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Resolution 2235 (2018)
Empowering women in the economy
1. In spite of the significant progress
achieved in the last few decades, inequality between women and men is
still rife in Council of Europe member States and beyond, and is
particularly evident in the economy.
2. Gender inequality in the economy manifests itself in various
forms, including difficult access for women to the labour market
and to career progression, especially at top level (glass ceiling).
Unjustified differences in pay levels (gender pay gap) are a blatant
form of discrimination based on gender in the labour market.
3. Women are under-represented in management jobs, and over-represented
in non-standard, part-time and precarious work, which generally
holds fewer opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
Gender differences also exist among autonomous workers and entrepreneurs,
with over 50% more self-employed men than women, and the gap widening
as the size of the business grows.
4. Gender segmentation of the economy also contributes to disparities,
as sectors with a predominant female work force, such as education,
social work and care, tend to feature lower remuneration levels.
Women are under-represented in particular in the area of STEM subjects
(science, technology, engineering and mathematics), which offer
better employment and professional development opportunities.
5. The Parliamentary Assembly has consistently advocated gender
equality in the economy through different measures, including positive
action such as reserved quotas on corporate boards, and work–life balance
reconciliation measures, and with texts such as Resolution 1719 (2010) and Recommendation 1911 (2010) on
women and the economic and financial crisis, Resolution 1825 (2011) and Recommendation 1977 (2011) More
women in economic and social decision-making bodies, Resolution 1921 (2013) on
gender equality, reconciliation of work and private life and co-responsibility,
and Resolution 1939 (2013) on
parental leave as a way to foster gender equality.
6. The situation has improved in some Council of Europe member
States thanks to a variety of measures ranging from positive discrimination
to reconciliation measures including flexible work arrangements
and parental leave schemes. Awareness raising, training and life-long
education have also contributed to this positive development. However,
improvement is slow and is not achieved to the same extent in all
countries.
7. The experience of more gender-equal societies shows that equality
between women and men in the economy is a precondition for advances
in other spheres, including public and political life. Accordingly,
the Assembly recognises that maternity and motherhood must be supported
and protected within the workplace and must not be treated as though
they were impediments for a woman's career. Equal treatment of men
and women within the economy is essential to society.
8. The Assembly is concerned that inequalities in the workplace
have a severe impact on the economic well-being of women, not only
in the short term but also in the longer term, as the combination
of lower pay, precarious employment and limited career advancement
translate over time into considerably lower pensions and wealth.
It notes that the various manifestations of discrimination based
on gender in the economy are interconnected and linked with gender
inequalities within the household. This correlation should always
be borne in mind both when analysing various forms of inequality
and when designing possible countermeasures.
9. The Assembly believes that education plays a crucial role
in combating the cultural factors that hinder women’s participation
in the economy, particularly gender stereotypes, which limit women’s
freedom to choose to pursue their education and careers. For this
reason a disproportionate burden of unpaid household and care work
is taken on by women. Training and life-long education, in addition,
would contribute to countering gender segregation in the labour
market. The study of STEM subjects, in particular, should be strongly
encouraged among women and girls, in view of the growing importance
of these subjects and the current gender imbalance in this area.
10. In the light of these considerations, the Assembly calls on
Council of Europe member and observer States and States whose parliaments
enjoy observer or partner for democracy status with the Parliamentary Assembly,
to:
10.1. as regards women employees:
10.1.1. encourage public and private companies to adopt policies
aimed at enhancing gender balance and equal opportunities in the
work place, through human resources management policies in areas
including recruitment, training and career progression;
10.1.2. require public and private companies to introduce transparency
policies on salaries, making remuneration scales public by sector
and type of job, with a view to guaranteeing equal treatment for
equal work;
10.1.3. consider introducing a certification system acknowledging
that a company’s remuneration schemes are not discriminatory, in
particular on grounds of gender;
10.1.4. recognise that maternity and parenthood are essential
and positive contributions to society that should not be treated
negatively or in any way as an impediment to career progression
by introducing legislation and policies on work–life balance measures,
including flexible work arrangements (part-time work, teleworking,
flexible hours) and attractive parental leave schemes;
10.1.5. provide affordable childcare services for children of
all age groups and encourage companies to do likewise;
10.1.6. introduce incentives to childcare, such as tax deductions
or vouchers for expenditure related to childcare;
10.1.7. promote, particularly through financial and fiscal incentives,
companies’ policies to encourage women to return to work after maternity
leave, including professional training and guidance;
10.2. as regards women in management positions, introduce quotas
reserved for the under-represented sex on company boards of directors
of 30% or more with financial and non-financial sanctions for non-compliance,
such as the dismissal of the entire board in severe cases;
10.3. as regards women’s entrepreneurship:
10.3.1. promote
women’s access to funding for the creation of businesses and land
ownership, in particular through special credit lines at reduced
interest rates;
10.3.2. provide women with free or affordable training opportunities
and guidance for the creation of businesses, specifically designed
for women;
10.3.3. encourage mentoring and coaching programmes for women
entrepreneurs and enhance gender equality in the work of business
incubators;
10.4. as regards women who are mothers, consider recognising
unremunerated household and caregiving work in the pension system,
so as to guarantee adequate financial coverage to women and men
who take on caring responsibilities;
10.5. as regards education:
10.5.1. introduce citizenship
education in school curricula with a focus on gender equality, based
on a holistic approach encompassing equality between women and men
in private and public life, including in education and participation
in the work force;
10.5.2. provide training on gender issues and equality to teaching
and non-teaching school staff, with a view to combating gender stereotypes
in education, including as regards educational and career guidance;
10.5.3. encourage girls to choose STEM disciplines through educational
guidance activities throughout their schooling and at university;
10.5.4. encourage education institutions at school and university
levels to explore new approaches to recruiting students in STEM
disciplines, with a view to improving gender balance in the student
population;
10.5.5. promote the equal access of women and men to information
and communication technology and to lifelong education in this area;
10.5.6. introduce into schools’ economy and finance programmes
the knowledge of legislative and financial instruments that make
it possible for women to be better integrated into economic life
and which would ensure gender equality;
10.6. as regards information and awareness raising, promote
information and awareness-raising campaigns to counter gender stereotypes,
particularly regarding the world of work, including through relevant
role models and testimonials;
10.7. as regards data collection, promote data collection and
analysis on the impact of innovative gender-equality-oriented management
practices.