en Rome Hosts European Uleek on • >< Editorial u llfiOmen, Politics and Society" Ill .! ••••••••••••••••••• • ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• a; >< he Charter of Rome, signed on 18 May at the qual opportunities in EU and national policy and decision-making were =.. closing session of the Conference "Women the focus of a week of meetings and debates hosted in May by the Italian ~ Tfor the Renewal of Politics and Society" by I 5 EPresidency of the Council of Ministers in Rome. Over 300 women from the • world of politics and from national and EU public administrations attended. The N European Union women ministers, brings back to U) mind the Athens Declaration, signed in 1992 by week, which was the high point of the Presidency's activities on gender issues, c women celebraties, ministers, prime ministers and • ended with a European Women's Summit. There, women Ministers from 13 heads of state, some of whom are still in power to­ • Member States signed the "Charter of Rome," a declaration of political will to • • promote the presence of women in decision-making. The other events organised day. • by the Presidency during the week were a meeting of the European The Athens Declaration already highlighted the • Commission's Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities, a meeting of the democratic deficit in European Union countries be­ • Management Committee for the 4th equal opportunities action programme and cause of women's under-representation in decision­ : a European Conference entitled JiVc>men for the Renewal of Politics and Society. making. It also drew attention to the fact that the equal rights in law has not brought about de facto • The European Women's Sununit was the a balanced participation of women and men equality. It called on the Commission, Member • culmination of a six months effort by the in decision-making. States, elected representatives, decision-makers, • Italian Presidency to promote equal oppor- those working in the social field and the press to • tunities. During this period, it secured the Action plan for equal participation recognise the need for a balance between women • adoption of the parental leave directive and in decision-making and men, a so-called "parity", and to use the means • finalised the Council Recommendation on available to them to promote its achievement. • the balanced participation of women and Women's full and equal participation in Today parity is falling victim to "semantic • men in decision-making. In January, it or- decision-making is a question of social jus­ reticence" by certain Member States which, using • ganised a conference on the reconciliation tice, a requirement of democracy and essen­ subsidiarity as an excuse or the fear of creating a • of family and professional life in Calabria, in tial to achieve a full use of human resources, more favourable situation than other Member • February, it held a convention on women said participants at the Rome conference States, are attempting to keep equality between : and entrepreneurship in Rome and, in which preceded the Summit on "Women women and men under their thumb or at least un­ • April, a "Forum on women and employ­ for the renewal of politics and society". This der tight control. • ment" in Pisa. is "the only way to ensure decision-makers Figures given in the Charter of Rome are useful • understand and take account of the needs of reminders: on average, only I 5% of members of na­ • Ministers sign the Charter of Rome the whole population, women and men." tional parliaments and 16% of government • Women's presence in decision-making in members in European Union countries are women. : Romano Prodi, Italy's new Prime Minis- • ter, addressed the European Women's Sum- public administrations, public health,justice, Surprising disparities also exist. The number of • mit as his first official public engagement. the financial sector, education, social partner women in national and Community political bodies • Three Italian women ministers Livia Turco, organisations and in politics was explored in is over 40% in Sweden, 33% in Finland and • Rosy Bindi and Anna Finocchiaro, sworn parallel workshops at this conference which Denmark but only 6% in France just "beating" • into office that day, also attended the Sum­ was jointly organised by the Italian Nation­ Greece which has 5.7%. • mit and signed the Charter. al Commission for Equal Opportunities Be­ Some people would consider these figures as • tween Women and Men, the European representing a progress for democracy, others as a • The 15 women Commission's Equal set-back. Whatever the view, there is an urgent • Ministers who signed Opportunities Unit need to reaffirm the importance of parity as an ab­ • the Charter repre- (DG V) and the Net­ solute condition of democracy at a time when, in • sented all the EU work on Women in the framework of the Intergovernmental • Member States apart Decision-making. The Conference, changes to the Treaty are being negoti­ • from the UK which outcome of these dis­ ated. Currently the treaty only mentions equal pay. • refused to sign it for cussions was present­ We must rejoice that women politicians are not • political reasons and ed in the form of a only reiterating their will to demand parity, • Spain which was in four-year European highlighting the role that women can play and their • the process of form- Action Plan (1996- rejuvenating approach to politics but also that it is • ing its new govern­ 2000) for an equal not enough to express pious hopes, hand on heart, • ment. participation of we must also act. • women and men m This media event should not hide but reinforce • The women Minis- Signatories of the Charter of Rome decision-making. e c carlettl Photo center, Roma the perseverance of those women who, at ters deplored the low grassroots level and within associations, are • number of women in decision-making Information campaigns, the provision of • posts. They said that only with a joint con- gender specific data, the setting of targets, working daily to promote such parity. • • tribution and balanced participation of positive action and training are just some of : women and men at all decision-making lev- the proposed measures under the Action • els can there be a guarantee that the needs Plan which also recommends the introduc- e of women as well as those of men are met. tion of proper monitoring procedures. • This, they argued, will bring benefits to the • quality of life of the whole population and Equality Advisory Committee urges IGC action • reinforce the den10cratic process. Veronique Houdart-Biazy • With their signature, the Ministers com- The European Commission's Advisory Head of Section • Information for Women • mitted themselves to develop within their Committee on Equal Opportunities fo­ • countries incentives, laws and regulatory cussed on the 1996 Intergovernmental • measures (see full text on page 4) to achieve Conference (IGC). Four Italian ministers • • • • • • • • Women o/ f urry:;e newsletter • ••• • were present at the Advisory Committee (education, the civil service, employment End to Traffic in JIUJmen High and social affairs, respectively) which was in­ vited to meet in Rome by Livia Turco, Pres­ on EU Agenda ident of the Italian National Committee for Equal Opportunities. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• he trafficking of women to EU Mem­ Participants said trafficking in women was Concerned that equal opportumt1es ber States for sexual purposes is con­ a serious form of organised crime and a risked being ignored during the IGC talks, Ttinuing to increase. It is supported by fundamental attack on the dignity of the Committee set up in February a work­ organised crime which finds the smuggling women and human rights. They also urged ing group to look in detail at the proposed of human beings less risky than drugs. "This greater international cooperation. They reforms. At its Rome meeting, the Com­ trade has to be stopped," said Anita Gradin, called for a strengthening of Member States' mittee decided to send to the Commission the European Commissioner in charge of legislation in this field and EU measures to a short opinion recommending that refer­ Justice and Home Affairs. Since she took up disc;ourage trafficking. Improving the eco­ ences in the Treaty concerning equality her post in January 1995, she has regularly nomic and social conditions in source should be strengthened. The Treaty should put the fight against trafficking in women countries was one of the long term strate­ clearly incorporate the right to equal treat­ on the EU agenda. It was once again tack­ gies suggested to deter trafficking. Other ment. Positive action should follow from led at a major conference in Vienna on 10 recommendations made included informa­ this right, the Committee said. T he promo­ and 11 June which was hosted by the Aus­ tion campaigns targeted at potential victims, tion of equality between women and men trian government and organised jointly by the general public and officials, including should include the concept of mainstream­ the European Commission and the Interna­ embassy staff. Victims should be granted ing with Article 119 of the Rome Treaty tional Organization of Migration (IOM). temporary residence and police offtcers and extended to cover all areas of working life counsellors trained to deal with such cases, and not just remuneration as is the case now. Opening the Conference, Commissioner they said. The proceeds from trafficking in Gradin urged more international coopera­ women should be confiscated. • A progress report on the implementation tion to identify and punish the traffickers of the 4th equal opportunities action pro­ and give support to the victims. Judicial co­ For furth er information : gramme was given by a representative of the operation including tougher penalties, and Mara Goldstein European Commission. Ireland, which took improved law enforcement and police co­ Secretariat General TF 2 , European Commission, over the Council of Ministers Presidency operation, were insufficient to develop an avenue des Nervlens 9 , 6/ 21A, B-1049 Brussels.