BETA


2021/2039(INI) Gender Mainstreaming in the European Parliament - annual report 2020
Next event: Debate in plenary scheduled 2022/03/08

Progress: Awaiting Parliament's vote

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead FEMM TOLLERET Irène (icon: Renew Renew), DELBOS-CORFIELD Gwendoline (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE) FITZGERALD Frances (icon: EPP EPP), GÁLVEZ MUÑOZ Lina (icon: S&D S&D), RODRÍGUEZ PALOP Eugenia (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54

Events

2022/03/08
   Debate in plenary scheduled
2022/02/08
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details

The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality adopted an own-initiative report by Irène TOLLERET (Renew Europe, FR) and Gwendoline DELBOS-CORFIELD (Greens/EFA, FR) on gender mainstreaming in the European Parliament – annual report 2020.

Parliament should be a leader for other parliamentary bodies in its promotion of gender equality, learn from the best practices of other parliamentary bodies in gender mainstreaming its structures and processes and take into account good examples of gender-mainstreaming implementation in the public and private sectors and civil society. However, gender mainstreaming is still not yet fully integrated into Parliament’s practices and rules. In the hearings organised by most of Parliament committees between the beginning of the current term and November 2020, women accounted for under 50 % of those present. For the Committees on Agriculture and Rural Development, Fisheries, Petitions and Employment and Social Affairs, among others, the proportion was below 25 %.

General remarks

Members regretted the fragmented implementation of gender mainstreaming across policy areas and institutions at the EU level. They stressed that gender equality is a joint responsibility that requires action by all EU institutions, Member States and agencies, in partnership with civil society, women’s organisations, social partners and the private sector.

Noting the lack of quantitative and qualitative data on gender mainstreaming within the EU institutions, the report called for comprehensive gender statistics and for the creation of qualitative indicators on gender equality to collect additional gender-disaggregated data in order to continue improving gender equality.

Members welcomed the EIGE’s ‘Gender-sensitive parliaments’ toolkit that focuses on five key areas to be addressed: equal opportunities to enter the parliament, equal opportunities to influence the parliament’s working procedures, adequate space on the parliamentary agenda for women’s interests and concerns, the production of gender-sensitive legislation and compliance with the symbolic function of the parliament. They also welcomed the adoption of gender action plans by all Parliament committees but noted the lack of monitoring and implementation of these plans.

Opportunities to enter Parliament

Members noted that the percentage of women Members has slightly decreased since the end of last term from about 39.6 % to 39.1 %. They welcomed Parliament’s leadership in this area, nevertheless, including its progress on female political representation, which is higher than the 30.4 % average across the national parliaments of the Member States and is significantly higher than the worldwide average of 25.2 % for national parliaments.

The report encouraged national political parties to introduce quotas when deciding on electoral candidates, even if the law does not provide for it. The lack of gender-responsive recruitment procedures in Parliament is regrettable according to Members.

Opportunities to influence Parliament’s working procedures

The report welcomed the fully gender-balanced Bureau of Parliament with 8 female Vice-Presidents out of 14 and 2 female Quaestors out of 5. However, it called for gender balance in the leadership of committees, delegations and political groups to be improved.

Members also welcomed the amendment to Rule 213(1) of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure requiring the bureau of each committee to be gender balanced . They regretted, however, that this amendment will enter into force only at the opening of the first part-session following Parliament’s next elections, due to be held in 2024.

Regarding workplace harassment , the report noted that despite all efforts taken so far to ensure a zero-harassment policy, there are still cases of sexual harassment in Parliament and efforts should be made to prevent sexual harassment.

The work-life balance measures should be revised. The report also called for increased non-transferrable maternity and paternity leave for Parliament’s staff after welcoming a child, for a total of six months for each parent to be taken during the first year. Parental leave should be fully remunerated as opposed to a fixed allowance.

Parliament’s services should examine the impact that menopause has on the working life of Parliament employees and Members called for menopause to be considered in sickness and attendance management policies.

Delivering legislation with a gender perspective

The report stressed the importance of gender impact assessments for the design of legislative proposals and gender-responsive evaluations of legislative initiatives. It regretted that gender impacts are rarely addressed as part of the Commission’s impact assessments and asked the Commission to carry out and publish a gender impact assessment for each legislative proposal.

Members also regretted the Council’s lack of commitment to delivering legislation with a gender perspective and reiterated requests to unblock the EU ratification of the Istanbul Convention, the horizontal anti-discrimination directive, which will ensure that the intersectional dimension is taken into account when combating gender discrimination, and the women on boards directive.

Documents
2022/01/25
   EP - Vote in committee
2021/11/04
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2021/09/22
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2021/04/29
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2021/04/22
   EP - TOLLERET Irène (Renew) appointed as rapporteur in FEMM
2021/04/22
   EP - DELBOS-CORFIELD Gwendoline (Verts/ALE) appointed as rapporteur in FEMM

Documents

AmendmentsDossier
287 2021/2039(INI)
2021/11/04 FEMM 287 amendments...
source: 699.285

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

forecasts/1
date
2022-03-09T00:00:00
title
Vote in plenary scheduled
docs/2
date
2022-02-08T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2022-0021_EN.html title: A9-0021/2022
type
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
body
EP
events/2/summary
  • The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality adopted an own-initiative report by Irène TOLLERET (Renew Europe, FR) and Gwendoline DELBOS-CORFIELD (Greens/EFA, FR) on gender mainstreaming in the European Parliament – annual report 2020.
  • Parliament should be a leader for other parliamentary bodies in its promotion of gender equality, learn from the best practices of other parliamentary bodies in gender mainstreaming its structures and processes and take into account good examples of gender-mainstreaming implementation in the public and private sectors and civil society. However, gender mainstreaming is still not yet fully integrated into Parliament’s practices and rules. In the hearings organised by most of Parliament committees between the beginning of the current term and November 2020, women accounted for under 50 % of those present. For the Committees on Agriculture and Rural Development, Fisheries, Petitions and Employment and Social Affairs, among others, the proportion was below 25 %.
  • General remarks
  • Members regretted the fragmented implementation of gender mainstreaming across policy areas and institutions at the EU level. They stressed that gender equality is a joint responsibility that requires action by all EU institutions, Member States and agencies, in partnership with civil society, women’s organisations, social partners and the private sector.
  • Noting the lack of quantitative and qualitative data on gender mainstreaming within the EU institutions, the report called for comprehensive gender statistics and for the creation of qualitative indicators on gender equality to collect additional gender-disaggregated data in order to continue improving gender equality.
  • Members welcomed the EIGE’s ‘Gender-sensitive parliaments’ toolkit that focuses on five key areas to be addressed: equal opportunities to enter the parliament, equal opportunities to influence the parliament’s working procedures, adequate space on the parliamentary agenda for women’s interests and concerns, the production of gender-sensitive legislation and compliance with the symbolic function of the parliament. They also welcomed the adoption of gender action plans by all Parliament committees but noted the lack of monitoring and implementation of these plans.
  • Opportunities to enter Parliament
  • Members noted that the percentage of women Members has slightly decreased since the end of last term from about 39.6 % to 39.1 %. They welcomed Parliament’s leadership in this area, nevertheless, including its progress on female political representation, which is higher than the 30.4 % average across the national parliaments of the Member States and is significantly higher than the worldwide average of 25.2 % for national parliaments.
  • The report encouraged national political parties to introduce quotas when deciding on electoral candidates, even if the law does not provide for it. The lack of gender-responsive recruitment procedures in Parliament is regrettable according to Members.
  • Opportunities to influence Parliament’s working procedures
  • The report welcomed the fully gender-balanced Bureau of Parliament with 8 female Vice-Presidents out of 14 and 2 female Quaestors out of 5. However, it called for gender balance in the leadership of committees, delegations and political groups to be improved.
  • Members also welcomed the amendment to Rule 213(1) of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure requiring the bureau of each committee to be gender balanced . They regretted, however, that this amendment will enter into force only at the opening of the first part-session following Parliament’s next elections, due to be held in 2024.
  • Regarding workplace harassment , the report noted that despite all efforts taken so far to ensure a zero-harassment policy, there are still cases of sexual harassment in Parliament and efforts should be made to prevent sexual harassment.
  • The work-life balance measures should be revised. The report also called for increased non-transferrable maternity and paternity leave for Parliament’s staff after welcoming a child, for a total of six months for each parent to be taken during the first year. Parental leave should be fully remunerated as opposed to a fixed allowance.
  • Parliament’s services should examine the impact that menopause has on the working life of Parliament employees and Members called for menopause to be considered in sickness and attendance management policies.
  • Delivering legislation with a gender perspective
  • The report stressed the importance of gender impact assessments for the design of legislative proposals and gender-responsive evaluations of legislative initiatives. It regretted that gender impacts are rarely addressed as part of the Commission’s impact assessments and asked the Commission to carry out and publish a gender impact assessment for each legislative proposal.
  • Members also regretted the Council’s lack of commitment to delivering legislation with a gender perspective and reiterated requests to unblock the EU ratification of the Istanbul Convention, the horizontal anti-discrimination directive, which will ensure that the intersectional dimension is taken into account when combating gender discrimination, and the women on boards directive.
docs/2
date
2022-02-08T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2022-0021_EN.html title: A9-0021/2022
type
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
body
EP
events/2/docs
  • url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2022-0021_EN.html title: A9-0021/2022
forecasts/0
date
2022-03-08T00:00:00
title
Debate in plenary scheduled
forecasts/0
date
2022-03-07T00:00:00
title
Indicative plenary sitting date
events/2
date
2022-02-08T00:00:00
type
Committee report tabled for plenary
body
EP
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting committee decision
New
Awaiting Parliament's vote
events/1
date
2022-01-25T00:00:00
type
Vote in committee
body
EP
docs/1/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/FEMM-AM-699285_EN.html
forecasts
  • date: 2022-03-07T00:00:00 title: Indicative plenary sitting date
docs/1
date
2021-11-04T00:00:00
docs
title: PE699.285
type
Amendments tabled in committee
body
EP
committees/0/shadows/2
name
RODRÍGUEZ PALOP Eugenia
group
The Left group in the European Parliament - GUE/NGL
abbr
GUE/NGL
docs/0/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/FEMM-PR-697615_EN.html
committees/0/shadows/0
name
FITZGERALD Frances
group
Group of European People's Party
abbr
EPP
docs
  • date: 2021-09-22T00:00:00 docs: title: PE697.615 type: Committee draft report body: EP
committees/0/shadows
  • name: GÁLVEZ MUÑOZ Lina group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
committees/0/rapporteur
  • name: TOLLERET Irène date: 2021-04-22T00:00:00 group: Renew Europe group abbr: Renew
  • name: DELBOS-CORFIELD Gwendoline date: 2021-04-22T00:00:00 group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
procedure/dossier_of_the_committee/0
FEMM/9/05369
procedure/dossier_of_the_committee/0
FEMM/9/05863