national parliaments are men, and whereas women make up 17.8% of the membership of large company boards and every week spend three times as long as men on household chores;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the female unemployment rate is underestimated given the fact that many women are not registered as unemployed, particularly those who live in rural or remote areas along with many of those who devote themselves exclusively to household tasks and childcare; whereas this situation also creates a disparity in terms of access to public services (benefits, pensions, maternity leave, sick leave, access to social security etc.);
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas unpaid work (caring for children, elderly people and people with disabilities and household tasks) is still predominantly carried out by women, who on average spend 26 hours per week on such tasks, the corresponding figure for men being 9.1 hours;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the failure to promote policies making for work-life balance in general and the lack of childcare facilities in particularare and assistance services for children, the elderly and other dependants pose a major obstacle to women’s economic independence and their rise to positions of responsibility;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas violence against women is the world’s most widespread human rights violation, it affects all levels of society, regardless of age, education, income, social position and country of origin or residence, and it represents a major hindrance to equality between women and men;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas one woman in three in the EU has been physically and/or sexually assaulted, and almost one in two has suffered psychological violence26; __________________ 26 Violence against women: an EU-wide survey, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, March 2014.
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
Ka. whereas six European Union countries have still not signed the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) and only eight have ratified it;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
Ma. whereas there has been a worsening in conditions for some groups of women who often face several combined difficulties and risks as well as multiple discrimination, in particular women with disabilities, women with dependants, elderly women, minority and immigrant women, women with little or no training, women who have been victims of gender- based violence, etc.;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the CommissEU institutions and the Member States to mainstream gender and, women’s rights and equal opportunities into their policy-making and, budget procedures and the implementation of EU programmes and activities, especially in connection with stimulus packages, by carrying out gender impact analyses in every case;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Maintains that poverty among women, and older women and single mothers in particularin particular older women, women who are victims of gender violence, disabled women, women who are immigrants, women belonging to minorities and single mothers, needs to be tackled as a matter of urgency; calls on the Member States, therefore, to implement more effective inclusion strategies and make more efficient use of social policy resources, not least the European Social Fund and the Structural Funds;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Condemns the fact that social policies were far less effective at reducing poverty in 2012 than they were in 2005, with the fall in effectiveness being particularly high (almost 50%) in homes with just one adult, which includes most widows and single mothers; is concerned that the effectiveness of the social policies implemented in some Member States amounts to only one third of the European average;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Condemns the fact that more than a third of older women in the European Union receive no form of pension;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Points out that according to the European Added Value Assessment conclusions, a one percentage point decrease in the gender pay gap will increase economic growth by 0.1%, which means that it is crucially important to close the gap in the current economic downturn;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Condemns the fact that women do not receive the same salary in cases where they hold the same jobs as men or jobs of equal value; points out that in other cases differences in pay stem from the fact that women do not hold the same jobs, and points out furthermore that this is the result of, firstly, the continued horizontal segregation or gender-specific division of labour according to which jobs that are considered to be ‘women’s jobs’ are valued less highly, secondly, the continued vertical segregation related to the so-called glass ceiling that prevents women from reaching the top, highest- paid jobs, and thirdly, the continued use of different categories for the same work (e.g. in cleaning services, where men are hired in a higher category as maintenance technicians, whereas women are in a lower category such as cleaners); emphasises, furthermore, that the vast majority of low salaries and almost all very low salaries are paid for part-time work and points out that about 80% of the working poor are women;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3d. Calls on Member States, employers and trade union movements to draft and implement serviceable, specific job evaluation tools to help determine work of equal value and thus to ensure equal pay between men and women; encourages firms to carry out annual equal pay audits, to publish the data with the highest possible level of transparency and to narrow the gender pay gap;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Notes that equal participation by women and men in the labour market could significantly increase the economic potential of the EU, while confirming its fair and inclusive nature; points out that, according to OECD projections, total convergence in participation rates would result in a 12.4% increase in per capita GDP by 2030;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Stresses the importance of combating stereotypes and gender-based discrimination by adopting active policies geared towards reducing the real disadvantages faced by women in the workplace, where there is a false assumption that there are male and female jobs, and that the latter are associated with the work women do at home and are considered to be an extension of these (clothing and textiles, teaching, nursing, cleaning, etc.); calls for gender equality to be promoted from the initial stages of education, for more importance to be attached to school and professional career guidance, and for gender equality to be promoted among young people with a view to combating stereotypes and guiding young women towards qualifications and professions in which they are under-represented; calls on the Commission and the Member States to take decisive policy action to fight gender stereotypes and encourage men to share equally in domestic responsibilities and in caring for children and other dependants, in particular through incentives for men to take parental and paternity leave, which will strengthen their rights as parents, ensure a greater degree of equality between women and men and more appropriate sharing of family and housekeeping responsibilities, and enhance women’s opportunities to participate fully in the labour market;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Draws attention to the increasing prevalence of flexible working hours: weekend work, more irregular, unpredictable and extended working hours and shifts, etc.; points out that the demand for flexibility is greatest amongst part-time workers, who are mostly women, and that this means that more women than men have their working hours changed from week to week, making it even harder for women, especially single mothers and those caring for dependent family members, to strike a balance between work and family life;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Emphasises that, on the one hand, increased flexibility in working arrangements – provided that it is voluntary and geared to the real needs of workers, and that workers have control over it and clarity as to their working hours and part-time arrangements – increases women’s opportunities to participate actively in the labour market and supports the reconciliation of work, family and personal life, but that, on the other hand, flexibility can have a negative impact on women’s wages and pensions and negative consequences for women in employment, such as a lack of formal contracts, a reduction in social security benefits, and job insecurity;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to allow for changes in the family unit when drawing up their taxation and compensation policies, in particular by providing support to one-parent families, large families, families with dependants, disabled people and older people in the form of tax credits or health care assistance;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Congratulates Sweden, Belgium, France, Slovenia, Denmark, and the United Kingdom on achieving the Barcelona objectives and calls on the other Member States to continue their efforts; calls on the Member States to go beyond the Barcelona objectives by adopting a more systematic and integrated approach, to be implemented jointly by national and local authorities, to education and preschool care services, in particular for very young children under 3; calls on the Commission to provide continuing financial support to Member States so that they can offer childcare systems that parents can afford; also calls on the Commission to address the lack of affordable childcare facilities in its country-specific recommendations;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Condemns the fact that, despite the EU funding available (EUR 3 200 million from the structural funds for 2007-13 were earmarked to help Member States develop childcare facilities and promote employment for women), some Member States have made budget cuts that are affecting the availability (nurseries are closing) and quality (staffing shortfalls) of childcare services and making them more expensive;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Emphasises the need for the Member States to increase their budgets for child support and support for dependent people in order to expand the public network of day nurseries, crèches, public recreational activities for children and daycare and residential centres for the elderly and other dependants, who are cared for almost entirely by women in the private sphere, something that represents a major obstacle when it comes to women entering or returning to the labour market;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Points to the need to review school calendars and timetables with a view to tailoring them to the current situation with regard to the working lives of fathers and mothers and making it easier to strike a balance between work and family life;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Emphasises that the clear under- representation of women in elected and nominated political positions at EU and Member State level is a democratic deficit that undermines the legitimacy of decision-making at both EU and national level;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Calls on the Member States to do all they can to guarantee gender parity in high-level positions in their governments, public institutions and bodies, and on electoral lists, in order to ensure that there is equal representation in local councils and in regional and national parliaments, as well as in the European Parliament;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Calls on the EU institutions to do all they can to guarantee gender equality in the college of Commissioners and in high- level positions in all EU institutions, agencies, institutes and bodies;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Asks the Council to activate the ‘passerelle clause’ and to adopt a unanimous decision identifying gender violence as an area of crime listed in Article 83(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which already covers trafficking in human beings and the sexual exploitation of women and children.
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Given that the Member States’ deadline for transposing Directive 2011/99/EU on the European protection order expires on 11 January 2015, asks the Commission to put together a European protection order register;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls once again on the Commission to set up a European Monitoring Centre on Gender Violence (along the lines of the current European Institute for Gender Equality), to be led by a European coordinator for the prevention of violence against women and girls;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Emphasises the importance of active prevention, education and information policies aimed at teenagers, young people and adults to ensure that sexual and reproductive health among the population is good, thereby preventing sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Points out that various studies show that abortion rates in countries in which abortion is legal are similar to those in countries in which it is banned, and are often even higher in the latter (WHO, 2014);
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Insists that sexual and reproductive health and rights are fundamental human rights that must be defended, upheld and fostered, and therefore calls for them to be included in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, Article 35 of which already recognises the right to health;