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Europe plans to close gender gap
BBC News, Friday, 3 March 2006The European Commission is setting out an action plan to address equality of the sexes across the European Union.
Women in the EU earn 15% less than men and a new Commission report says progress in closing the gap is slow.
A new six-point "roadmap" for equality will target areas such as the work-life balance, pay and gender-based violence.
The EU has already proposed a European Institute for Gender Equality, which will help raise awareness.
EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Vladimir Spidla said more needed to be done to address gender inequality.
"It's not acceptable that half of the EU's population still gets a worse deal than the other half," he said.
"We need commitments at the highest levels to close the gender gap."
The report says tensions in the work-life balance, as well as stereotypes and gender-biased pay systems, continue to hold women back in the job market and force many to leave.
Turkey visit
Women account for just 32% of managers, 10% of board members and 3% of chief executives of large enterprises in the EU.
The Commission suggests that the lack of a good work-life balance has also contributed to lower fertility rates - which in turn impacts on the EU's economy.
The report calls on the EU's 25 member states to help both men and women balance their work and private life, such as offering more and better childcare, innovative working arrangements or better equality policies.
The Report On Equality Between Women and Men 2006, has been published ahead of International Women's Day on 8 March.
Before then, Commissioner Spidla is planning to help promote women's rights on a trip to Turkey where he will take part in a seminar with representatives of key women's organisations.
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