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Committee Opinion | Doc. 12248 | 06 May 2010
Gender budgeting as a tool for safeguarding women’s health
(Former) Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee
A. Conclusions of the committee
(open)1. The Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee welcomes
the initiative taken by Ms Ingrida Circene to highlight the issue
of gender-budgeting as an essential component of gender-mainstreaming
processes in the public health sector.
2. The committee wishes, however, to present three amendments
to the draft recommendation to better take into consideration some
of the practical tools generated by Council of Europe activities
in recent years on the issue of gender budgeting and to provide
more precision regarding future action to be taken.
B. Explanatory memorandum by Ms Ohlsson, rapporteur
(open)1. I would like to welcome Ms Circene’s initiative to
emphasise the importance of gender-budgeting as an essential step
when it comes to the implementation of gender-mainstreaming strategies
at national level. As already confirmed by the Committee of Ministers
in its response to Recommendation
1739 (2006) of the Parliamentary Assembly on gender budgeting (Doc. 11024), I am also convinced that it is only by incorporating a
gender perspective into the budgetary process that gender mainstreaming
strategies will be duly applied.
2. I also support Ms Circene on her idea that gender mainstreaming,
and subsequently gender-budgeting, should be essential elements
of a modern, gender-balanced and human-rights based health policy
and that the implementation of both concepts at national level should
be effectively promoted. I am, however, convinced that any further
recommendation to be made at this stage should clearly refer to
the valuable tools already prepared in the framework of Council
of Europe activities in this field in recent years. The recommendation should
also contain suggestions concerning the methodological approach
to be followed.
3. Any recommendation addressed to the Committee of Ministers
at this stage should therefore refer to the 2004 report on gender
budgeting and the 2009 handbook on “Gender budgeting: practical
implementation”, both prepared by the Steering Committee for Equality
between Women and Men (CDEG).
4. The Assembly should further recommend that information be
collected as regards “best practice” of member states with a view
to producing clear guidelines on the efficient use and implementation
of the concepts of gender-mainstreaming and gender-budgeting. The
approach taken should be interdisciplinary at both European and
national levels.
5. Finally, from a social point of view, the concept of gender-budgeting
should be set into a broader context. Any effort made in view of
its promotion should take into account the current obstacles and
stereotypes hindering a truly gender-balanced health policy in all
Council of Europe member states.
C. Amendments proposed to the draft recommendation
(open)Amendment A (to the draft recommendation)
In the last sentence of paragraph 3, replace the words “safeguarding women’s health” by the words “safeguarding women’s and men’s health”.
Amendment B (to the draft recommendation)
Replace paragraph 7.3 with the following:
“allocate adequate resources to and instruct the competent committees to ensure a follow-up to Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)1 with a view to preparing specific guidelines for the public health sector based on the Handbook on the Practical Implementation of Gender Budgeting and on positive action identified amongst member states, and to promoting the application of such guidelines at national level;”.
Amendment C (to the draft recommendation)
After paragraph 7.3, add the following new paragraph:
“instruct the competent committees to ensure an interdisciplinary follow-up of the issue of ‘gender-budgeting in the public health sector’ by involving both the aspects of equal opportunities for women and men and of innovative public health policies in Council of Europe member states, and also accordingly relevant expertise from both fields;”.
Amendment D (to the draft recommendation)
After paragraph 7.3, add the following new paragraph:
“encourage member states to commit to promoting the concept of gender-mainstreaming, including gender-budgeting, in the health sector, employing focused support measures where appropriate such as specific training programmes.”