Sumario: EU Presidency Statement - United Nations: Promotion of Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (6 March 2007: New York)
Statement on behalf of the European Union, by H. E. Mr. Thomas Matussek, Permanent Representative of Germany, on the Promotion of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, in the UN General Assembly, New York
Madam President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.
The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and Potential candidates Albania and Serbia, and the EFTA country Iceland, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine align themselves with this declaration.
The European Union would like to thank you for organizing this important debate.
Equality between women and men is an inalienable right, an integral and inseparable component of human rights and a democratic principle. The European Union has declared 2007 the "European Year of Equal Opportunities for All". The goal is to identify, build awareness around and effectively reduce discrimination based on race, ethnicity, faith, age, sexual orientation, disability or gender. Knowing that girls and women often suffer double discrimination, the year 2007 will provide all European
countries with the opportunity to review and strengthen their existing policies and measures on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Madam President,
Much still needs to be done when it comes to the role of women in decision-making. For example, women continue to be grossly underrepresented in executive positions - in industry, science and politics alike - within the European Union. Therefore, the EU member states welcome the decision taken by the European Commission to establish in 2007 an EU network of women in economic and political decision-making positions.
Women are the most untapped resource in the world. This is true in all parts of the world, despite a growing understanding and acceptance of the fact that equal participation of women and men in production and economic decision-making contributes to a more productive and innovative work environment and culture and to better economic performance.
We need to intensify our efforts to create equal opportunities for all. The equal participation of women and men both in the labour market and the share of responsibilities in domestic tasks, childcare and care for dependent people is indispensable for the development of society.
At present women constitute, on average, 30% of entrepreneurs in the EU. They often face greater difficulties than men in accessing finance and training and in starting up businesses. Consequently the EU Entrepreneurship Action Plan recommends to promote the increase of women's start-ups through, for example, better access to finance. We need joint efforts of all stakeholders to promote women's managerial and business skills and create a business environment that facilitates the creation and
development of women-led companies.
We also need to encourage corporate social responsibility initiatives and public-private partnerships targeting women's economic empowerment and the elimination of existing inequalities.
Women's continued and persistent under-representation in political life and decision-making is a democratic deficit that needs to be addressed. In order to encourage more women to be active in politics we support awareness-raising activities, the exchange of good practices and research, particularly in view of the European Parliament elections in 2009.
Regarding the life-cycle approach it is very important to encourage girls from a very early age to participate in an active way in political and social life. Only with this way of capacity building they will reach decision-making positions in the future.
Madam President,
Women worldwide face discrimination which hinders their full enjoyment of human rights, hamper them from unleashing their full potential and exclude them from equally benefiting from development-related services such as education, health, HIV/Aids prevention, sanitation, housing and credits.
The European Union will therefore continue to support the full implementation of the Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, the Convention on the rights of the child, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Beijing + 5 Political Declaration and Outcome Document, Security Council Resolution 1325, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the 2005 World Summit Outcome and the internationally agreed
development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.
Gender equality is at the very core of development. Poverty cannot be reduced, the Millennium Development Goals not be achieved if gender discrimination is not eliminated. Unfortunately, the importance of women's empowerment and the promotion of gender equality for poverty reduction often continues to be overlooked in the policy discourse. The gender perspective in the design of macroeconomic policies is still marginal and often reduced to social sectors. This has to change and to be done at
the earliest possible date.
Madam President,
The European Union is determined to face the challenges outlined and is looking forward to working together with the international community in order to promote the empowerment of women and gender equality.
Thank you very much for your attention.
* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process
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