PROGRAMME What does gender equality mean for economic growth and employment?
15–16 October 2009, Frösundavik, Stockholm, Sweden
Conference moderator: Niall Crowley, independent equality expert (Ireland)
Thursday 15 October 2009
11.30–13.00 Buffet will be served for all delegates
Opening and welcome (plenary) Introduction by Ms Nyamko Sabuni, Swedish Minister for Integration and Gender 13.15–13.35 Equality, Ms Cecilia Malmström, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs and Ms Belinda Pyke, Director, Directorate-General Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, European Commission
Plenary session 1: Introduction This session will focus on how gender equality should be considered as a significant variable for achieving sustainable economic and employment growth in the EU. Three background documents will be presented: • ‘The Economic case for gender equality’, presentation by Mark Smith, Grenoble Ecole de Management, France 13.35–15.00 • ‘Gender equality, economic growth and employment’, presentation by Åsa Löfström, Umeå University, Sweden • ‘Links between gender equality, economic growth and employment rates’, Opinion by the European Economic and Social Committee, presentation by Béatrice Ouin, EESC Comments by Xavier Prats Monné, Director, Directorate-General Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
15.00–15.30 Coffee break
Plenary session 2: ‘Does work pay for women?’ This presentation will summarise gender differences in terms of work attachment and labour incomes across countries. It will discuss some of the main driving factors of those patterns, with a particular focus on tax and transfer policies.
15.30–16.45 Speaker: Herwig Immervoll, Head of Employment-Oriented Social Policies, OECD Comments by speakers on policy initiatives in their countries: - Changed policy on parental leave insurance, Ms Eva M. Welskop-Deffaa, Director General for Gender Equality, in the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Germany - Abolishment of the general tax credit, Charles de Vries, Senior Policy
Swedish Presidency of the European Union La Présidence suédoise de l’Union européenne Sveriges ordförandeskap i Europeiska unionen
Advisor, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Directorate Emancipation, Netherlands
Comments by Catelene Passchier, Confederal Secretary, ETUC
16.45–17.15 Coffee break
Plenary session 3: ‘It must be possible to participate in the labour market under reasonable conditions’ This session will highlight the importance of social infrastructures such as child care, elderly care and parental leave for women’s and men’s labour market participation. Speaker: Marta Szebehely, Stockholm University, Sweden
17.15–18.30 Comments by speakers on policy initiatives in their countries: - On elderly care, Mr Manuel Montero Rey, Head of International Unit, General Secretary IMSERSO, Ministry of Health and Social Policy, Spain - On child care, Ms Sara Slana, Advisor, Office of Equal Opportunities, Slovenia Comments by Therese Murphy, EWL Vice President
19.30 Transfer to evening event. Buses depart from the hotel.
20.00–22.00 Dinner at the Vasa Museum for all conference participants and Ministers
Swedish Presidency of the European Union La Présidence suédoise de l’Union européenne Sveriges ordförandeskap i Europeiska unionen
Friday 16 October 2009
Plenary session 4: ‘Social norms and the (re)production of gender inequalities and gender segregation’ This session will focus on how social norms present obstacles to gender equality and serve as a barrier to economic development. Speaker: Janneke Plantenga, Utrecht School of Economics, University of Utrecht, Netherlands Comments by speakers on policy initiatives in their countries: 09.00–10.15 - Measures to attract women to technical fields, Martina Maurer, Adviser, Public Employment Service, Austria - Measures to attract men to primary school teaching, Erik Hauglund, Senior adviser, Ministry of Children and Equality, Norway Comments by Marco Perolini, Policy Officer Human Rights, European Youth Forum
Meeting of Ministers from the current and upcoming trio presidencies (parallel to the conference)
10.15–10.45 Coffee break
Plenary session 5: ‘The economic recession and its impact on gender equality, and on women’s employment and self-employment’ This session will focus on the impact of the economic recession on the labour market situation of women and men in the short and long term. Speaker: Francesca Bettio, University of Siena, Italy Comments by speakers on policy initiatives in their countries: - Policy response on the economic recession, Helene Reardon-Bond, Head of 10.45–12.00 Gender Equality Policy and Inclusion, Government Equality Offices, United Kingdom - Gender impact analysis of the effect of the crisis on gender, Tryggvi Hallgrímsson, Centre for Gender Equality, Iceland Comments by Gunilla Almgren, UEAPME, Anna Ulveson, CEEP, and Anu Sajavaara, BUSINESSEUROPE Meeting of Ministers from the current and upcoming trio presidencies (parallel to the conference)
Swedish Presidency of the European Union La Présidence suédoise de l’Union européenne Sveriges ordförandeskap i Europeiska unionen
Panel discussion The economic recession: ‘Avoiding the risks to, and seizing the opportunities for, gender equality’ Chair: Ms Belinda Pyke Director, Directorate-General Employment, Social Affairs and 12.15–13.15 Equal Opportunities, European Commission Participants: Mr Anders Borg, Swedish Minister of Finance, Ms Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, United Kingdom, and Mr Vladimir Spidla, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
Closing speech and conclusions from the conference and from the Ministers’ Meetings 13.15–13.45 Ms Nyamko Sabuni, Minister for Integration and Gender Equality, Sweden Ms Bibiana Aído Almagro, Minister for Equality, Spain
14.00 Lunch
End of meeting, transfer to airports
Swedish Presidency of the European Union La Présidence suédoise de l’Union européenne Sveriges ordförandeskap i Europeiska unionen