SP(2010)2012

Results of vote in Parliament

Following the debate which took place during the sitting of 24 February 2010, the European Parliament adopted a resolution tabled by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality on Beijing +15 – UN Platform for Action for Gender Equality.

In the resolution, Members note that, despite the efforts made, the strategic objectives of the Beijing Platform for Action have not been achieved and inequality and gender stereotypes persist, with women remaining in a position subordinate to men in the areas addressed in the Platform. They urge the Commission and Member States to adopt and implement specific gender equality policies , including active measures, with a view to accelerating the achievement of de facto gender equality and promoting the full enjoyment of all human rights by women and girls.

They view as regrettable the lack of timely, reliable, comparable data, at both national and EU level, for the indicators decided on for the follow-up to the Beijing Platform for Action, which have already been developed in many of the critical areas of concern identified in the Beijing Platform for Action, including women and poverty, violence against women, institutional mechanisms, women and armed conflict, and the girl child. Parliament wants the Commission to develop further the annual review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and to use the indicators and analytical reports effectively as a contribution to different policy fields, as well as a basis for new initiatives aimed at achieving gender equality. It also wants the Commission to put forward a mid-term plan for the regular follow-up and revision of the sets of indicators already developed for the follow-up of the Beijing Platform for Action.

Parliament reiterates the need for systematic implementation and monitoring of gender mainstreaming in legislative, budgetary and other important processes, and of strategies, programmes and projects in different policy fields, including economic policy, integration policies, the Open Method of Coordination for both employment and social protection and social inclusion, the European Union Strategy for Sustainable Development, the Framework of European cooperation in the youth field, external and development policies, and the European Security and Defence Policy, and for the systematic use of indicators developed for the follow-up to the Beijing Platform for Action in all relevant policy areas and processes to be promoted;

Members urge the Commission, when preparing its follow-up strategy to its Roadmap:

to take into account the economic and financial crisis, the impact of climate change on women, sustainable development, ageing society, and the situation of women from ethnic minorities, especially Romani women, as well as the following current Roadmap priorities: equal economic independence for women and men, combining work, family and private life; equal participation of women and men in decision making; the eradication of gender-based violence; the elimination of gender stereotypes in society; and the promotion of gender equality in external and development policies; to create stronger links to the Beijing Platform for Action, ensuring that there is greater coherence between the EU strategy for gender equality and efforts to achieve the objectives identified in the Beijing Platform from Action.

Parliament strongly supports the creation of the new United Nations gender equality entity , combining policy and operational activities, and calls on all UN Member States, particularly the EU States, to ensure that the new entity is provided with significant financial and human resources and led by a UN Under-Secretary-General with responsibility for gender equality. It encourages the European Institute for Gender Equality to further develop strategies and tools for gender mainstreaming, particularly in the areas of gender impact assessment and gender budgeting.

Members go on to stress that sexual and reproductive health is an integral part of the women's health agenda. They consider that abortion should not be promoted as a method of family planning and that provision should be made in all cases for the humane treatment and counselling of women who have had recourse to abortion.

Lastly, Parliament welcomes the importance accorded gender equality in the plans of the incoming Spanish Presidency. It requests that in the revision of the Lisbon Strategy in 2010 a strong gender equality priority/chapter, accompanied by new targets, be included, the links with the Beijing Platform for Action be strengthened and the Beijing indicators developed for the follow-up of the Beijing Platform for Action be used to reinforce the gender perspective in the National Reform Programmes and the National Reports on strategies for social protection and social inclusion.

T7-0037/2010

B7-0118/2010

The House held a debate on Oral Questions O-0006/2010 to the Council and O-0007/2010 to the Commission on "Beijing +15 - UN Platform for Action for Gender Equality". A motion for a resolution closing this debate was due to be put to the vote on 25 February 2010.

Debate in Parliament

B7-0007/2010

B7-0008/2010