Greens/EFA Study Days 30 September - 1st October 2015

Brussels

COMMITTEE: FEMM

General trend in the outcomes in the first year of the legislature, with examples of successes and defeats for our green targets

Women’s rights and gender equality are generally under attack this legislature, with conservatives and the extreme right using democratic tools to reinforce the backlash already experienced in society, also at the political and legal level within the EU. Opposition to equality between women and men and gender equality has grown aggressive and organised, and the ideological resistance to equality seems to have deepened. For every WQ or OQ and Resolution that the progressive forces in the EP table in order to advance women’s rights and gender equality, the conservative misogynists table one with contrary content; relevant reports are taken apart with divergent amendments and split and separate votes. Very often the majorities are slight and we constantly operate under the stress that one of these days the misogynists will win and bring backwards the European acquis. Their main argument is that sexual and reproductive rights are not EU competence, even if that´s not the issue. At the same time, despite FEMM being recognised as a horizontal committee, progress is slow in accepting gender mainstreaming as a legal obligation within the EP, as the process is not formal – it is not included in the Rules of Procedure, nor is it obligatory - FEMM opinions are accepted by the lead committees on a voluntary basis, and the Conference of Presidents is very strict with granting FEMM committee competence on issues (as Greens we believe everything has a gender perspective!). And we are defeated when we ask for feminist policy and a more feminist EU, since even the S&D finds the term difficult and always changes it to “gender sensitive”. Nevertheless, we have been successful in supporting majority in crucial equality reports and have actively worked for opinions and amendments on new topics. We have successfully linked climate change with a gender perspective under the concept of Climate Justice, with the FEMM committee organising a delegation, hearing and INI on the subject. However, we have not yet been as successful in convincing the Greens/EFA group to use the term “Climate Justice” instead of using the term “Climate Change”, for which a relevant training should be prioritised by the group and executed by the FEMM WG. We have successfully linked gender and ICTs by being Rapporteur to a relevant INI. The Single Digital Market is one of the major packages from the current Commission. Using the current window of opportunity as a hook to call for a more inclusive approach is a clear Green unique selling point. We have organized a hearing, will introduce gender mainstreaming amendments in other committees and we will also organize a group event around the subject.. We have introduced the concept of gender in EU economic governance with being Rapporteur of the FEMM opinion to the ECON report on the EU semester. We have introduced the concept of gender in EU trade agreements and are Rapporteur for the FEMM opinion on TiSA, and have successfully pushed for gender budgeting to be included, also in the Court of Auditors mandate. We are the first to introduce the concept of Gender Tax Justice and will hopefully author an INI in FEMM on the subject, with relevant study and hearing.

Coalitions in your Committee

In the FEMM committee the grand coalition includes S&D, ALDE, GUE and Greens/EFA. Misogynist coalition is EPP, ECR, EFDD (including 5star), ENF and NI.

Green priorities and perspectives for 2016

The Greens/EFA FEMM working group recently held a strategic meeting regarding the priorities and work plan for 2016. The priorities that emerge actually are in line with the group priorities as determined last year, with some additional points, please see hereunder:

• Climate Justice (including climate refugees): recommends training for the group, Climate Change group priority to include this perspective; • Women and Tax Justice/ Taxe Rose: There are growing concerns that tax systems are biased against women, and that contemporary tax reforms may increase the incidence of taxation on the poorest women. This is evident in the decrease of taxes paid by corporations globally through tax evasion/avoidance and the increase of tax on basic goods. Until now insufficient attention has been put into how tax policies and tax reforms may interact with gendered patterns. We are also particular interested in developing the issue of “Pink Tax” in Europe. The pink tax refers to "women´s" products, i.e. products marketed for women that cost more than the same product targeted for men: same size, same active ingredients but different price! In addition, women´s products such as tampons etc are categorised as "luxury" items and therefore taxed more than if they were categorised necessities! WOMEN EARN LESS BUT PAY MORE!!! FEMM WG recommends that the group priority on Tax Justice includes this perspective. • EU Economic governance and gender: the CSRs and the Europe 2020 strategy do not include a gender equality objective, nor pillar, nor gender mainstreaming; there is so much to do! In addition after the presentation of the ‘five presidents’ report’ on how to complete/reform the monetary union we think there is a "momentum". We believe it is extremely necessary to push EU economic governance to take the gender perspective seriously. We must keep on raising the issue on how EU economic policies/governance can directly constrain the framework conditions for gender equality policies and bearing profound implications for equality outcomes and women’s empowerment. FEMM WG recommends the group includes this prespective. • Gender Equality in EU trade agreements: women are adversely affected by liberalisation, as they remain the majority of the world´s poor; gender impact assessments are necessary. FEMM WG recommends that the group´s TTIP etc priority includes this perspective; • Women refugees • Violence Against Women The last two priorities are not unique Green ideas; however we will work to bring visibility to the issue of violence against women as grounds for applying for asylum in the EU.