Gender and the European Employment Strategy - 2008 (original) (raw)

The ever-declining role of gender equality in the European Employment Strategy

Industrial Relations Journal, 2010

This article analyses the changing position of gender in the European Employment Strategy (EES) since its 2005 relaunch. Overall, we find a picture of mixed progress towards gender equality goals across Member States. There is evidence of the EU soft law approach leading to positive developments as the use of targets in conjunction with Country-Specific Recommendations and Points-to-Watch have had some influence in promoting gender equality policies among Member States. However, the weakened position of gender mainstreaming in European-level initiatives has led to gender being marginalised or ignored in national and EU policy responses to the crisis. The prominence of gender has declined further in the 2010 revision of the EES under the 2020 banner. This introduces new risks as the emphasis on gender equality falls further down the list of priorities in the streamlining of the Lisbon Process.

Gender Mainstreaming and the European Employment Strategy

synthesis report by the …, 2004

The poor employment performance among men in many of the new member states means that consideration of the gender gap in employment may paint a more favourable impression of the employment situation for women in these member states than if the absolute rates of employment were considered. Indeed the overall gender gap for the new member states is 11.4% compared to a EU15 gap of 16.5% (table 1.4). The highest gender gaps in the new member states are found in countries with high female employment rates, namely Cyprus and the Czech Republic (except for Malta and its astronomical gap of over 40% caused by the very low integration of women into its economy). With the exception of Malta, all other gender gaps range from around 5% to a high of less than 19%, compared to a range from 4% in Sweden and Finland to highs of 27 to 28% in Greece, Spain, Italy and Luxembourg. Between 2000 and 2003 the gender gaps in employment have closed slightly in both the EU15

Gender, jobs and working conditions in the European Union

2002

The rising proportion of women in employment in recent decades has been one of the major changes affecting European labour markets. This report examines the gender pattern of differences and similarities. It also explains the reasons for the persistent gender segregation of the European labour markets and draws up policy recommendations for action aimed at providing decision makers with the relevant information they need.

Gender Mainstreaming and the European Employment Strategy and Social Inclusion Process

2000

The poor employment performance among men in many of the new member states means that consideration of the gender gap in employment may paint a more favourable impression of the employment situation for women in these member states than if the absolute rates of employment were considered. Indeed the overall gender gap for the new member states is 11.4% compared to a EU15 gap of 16.5% (table 1.4). The highest gender gaps in the new member states are found in countries with high female employment rates, namely Cyprus and the Czech Republic (except for Malta and its astronomical gap of over 40% caused by the very low integration of women into its economy). With the exception of Malta, all other gender gaps range from around 5% to a high of less than 19%, compared to a range from 4% in Sweden and Finland to highs of 27 to 28% in Greece, Spain, Italy and Luxembourg. Between 2000 and 2003 the gender gaps in employment have closed slightly in both the EU15

Gender, Jobs and Working Conditions in Europe

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications for the European Communities. 92pp., 2002

The growing proportion of women in employment in recent decades has been one of the major changes affecting the European labour market. However, despite the increasing presence of women in the labour force, gender segregation remains a persistent feature. There is still a 'glass ceiling' reinforced by workplace cultures and informal procedures that makes it difficult for women to break through into the higher levels of management. The unequal division of unpaid household work also persists, as women continue to bear the main responsibility for running the home and looking after children, even when employed full-time. This report examines the gender pattern of differences and similarities in working conditions in Europe, drawing on the findings of the Foundation's Third European Survey on Working Conditions 2000. It explains the reasons for the persistence of gender segregation and sets out policy recommendations for action aimed at decision makers in this field. The report also considers whether the established indicators of working conditions need to be revised to make them more 'gender-sensitive' to particular issues primarily associated with women's jobs, women's experiences in the workplace, or workload issues within households.

The ups and downs of European gender equality policy

Industrial Relations Journal, 2004

In 2003, equal opportunities policy in the European Union suffered both ups and downs. New opportunities came in the guise of the hotly contested new directive on gender equality outside the field of employment, in the invitation to present the first of an annual report on equality between women and men to the Spring Council, in the consolidation of gender mainstreaming within the second round of the National Action Plans on social inclusion and in the new commitments to 'substantial reductions by 2010' in gender gaps in employment, unemployment and pay that were included in the new employment guidelines in 2003. These new guidelines presented, however, a major challenge to gender equality as the new phase of the European Employment Strategy dispensed with the four pillars, and therefore the equal opportunities pillar. Instead gender equality became just one of 10 new guidelines. In December the launch of the Employment Taskforce report appeared to push employment policy back more to a 'full employment with flexibility' approach and away from concerns with job quality. The focus was therefore more on the integration of women into employment rather than on closing the equality gap. 1 The 10 new guidelines cover active labour market policy, job creation and entrepreneurship, adaptability and mobility in the labour market, human capital and lifelong learning, labour supply and active ageing, gender equality, discrimination against people at a disadvantage, make work pay, transformation of undeclared work and regional employment disparities.

Gender mainstreaming in European employment policies

Critical Policy Studies, 2011

A good educational course for women is not connected to their work and career choices after High school and/or University; therefore the perspective that gender equality issues-especially in education-have been resolved, cannot be supported as the gendered profession and career choices are continuing. This is the case for EU and for Greece. The aim of the following article is to retrospect European and Greek policies about gender equality and particularly the incorporation of gender mainstreaming through an overview of policy texts.