2012/2255(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)

- having regard to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325);

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

(2a) Notes with concern that women remain under-represented in the labour market as well as in economic and political decision-making;

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

(27a) Commends the progress made in combating domestic violence by adoption of a general protocol on procedures for cooperation in situations of domestic and partner-relationship violence, the introduction of a telephone helpline and the opening of a new shelter; however notes that domestic violence is still a great concern in Serbia; calls on the government to award sufficient funds and efforts to implement legislation and the protocol, to promote reporting of cases and to collect and share information and data between institutions, agencies and women's civil society organisations;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Commends the Serbian Government and Parliament on their close cooperation with civil society organisations in drafting and monitoring an extensive action plan to implement UN Security Council resolution 1325; calls on the government to make sufficient human and financial resources available for its implementation;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)

(28a) Calls on the Serbian authorities to improve cooperation with civil society organisations for gender equality, especially at local level between local governments and local civil society organisations, in drafting, implementing and monitoring laws and policies on gender equality and gender-based violence and to provide structural funding for the work of organisations dealing with gender-based violence;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

(2a) Underlines the importance of awareness-raising campaigns in the fight against stereotypes, discrimination (gender-based, cultural, religion-based) and domestic violence, and for gender equality in general; notes that these campaigns should be complemented by the promotion of a positive picture through female role models in the media and advertising, educational materials and the Internet;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)

(2b) Notes that the introduction and the implementation of gender quota in political decision-making should be supplemented with effective legal sanctions;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)

(2c) Points out that supporting policies of equal opportunities is important for the economic and social development of the Balkan accession countries; calls on the governments to introduce measures in order to reduce the gender pay gap and, consequently, the gender pension gap;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes with concern the lack of financial and human resources allocated to the functioning of governmental and independent institutions tasked with the initiation and implementation of gender equality measures, especially gender mainstreaming policies, in most countries; calls on authorities at all levels to accompany measures and action plans with adequate resources for their implementation;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes with concern the lack of financial and human resources allocated to the functioning of governmental and independent institutions tasked with the initiation and implementation of gender equality measures in most countries; calls on authorities at all levels to accompany measures and action plans with adequate resources for their implementation; stresses that the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) may and should be used for projects related to the promotion of women's rights and gender equality, but that authorities in the countries themselves bear full responsibility for well-functioning implementation mechanisms for women's rights and gender equality;

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes with concern the lack of statistical information on gender equality and on violence against women, necessary for monitoring implementation, that is standardised and may be compared over time, between accession countries and between EU Member States and accession countries; calls on the governments of Balkan accession countries to establish a common methodology for gathering statistical information together with Eurostat, EIGE and other relevant institutes; stresses that specific strategies need to be developed and existing strategies implemented to improve the position of women faced with multiple discrimination, such as Roma women, lesbian, bisexual or transgender women, women with disabilities, women of ethnic minorities, older women;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes with concern the lack of statistical information on gender equality ~~and~~, on violence against women and on contraceptive prevalence and unmet need for contraception, necessary for monitoring implementation, that is standardised and may be compared over time, between accession countries and between EU Member States and accession countries; calls on the governments of Balkan accession countries to establish a common methodology for gathering statistical information together with Eurostat, EIGE and other relevant institutes;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

(4a) Notes with concern that gender-based violence and verbal abuse remain present in the Balkan countries; therefore invites their governments to take measures to create shelters for victims and to ensure that law enforcement institutions, legal authorities and public servants are more sensitive to this phenomenon;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)

- having regard to its resolution of 9 March 2011 on the EU strategy on Roma inclusion;

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)

(4b) Notes with concern that the countries of the Balkans are transit countries in the process of trafficking in human beings and that generally women and children are the victims of trafficking; stresses that gender equality, awareness-raising campaigns, measures against corruption and organised crime are essential in order to prevent negative phenomena in the Balkan countries such as prostitution and trafficking and to protect potential victims;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the increase in cross-border regional initiatives in the area of women's rights and gender equality; calls on governments and the Commission to support these initiatives, encourage the exchange and advertisement of good practices arising from them, inter alia by employing the pre-accession funds and by making sufficient grants available to these initiatives also from the gender budgeting perspective;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

(5a) Notes with deep concern that 30 per cent of the victims of cross-border trafficking in the EU are nationals from the Balkan area, whereas women and girls compromise the bulk of victims detected; calls on the respective governments to provide sustained funding for combating trafficking , to further strengthen their capacity to identify proactively and protect victims among the vulnerable population, ensure by law that identified trafficking victims are not punished for committing crime as a direct result of being trafficked, sustain victim protection efforts, train law enforcement officials ,develop further the reception centre and shelter capacity; furthermore, calls on the respective governments for better implementation of the existing legislation in order to create a dissuasive environment for traffickers, where cases of trafficking in human beings are properly investigated and perpetrators are prosecuted and convicted; calls on the Commission to influence Balkan accession countries to improve their records on prosecution and punishment and support local initiatives to address the root causes of trafficking such as domestic violence and low economic opportunities for women;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

(5a) Invites the governments of the countries in the Balkans to establish a legal framework for equal pay for both sexes, to assist women in the reconciliation of private and professional life, and in addition to create an environment which stimulates female entrepreneurship;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

(5a) Considers that genuine gender equality also rests on equality and non- discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity; encourages the governments of Balkan accession countries to address lingering homophobia and transphobia in law, in policy and in practice, including legislating on hate crimes, police training and anti-discrimination legislation;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on the governments of the Balkan accession countries to set up refuges for battered women;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Invites the Government of Montenegro, and the Serbian, ~~Macedonian~~FYROM and Albanian Governments, once they start accession negotiations, to agree on a framework agreement with their parliaments and civil society on the involvement of civil society organisations, inter alia in the area of women's rights and gender equality, in the accession negotiations and in drafting the action plans for reform resulting from these negotiations, and ensuring their access to relevant documents pertaining to the accession process;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Invites the Government of Montenegro, and the Serbian, Macedonian and Albanian Governments, once they start accession negotiations, to agree on a framework agreement with their parliaments, political parties and civil society on the involvement of civil society organisations, inter alia in the area of women's rights and gender equality, in the accession negotiations and in drafting the action plans for reform resulting from these negotiations, and ensuring their access to relevant documents pertaining to the accession process;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the governments of the Balkan accession countries to tackle high unemployment rates, focusing in particular on women, especially those in rural areas;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

(6a) Calls on the governments of Balkan accession countries to recognise and support the role that civil society and women's organisations play in specific areas, such as promoting LGBT-rights, combating violence against women, increasing women's political participation and representation and promoting peace building efforts;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas seven countries in the Western Balkans – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, (FYRO~~) Macedonia~~M, Montenegro and Serbia – are at different stages of the process to become Member States of the European Union; whereas these countries need to adopt and implement the acquis communautaire and other EU obligations in the areas of ~~gender equality~~anti- discrimination, gender equality and women's rights during this process;

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

(6a) Notes with concern, that in most of the Balkan accession countries the process for the social inclusion of Roma has slowed down and in some cases even came to a halt; calls on the respective governments to step up their efforts in order to further integrate Roma citizens and guarantee the elimination of all forms of discrimination and prejudice against Roma especially the women and girls who suffer from multiple compound and intersectional discrimination; calls on the commission to enhance its efforts to involve the enlargements countries at whatever stage of accession, to mobilize the Instrument on Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) and the mechanism of the Stabilisation and Association (SAA) process;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)

(6b) Notes with concern that LGBT-rights activists and human rights activists who stress the importance of dealing with the past are regular targets of hate speech, threats and physical attacks and calls on the governments of Balkan accession countries to take specific measures to prevent and combat violence against women human rights defenders;

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls on the Commission to make the implementation of women's rights ~~and gender equality~~, the mainstreaming of gender equality and the continuous fight against domestic violence a priority in the accession process of Western Balkan countries, by continuing to address these issues in progress reports and to emphasise their importance in contacts with authorities, and showing a good example by ensuring that its own delegations, negotiating teams and representation at meetings and in the media are gender-balanced;

Amendment 33 #

Barbara MATERA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 – point 1 (new)

(1) Calls on the EU delegations in the Balkan countries to keep progress in the sphere of women’s rights and gender equality under careful review in anticipation of future accession to the EU and calls on each delegation to appoint a member of staff to deal with gender policies with a view to facilitating the exchange of good practice within the Balkan region;

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

(a) Encourages national authorities in this region to set up awareness raising programs on domestic violence in combination with the development of refuges for women who have or are presently experiencing domestic violence;

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)

(b) Calls on national authorities in this region to work together in creating a common front in combating trafficking in human beings;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)

(c) Notes with disappointment that in some states in this region women entrepreneurs are frequently discriminated against when trying to secure loans or credit for their businesses, and still often face barriers based on gender stereotypes; Further to this, calls on states in this region to consider the creation of mentoring schemes and support programmes that can harness the advice and experience of entrepreneurial professionals;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 d (new)

(d) Asks national authorities in this region to denounce hatred and violence on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression;

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 e (new)

(e) Encourages national authorities in this region to support gender equality and promote this goal through education in schools and universities. Recognises that from a young age many girls are discouraged from pursuing school and university subjects perceived as inherently 'masculine', such as science, maths and technology; recommends introducing initial courses at school and to broaden the spectrum of possible subjects and careers open to girls, so that they are able to develop the knowledge base and full range of skills necessary for succeeding in any walk of life they may decide to choose;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

(7a) Stresses that all women must have control over their sexual and reproductive rights including by having access to affordable high-quality contraception; expresses concern about the restrictions on access to sexual and reproductive health services in the Balkan accession countries;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the implementation of women's rights and gender equality measures requires an increase of public awareness of these rights, judicial and non-judicial ways to invoke these rights, and governmental and independent institutions to initiate, carry out and monitor the implementation process;

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)

(7b) Calls on the Governments of the Balkan accession countries to adopt legislation and policies that ensure universal access to reproductive health services and promote reproductive rights, and to gather systematically data that is necessary to promote the situation of sexual and reproductive health;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Albanian Government to ~~implement the legislation laying down a 30 % quota f~~support more women in political decision- making, ~~ensuring that the law is applied as strictly as possible and that dissuasive penalties are imposed for non- compliance,~~ especially with a view to the parliamentary elections in 2013;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Albanian Government to implement the legislation laying down a ~~30% quota for women in political decision-making~~binding target of 30% for women in all legislative, executive and judicial organs, as well as in other public institutions, ensuring that the law is applied as strictly as possible and that dissuasive penalties are imposed for non- compliance, especially with a view to the parliamentary elections in 2013;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Albanian Government to implement the National Strategy for Integration and Development and the Law on Protection from discrimination by strengthening the Office of the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination by establishing an appeals institution in the form of a Commissioner specifically for cases of gender discrimination;

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Albanian Government to implement the National Strategy for Integration and Development by establishing an appeals institution in the form of a Commissioner for cases of gender discrimination, in order to promote an environment in which women giving birth to girls are not discriminated against;

Amendment 45 #

Barbara MATERA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls on the Albanian Government to improve coordination between national and local authorities, especially for the purpose of combating domestic violence, and believes in addition that women should be involved more widely in local and national decision-making in Albania;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

(9b) Calls on the Albanian government to propose gender sensitive reforms to the legislation on property rights, the penal code, the electoral law and labour laws;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)

(9c) Commends Albania for the training given to judges on the implementation of gender equality legislation and measures against violence against women and for the possibility for victims of discrimination or violence to receive state- sponsored legal aid;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 d (new)

(9d) Commends Albania for the decision on gender mainstreaming in the medium- term budget programme for all line Ministries and looks forward to seeing the results of its implementation;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

(10a) Calls on the Albanian parliament to establish a parliamentary committee dealing specifically with women's rights and gender equality;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

(Ba) whereas women play an essential role in peace, stabilisation and reconciliation efforts, and that their contributions should be recognised and encouraged, in line with UNSCR 1325 and subsequent resolutions;

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)

(10b) Calls on the Albanian government to implement the Gender Equality Law by appointing Gender Equality Employees, responsible for guiding gender mainstreaming and promoting and monitoring gender equality, in every Ministry and governing body and to promote inter-ministerial collaboration in this field;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)

(10c) Calls on the Albanian Government to step up implementation, particularly at local level, of policy tools fostering women's rights, such as the National Strategy on gender equality, domestic violence and violence against women (2011-2015);

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 d (new)

(10d) Commends the Albanian authorities on the establishment of performance indicators to monitor the implementation of women's rights and gender equality measures, and the publication of the National Report on the Status of Women and Gender Equality in Albania 2012;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on ~~all authorities~~the government in Bosnia and Herzegovina to ~~align legislation~~harmonize the Law on gGender eEquality ~~as well as legal practice at different levels, in order to create a uniform legal situa~~with the Election Law in order to address the ongoing lack of women in the highest echelons of governance and to monitor the problems caused so far by its non-implementation; calls on the European Commission to use all available mechanisms to push for more accountability and stronger action ion the ~~country, and~~part of the BiH authorities in this direction; calls on the BiH government to strengthen the department responsible for gender equality at central level;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on all authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to align legislation on gender equality as well as legal practice at different levels, in order to create a uniform legal situation in the country, and to strengthen the department responsible for gender equality at central level; calls on the BiH Government to put stronger emphasis on the implementation and harmonisation of the Law on Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination with other laws at the state level;

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

(11a) Notes with particular concern the discrimination of pregnant women and women who have just given birth on the labour market, and the differences in social security rights pertaining to maternity between different entities and cantons; calls on the BiH authorities to align social security rights for those who take maternity, paternity or parental leave across the country to a high standard, creating a uniform situation for all citizens;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

(12a) Notes with serious concern that the laws on protecting victims of domestic violence still remain to be harmonized with the entity laws, which would recognize domestic violence as a criminal offence in the criminal codes of both BiH entities, thus failing to properly provide legal security to these victims; calls on the government in Bosnia and Herzegovina to resolve this issue as soon as possible in order to increase protection for victims;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

(12a) Commends the women in the BiH parliament for their cross-party debate on gender-based violence with the relevant ministers; calls on the BiH authorities to follow up on this debate with concrete measures to promote combating gender- based violence;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)

(12b) Calls on the BiH authorities to provide for official statistics on the number of reported cases of violence with data gathered from police reports, social care centres and judicial institutions and to make these statistics publicly available; likewise, calls on the BiH authorities to gather and publicize data on protection measures aimed to ensure protection of victims of domestic violence;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)

(12b) Calls on the BiH government to harmonise the Law on Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the Election Law, concerning the composition of bodies of executive governance at all levels of decision making - municipal, cantonal, entity, and state level;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that the accession countries in the Western Balkans have adopted ~~much~~some of the legislation required in the EU accession process, but that this legislation is ~~in many cases~~ not being effectively implemented;

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)

(12c) Commends BiH on its legislation stipulating at least 40% of each gender in administrative functions in state and local government bodies, but notes that this has not led to 40% women in administration in practice; calls on the Bosnian authorities to draw up an action plan with clear timeframes and a clear division of responsibilities to implement this legislation;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Notes with concern the lack of financial and human resources for the implementation of the action plan on UN Security Council resolution 1325, for institutional mechanisms to ensure gender equality, for proper access to justice and for shelters for victims of domestic violence; calls on the Bosnian authorities at all levels to include sufficient funding for these purposes in their budgets;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

(13a) Deplores the fact that until now, the BiH authorities have investigated and condemned only a limited number of cases of war crimes of sexual violence; notes with serious concern that a large number of perpetrators of such crimes have escaped the justice system with impunity; likewise notes the failure of the BiH authorities to provide adequate witness protection programmes for the victims; calls, therefore, on the BiH authorities to ensure that all victims of war crimes of sexual violence have safe and adequate access to the judicial system and that all cases brought forth dealing with war crimes be dealt with swiftly and efficiently;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)

(13c) Calls on the Bosnian government to improve monitoring of existing legislation in the area of women's rights and gender equality, by including clear objectives in policies and action plans and clearly identifying the state institutions accountable for implementation; furthermore calls on Bosnian authorities at all levels to cooperate in gathering comprehensive statistical data on gender equality for the country as a whole;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. ~~Calls on~~Encourages the Croatian Government to ~~work on aligning~~continue the adjustment of its legislation with the EU's acquis communautaire in the ~~last- remaining areas of gender equality, specifically in the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Suppression of Discrimination Act, before its accession to the European Un~~area of gender equality after accession;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

(14a) Calls on the Croatian authorities to fully implement the legislation stipulating 40% women on election lists for local and regional self-government bodies, Parliament and the European Parliament, considering that during the parliamentary elections in 2011, two thirds of political parties did not meet the prescribed target;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Commends Croatia for the establishment of the office of a Gender Equality Ombudsperson and the awareness of women's rights and gender equality measures created by the visibility of this office; recommends all countries in the region to consider whether they can follow this example as good practice; ~~calls on~~encourages the Croatian Government to ~~ensure adequat~~continue funding ~~for~~ the Ombudspersons Office and to follow up on their recommendations ~~made by them~~;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

(15a) Welcomes the local gender mainstreaming action plans especially in the Istria region, calls on the Croatian government to promote the adoption and implementation of such action plans throughout the country;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. ~~Calls on~~Encourages the Croatian Government to ~~establish~~continue a structural dialogue with civil society organisations, especially ~~with a view to the situation~~ after accession;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

(16a) Welcomes the progress made in Croatia in terms of the proper handling of cases of violence against women and gender discrimination by the police following targeted training of police officers in this field and encourages authorities to continue these actions; points out that cases are however still not always properly handled by the judiciary and calls on authorities to initiate actions to sensitise and train the judiciary too; furthermore calls on the Croatian government to make free legal aid available to victims of gender-based violence and discrimination;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Notes with concern that the population in most countries is not fully aware of the existing legislation and policies to promote gender equality; calls on the Commission and the governments of accession countries to foster awareness though media and public campaigns, education programmes and, above all, the personal commitment of government members and officials;

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)

(16b) Asks the Croatian authorities to clarify in the National Strategy on Protection from Family Violence (2011- 2016) which authority is responsible for what action and to award proper funding to authorities and civil society organisations to implement the strategy

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

(17a) Calls on the Kosovar government to promote a country-wide SOS hotline for victims of domestic violence and gender related violence, to create awareness of the possibilities for reporting and handling of cases;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)

(17b) Commends the Kosovar government for placing the Gender Equality Agency under the Office of Prime Minister, and calls upon the government to ensure more efficient functioning of the Agency in implementing and monitoring the Law on Gender Equality without political interference;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

(19a) Urges the Kosovar government to recognise and work towards the implementation of the Pristina principles as established by the Kosovo women's summit in October 2012;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

(19a) Stresses the need for further advocacy about the use as well as the supply and access to contraceptives, despite the percentage of women using forms of contraception has increased. However, this increase is still far from universal among all women in Kosovo;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

(19b) Calls on the Kosovar government to recognise the victims of sexual violence during the conflict in 1998-1999 and to include this group as a special category in the law through an amendment to the Law on the status and the rights of the martyrs, invalids, veterans, members of Kosova Liberation Army, civilian victims of war and their families;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)

(19c) Calls on the Kosovar government to clearly identify indicators for compliance and non-compliance in administrative instructions for the laws on gender equality and discrimination, to facilitate implementation and monitoring; furthermore calls on the government to establish a national registry and practice to collect data on gender-based discrimination and violence cases;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6

~~(FYRO)~~Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Calls on the ~~Macedonian~~FYROM Government to make gender-based harassment and sexual harassment criminal offences, to ensure that both parents are allowed to take parental leave or family leave in order to take care of sick relatives, and to afford better legal protection on the labour market for women who are pregnant or have just given birth;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Calls on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonian Government to make gender-based harassment and sexual harassment criminal offences, to ensure that both parents are allowed to take parental leave or family leave in order to take care of sick relatives, and to afford better legal protection on the labour market for women who are pregnant or have just given birth;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Notes with concern that the population in most countries is not fully aware of the existing legislation and policies to promote gender equality and women's rights; calls on the Commission and the governments of accession countries to foster awareness though media and public campaigns, education programmes ~~and~~eliminating gender stereotypes and promoting female role models, as well as women's active participation in all paths of life including decision making; calls for the personal commitment of government members and officials;

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. C~~alls on~~ommends the Macedonian Government ~~to make gender-based harassment and sexual harassment criminal offences, to ensure that both parents are allowed to~~on the new law proposal against sexual harassment or mobbing in the workplace, including fines for perpetrators, and calls for harmonisation thereof with the criminal code; welcomes the intention of the Marcedonian Government to change legislation to make sure both parents may take up parental leave or family leave in order to take care of sick relatives, and the recent adoption of changes to the labour law to afford better legal protection on the labour market for women who are pregnant or have just given birth;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

(20a) Notes with concern that Roma women suffer from double discrimination on the grounds of gender and ethnicity; calls therefore on the Macedonian government to adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination framework that would enable Roma women to secure their rights;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

(20a) Commends Macedonian authorities on the addition of dissuasive penalties for non-compliance to the law stipulating a representation of at least 30% of each gender in political decision-making; calls on the Macedonian government to monitor closely whether this results in at least 30% women in decision-making, especially at local level;

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)

(20b) Commends the Macedonian parliament on the active 'women's club' where female members of parliament of different parties cooperate to promote women's rights and gender equality, among others through public debates, conferences and international events, while cooperating with civil society and addressing delicate or marginalised issues such as sexual education in primary schools, domestic violence, HIV, cervical cancer, hate speech and the position of women in rural areas;

Amendment 84 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Notes that the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy mechanism for dealing with complaints of gender discrimination does not function properly, calls on the ~~Macedonian~~FYROM Government to take measures to improve the handling of complaints and educate the civic society on matters concerning gender equality;

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Notes that the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy mechanism for dealing with complaints of gender discrimination does not function properly, calls on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonian Government to take measures to improve the handling of complaints;

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Notes that the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy mechanism ~~for dealing with complaints of gender discrimination~~s of the Legal Representative within the Department for Equal Opportunities, responsible for providing legal advice in cases of unequal treatment between women and men, does not function properly, calls upon on the Macedonian Government to take measures to improve ~~the handling of complaints~~its functioning;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Notes with concern the fragmented implementation of the action plans and strategies for gender equality and the lack of coordination of efforts; calls on the ~~Macedonian~~FYROM Government to increase the financial and human resources available to the Department for Gender Equality;

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Notes with concern the fragmented implementation of the action plans and strategies for gender equality and the lack of coordination of efforts; calls on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonian Government to increase the financial and human resources available to the Department for Gender Equality;

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Notes with concern the fragmented implementation of the action plans and strategies for gender equality and the lack of overall coordination of efforts; calls on the Macedonian Government to increase the financial and human resources available to the Department for Gender Equality; as well as to ensure appointment and effective functioning of Coordinators for Equal Opportunities at national and local level;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Notes with concern that the population in most countries is not fully aware of the existing legislation and policies to promote gender equality and it rarely reaches the vulnerable or marginalized members of society, especially the Roma women; calls on the Commission and the governments of accession countries to foster awareness though media and public campaigns, education programmes and the personal commitment of government members and officials;

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

(22a) Welcomes the progress made in combating gender-based violence, among others the increase in reports through awareness campaigns, training of specialised police officers and agreement on protocols between institutions in the handling of reports; however notes with concern that the number of shelters for victims of domestic and other forms of gender-based violence is not sufficient;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

(22a) Calls on the Macedonian Government to eliminate the existing cultural and financial barriers for women to gain access to contraception;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

(24a) Commends the Montenegrin government on the drafting of the new National Action Plan for Accomplishing Gender Equality in cooperation with civil society, and the inclusion of strategic and operational goals in this plan; calls on the government to afford sufficient human and financial resources to its implementation and to establish a framework for continuing cooperation with civil society in the implementation phase;

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Welcomes the inclusion of gender equality measures in the Montenegrin reform programme for accession; calls on the Montenegrin Government to prioritise actions to implement gender equality provisions in the accession negotiations on Chapter 23, ‘Judiciary and Fundamental Rights’' as well as with other relevant chapters (chapter 19, social policy and employment, chapter 24, justice, freedom and security and chapter 18, statistics);

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

(25a) Commends the Montenegrin government on the progress made in addressing domestic violence by the adoption of a Code of Conduct on procedures for coordinated institutional response; however notes with concern that domestic violence remains a great concern in Montenegro and calls on the Government to award sufficient funds and efforts to the implementation of legislation and the Code of Conduct, to introduce a national SOS helpline and to collect data;

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)

(25b) Notes with concern the low number of complaints of gender-based discrimination and violence; calls on the Montenegrin government to invest in raising awareness of women's rights and legislation against violence and of the possibilities to report and address violations;

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 c (new)

(25c) Welcomes the efforts made by the Montenegrin Parliament to methodically research the implementation of equality legislation;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Calls on the Serbian Government to further implement the National EU Integration Programme by est~~ablish~~rengthening mechanisms ~~within the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights~~ to monitor the application of the law prohibiting discrimination, and to improve the administrative capacities of bodies dealing with gender equality; including the Equality Protection Commissioner and the Deputy Ombudsperson for Gender Equality;

Amendment 98 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

(26a) Commends the Serbian government on the electoral code stipulating that election lists for Parliament must include a member of the underrepresented sex every third candidate, and for the full implementation thereof, which has resulted in 34% of women in Parliament;

Amendment 99 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Calls on the Serbian Government to ~~train~~reinforce the training of law enforcement officers in the police and judiciary in awareness and proper handling of cases of gender-based discrimination and violence, to make free legal aid available to victims and to address the general problem of the backlog of cases before the courts;

source: PE-504.178

2013/02/06 AFET 28 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses the need to make the question of women’s rights central to the negotiations with potential candidate and candidate countries of the Western Balkans, thus ensuring that progress on women’s rights is reflected in all the relevant negotiating chapters and that women are fairly represented at the negotiating table;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Call on the countries of Western Balkans to develop active labour market measure schemes designed to curb unemployment among women; urges them to develop loan schemes and make funding available for starting businesses;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Strongly supports activities aiming at empowerment of women and strengthening their position in the societies, however, does not consider the mandatory quotas for women as the best solution to this end;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Calls on the governments of Western Balkan countries to encourage the active participation of women in the labour market by promoting, inter alia, measures to ensure better working conditions, equal pay for equal work, lifelong learning, flexible work schedules and a fair balance between family life and work;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Stresses the importance of combating all forms of discrimination in the workplace, including gender discrimination in recruitment, promotion and benefits; calls for the governments to collect relevant and accurate statistical data;

Amendment 14 #

Zbigniew ZIOBRO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

~~6. Stresses the need for women in the Western Balkans to take a prominent role in society through their active participation and representation in political, economic and social life at all levels;~~deleted

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses the need for women in the Western Balkans to take a prominent role in society through their active participation and representation in political, economic and social life at all levels; points out that advancing towards women’s equal decision-making at all levels of government (from local to national, from executive to legislative powers) is of high importance; welcomes quotas and calls on the countries which have not done so already, to promote female representation and, where necessary, to apply quotas effectively in political parties and national assemblies, and encourages the countries which have already done so to continue this process in order to ensure that women can participate in political life and overcome their under-representation, welcomes in this respect the recent international Conference ‘Partnership for Change’ held in October 2012 in Pristina under the auspice of the only female head of state, Atifete Jahjaga, in the region;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses the need for women in the Western Balkans to take a prominent role in society through their active participation and representation in political, economic and social life at all levels; points out that supporting policies of equal opportunities is important for the economic and social development of the Balkan accession countries;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Encourages women to start their own businesses, using funding where made available; stresses the importance of providing special training courses, funding and technical assistance for unemployed white-collar women and women entrepreneurs, in order to ensure equal opportunities in terms of access to the labour market;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Notes with concern that employment rate of women in countries of Western Balkans remains very low;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Calls on governments of Western Balkan countries to encourage and ensure more participation of women in political and economic decision-making processes;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the European Commission to monitor and report on women’s rights ~~thoroughly and as a priorit~~and its implementation thoroughly in progress reports;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Stresses that financing from European Funds, including the Instrument for Pre- Accession Assistance (IPA), should increasingly target projects related to the promotion of women’s rights, including monitoring mechanisms; calls on the Commission to exercise due diligence with respect to the effectiveness of the spending;

Amendment 21 #

Michał Tomasz KAMIŃSKI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Condemns the human trafficking targeted at girls and women in the Balkans, which is a form of modern-day slavery and, regrettably, is one of fastest growing transnational crimes;

Amendment 22 #

Zbigniew ZIOBRO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Emphasises the need to actively combat the organised crime behind the pimping and trafficking of women; notes that this is a major problem in Albania and Kosovo;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Regrets the lack of data on gender based violence and underlines the need for consistent and systematic collection of gender-specific statistics in order to monitor progress in the sphere of the implementation of legislation;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Underlines the importance of access to justice to women victims’ of wartime crimes and rape in particular, emphasis the responsibility of all States to put an end to impunity and to prosecute those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, including those relating to sexual violence against women girls, such as rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, enforced pregnancy, enforced sterilisation and any other form of sexual violence of comparable seriousness and to recognize and condemn these crimes as a crime against humanity and a war crime and in this regard, stresses the need to exclude these crimes from amnesty provisions;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)

8b. Encourages the continuous support of the EU in the area of combating human trafficking as Western Balkan countries are countries of origin, transit and destination for trafficking in human beings, especially women and girls and calls for close cooperation on the matter between relevant EU institutions and governments; calls for more awareness raising campaigns in the region;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Considers that women play an essential role in stabilisation and conflict resolution which is crucial to reconciliation in the region as a whole., welcomes efforts done by networks like the Regional Women’s Lobby in order to support women in peace building and access to justice of women in post conflict countries;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Notes with concern that Roma women suffer from double discrimination on the grounds of gender and ethnicity; calls on governments to adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination frameworks that would enable Roma women to secure their rights;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Stresses the importance of improving situation of women in rural areas especially vis-à-vis discriminatory customs and stereotypes;

Amendment 3 #

Kristian VIGENIN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Reaffirms the need to mainstream women’s rights and gender equality throughout the enlargement process, including in the future setup of the new Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA-II) for the 2014-2020 MFF;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Reaffirms the need to mainstream women’s rights and gender equality throughout the enlargement process; notes with concern that women remain under- represented in the labour market as well as in economic and political decision- making; stresses that the introduction and the implementation of gender quota in political decision-making should be supplemented with effective legal sanctions;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Reaffirms the need to mainstream women’s rights and gender equality throughout the enlargement process; underlines that governmental commitment, structures and methods for implementing gender mainstreaming are crucial for successful progress towards gender equality;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Considers that genuine gender equality also rests on equality and non discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity; encourages the governments of accession countries to address lingering homophobia and transphobia in law, in policy and in practice, including legislating on hate crimes, police training and anti- discrimination legislation;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Is concerned about the increasing marginalization of women from decision- making on peace and security, stresses in this context the importance of women’s participation and representation in the peace process and politics as well as strengthening laws and mechanism ensuring the security of women and girls in terms of gender-base violence protection and prevention;

Amendment 8 #

Zbigniew ZIOBRO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers the empowerment of women, through promoting, protecting and strengthening their rights, improving their social and economic situation, increasing their presence on the labour market, ensuring equal access to education, ensuring fair representation of women in political and economic decision-making processes and encouraging women’s entrepreneurship, as key to strengthening and consolidating democracy in the Balkan countries;

Amendment 9 #