Motion for a resolution | Doc. 14046 | 27 April 2016

Women’s empowerment in the economy

Signatories: Ms Elena CENTEMERO, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Viorel Riceard BADEA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Josip BILAVER, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Ms Tamara BLAZINA, Italy, SOC ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET, Andorra, SOC ; Ms Valentina BULIGA, Republic of Moldova, SOC ; Mr Paolo CORSINI, Italy, SOC ; Ms Doris FIALA, Switzerland, ALDE ; Ms Ute FINCKH-KRÄMER, Germany, SOC ; Mr Axel E. FISCHER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Ms Sahiba GAFAROVA, Azerbaijan, EC ; Ms Adele GAMBARO, Italy, ALDE ; Mr Valeriu GHILETCHI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Ms Annette GROTH, Germany, UEL ; Mr Andres HERKEL, Estonia, EPP/CD ; Ms Rózsa HOFFMANN, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Ms Filiz KERESTECİOĞLU DEMİR, Turkey, NR ; Mr Eduard KÖCK, Austria, EPP/CD ; Mr Florian KRONBICHLER, Italy, SOC ; Mr Rónán MULLEN, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Michele NICOLETTI, Italy, SOC ; Ms Mechthild RAWERT, Germany, SOC ; Ms Lorella STEFANELLI, San Marino, EPP/CD ; Ms Karin STRENZ, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Damien THIÉRY, Belgium, ALDE ; Mr Jordi XUCLÀ, Spain, ALDE ; Ms Alina ZOTEA, Republic of Moldova, ALDE

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The Parliamentary Assembly has dealt with the situation of women in the workplace and economy at large on a number of occasions, under different angles including the gender pay gap, women in decision making bodies and measures to reconcile professional and private life.

Recent research, including studies conducted for the OECD and the European Parliament, show that the situation is evolving very slowly. The gender pay gap between women and men for similar jobs stands today at approximately 23%.

Council of Europe member States should step up efforts to make gender equality a reality in all fields: the workplace and the economy in general are crucial, as the spheres of economic, social and political life are closely interconnected. Economic empowerment is in fact a necessary precondition for the actual enjoyment of human rights and for participation in public life.

An analysis should be carried out of a variety of aspects, including: equality in the work market – equal access to jobs and careers; access to funding for entrepreneurship; access to jobs and progress in careers for civil service at all levels, as well as in large private companies.

The Assembly should support these efforts, first of all by giving an accurate overview of the situation and pointing out the priority areas for intervention. Further to collecting precise data, the Assembly should provide member States with relevant indications on measures to be taken, based on the most successful experiences in this field, in Europe and beyond.