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  • 26-01-2021 17:42

EU/Presidency: Social pillar to consider gender aspects– minister


Brussels, Jan. 26, 2021 (Lusa) - The Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union said on Tuesday in the  European Parliament that it would "ensure that the Social Pillar pays attention to the gender perspective" and some MEPs suggested a "specific formation" of the Council on this issue.

The Portuguese minister for the presidency presented the priorities of the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union - which began on 1 January and will last until 30 June - on Tuesday to the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (known as the FEMM Committee).

The European social model, Mariana Vieira da Silva said, "must be based on the need to promote equal opportunities for women and men" and Portugal will highlight, right at the first EPSCO (informal meeting of Ministers for Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers), scheduled for 22 and 23 February, "the Social Pillar's contribution to equality".

"Crises do not affect everyone in the same way", she said, and the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has been asked for a research note on the impact of Covid-19, "focusing on the labour market, income and reconciliation of personal, family and professional life".

Asked by MEPs (mostly women) on the FEMM Committee, she agreed that the pandemic crisis has different impacts in member states and therefore "the response measures should be different".

The Portuguese presidency left the promise of a "positive contribution" and the "search for consensus" on gender equality and stressed "total willingness to work with the European Parliament".

MEPs who spoke at the session - including Portuguese Sandra Pereira (Communist Party), Maria da Graça Carvalho (Social Democrat) and Maria Manuel Leitão Marques (Socialist) - insisted on the need to ensure that gender equality was mainstreamed across all policies.

A considerable number of MEPs proposed a "Council formation on gender equality", and recalled that "the ministers competent in this matter do not even have a discussion forum".

A German MEP went further to argue for a "close link between the rule of law and gender equality", i.e., respecting and promoting gender equality a criterion for full EU membership.

The Portuguese presidency will "ensure that the dual transition of climate and digital, leaves no one behind", Silva said, recognising that the digital exclusion of women "results in more inequality at the moment and above all may result in more inequalities in the future".

On violence against women, the minister stressed that "Europe must be a safe place for girls and women" and said that the Portuguese presidency would take stock of the Istanbul Convention's implementation at the high-level conference it is planning for April 6th.

Asked about the issue of quotas for women on company boards, without significant progress in recent years, the minister promised only "to work with all Member States" and "to see what progress they have made".

Maria Manuel Leitão Marques left the suggestion of "positively discriminating" in the recovery plans from the crisis against companies with equality policies.

SBR/ADB // ADB.

Lusa

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