Coiste Eacnamaíoch agus Sóisialta na hEorpa
The EESC held a debate on gender-based investments in the Member States' national Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs). Following on from the European Gender Equality Week, the event gathered policy-makers, experts from organised civil society and academia to discuss, among other things, how EU countries can improve the impact of the measures proposed in their RRPs on gender equality during implementation and monitoring.
EESC plenary debate linked to the adoption of the opinions SOC/726 on Combatting violence against women and SOC/731 on Gender equality, with Christina Fabre, Team leader on gender-based violence, European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).
Equal pay for men and women or for work of equal value is one of the fundamental rights and principles of the EU, but on average women are still paid 14% less per hour than men, with pay differences present in all sectors and widening with age. Although welcomed as a much-needed step to close the gender pay gap, the Commission's proposal on pay transparency is receiving a mixed response, an EESC hearing found.
The EESC NAT Section and its Sustainable Development Observatory are marking International Women Day 2021 by taking part in the #IWD2021 action to celebrate women's achievement, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality.
EESC debate takes stock and discusses steps to take
Despite the general progress on gender equality, at this pace it will take more than a century for women to become equal to men in Europe, says the EESC
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has urged the European Union and its Member States to put gender equality at the top of their political agenda amid concerns that recent attacks on women's rights in Europe might seriously compromise progress towards equality between men and women.
Europe loses EUR 370 billion a year due to the gender employment gap. What's more, it is statistically proven that companies with more gender-diverse management boards produce better results. So, why might it take another 217 years to close the economic gender gap at global level, as estimated by the World Economic Forum? On 17 December, high-level speakers from the worlds of business, politics and NGOs came together with members of the Employers' Group to discuss how to leverage the immense potential that women could bring to the European economy.
It needs different and holistic approaches to address gender inequality, says the EESC
The digital gender gap is a consequence of discrimination against women, which already starts in early childhood, the EESC points out. In its exploratory opinion on the digital gender gap, drafted at the European Parliament's request, the EESC suggests a multi-level approach and calls for holistic policies addressing different sources of inequality.
On International Women's Day 2023, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a debate on dismantling gender stereotypes in education, which are still stopping girls and young women from making their own study and career choices and achieving their full professional potential.
The European Economic and Social Committee held a plenary debate on the role of finance and public recovery policies in promoting gender equality and the economic empowerment of women in the EU. The discussion was linked to the adoption of two opinions: one on a gender-based approach to budgeting and investing and the other on how Member States can improve the way in which the direct and indirect measures proposed in their Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs) affect gender equality.
