Talking point: The fight for equality

Описание: Comment on European Parliament Facebook page:   / europeanparliament  

For many women, and men, International Women's Day on March 8th offered a chance to focus on a host of inequalities which, despite the promises and pledges, persist in Europe and beyond.

Jobs and wages inequality, cradle to grave gender stereotyping, public and private harassment.

We speak to two MEPs at the vanguard: Kartika Liotard from the Netherlands and Antonyia Parvanova from Bulgaria.

First, the many-faced scourge that shadows women everywhere: physical and emotional violence. This has been a problem for centuries. It's not that easy.

There are cultural, traditional and religious practices which are difficult to overcome and without effort from everybody to agree that violence against women is a breach of human rights we could not move forward.

It is a very long-lasting process. Changing behaviour and everybody participating in this campaign and the second very important step, to remain disciplined in punishing the perpetrator without any exclusions or excuses.

What other problems do women face and what are the roots?

When you look at work you see that there is still an imbalance. In decision-making jobs,
only 12% are women. In the higher paid jobs, for example, there are far more men.

In the jobs where women are in the majority, 70% are jobs that are paid less.

Progress on women's rights has been slow. What are today's solutions? I'm in support of quotas because I'm a very pragmatic person, not just being a woman but being a medical doctor, and if something is not resolved by itself or by the efforts made so far, I believe the next step should be taken.

If for so many years the states have not reached a better representation of women, or an equal representation of women, on boards, then we probably need legislation.

If we had more women, we probably wouldn't have the economic crisis because there is scientific proof actually that women take wiser and more responsible decisions.

Firstly, a quota and, secondly, people should not forget that there is still a problem with stereotyping. So give good information, start already at schools with programmes which do not push girls in one direction and boys in another.

And I think the media and especially commercials in which you still see women used
as sex objects and things like that...

I think we should really take care as it's mostly the young people who you can teach to live without gender stereotyping. So I think we should start there.


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