Meeting of the Women’s Committee & Representatives of the Constituent Assembly, Brussels

I am particularly pleased to open the discussion on this extremely interesting topic on the agenda of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament. This is the first meeting that specifically focuses on the Constituent Assembly, with the participation of women regular and alternate members of the Assembly, as well as a number of important women from other institutions and bodies that promote gender equality. Our aim is to provoke a broad discussion on how women can build a democratic Europe with transparent processes, a goal that is of vital interest to all women in Europe—and to all women in the world.

On behalf of our Committee, I warmly welcome:

– women members of the Constituent Assembly representing the European Parliament, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and candidate countries, as well as women observers of the Assembly from the Committee of the Regions, the Economic and Social Committee, and the Social Partners.

– representatives of the network of gender equality officers in the national parliaments of the Union and in the candidate countries.

– Representatives of the European Commission – the Director-General Ms. Odile Kienten.

– Members of the Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men – its Vice-President Ms. Maria Stratigaki.

– The European Women’s Lobby – its President Ms. Denise Fuchs.

– The Association of European Lawyers, represented by its President Ms. Elizabeth Miller.

– The Association of Women of Southeastern Europe – its Vice-President Ms. Sophia Spiliotopoulou.

– Other civil society organizations.

I am also pleased to welcome the journalists who are attending this important meeting, as well as women mayors from Greece.

Dear friends,

European integration cannot be achieved without the participation of women, half of the population, in building Europe, on the same terms and conditions as men. The European Union and its Member States have, in many cases, declared their faith and commitment to achieving gender equality at international, European, and national levels. Therefore, equal representation of women and men in the discussions and decisions of the Assembly preparing the reforms should be the natural outcome of those commitments and the democratic values promoted by the Union.

We all know that this has not happened.

In a letter I sent to Mr. Giscard d’Estaing, I expressed our deep disappointment regarding the composition of the Assembly, and the fact that the principle of democratic equality was not respected. This is a living example of what happens when the rules regarding balanced representation of women and men are not binding. The usual procedures continue and in the usual practice, they “forget” women. This is just one of many examples that demonstrate the need to strengthen the existing institutional framework in order to achieve equality, including in decision-making centers.

Women and women’s values cannot be marginalized in the process of building the future of Europe. The gender dimension should be included in the work of the Assembly.

Gender equality – the equality of men and women – is a fundamental prerequisite for achieving true democracy. This basic principle should be enshrined in the future Treaty.

I would like to put forward some initial ideas and proposals for the necessary changes to the Treaty – the list is of course indicative and does not exhaust all the topics. My intention is to provoke discussion and to see where we agree.

– It is essential to enshrine gender equality in the Treaty, so that, through a specific title, the Community can achieve true equality between men and women in practice. Firstly, a gender equality policy should provide the legal tools and programs that will implement the objectives of the Community as outlined in Article 2. Secondly, a separate chapter on gender equality needs to be introduced into the Treaty. Such a chapter would represent a significant step forward, as to date the Treaty does not specify the means by which equality will be promoted, apart from those concerning employment.
– Any discrimination based on gender should be prohibited and excluded, in the same way that discrimination based on nationality is prohibited (Article 12 of the Treaty).
– The Charter of Fundamental Rights should be incorporated into the future Treaty and have legal force. The Charter should be strengthened by the introduction of specific measures, particularly those concerning the fight against all forms of violence against women—including domestic violence, trafficking, sexual exploitation, etc.—the respect for women’s rights regarding health, sexuality, and reproduction, as well as the right of women and men to reconcile private and professional life.
– The introduction of a new provision in the Treaty stating that balanced participation of women and men at all levels is mandatory, regarding the composition of assemblies, bodies, and institutions of the Union. Businesses should also be encouraged to apply the same principle of equality throughout the decision-making process.
– The gender dimension included in Article 3.2 of the TEU aims to integrate gender equality into all policies. This provision for “gender mainstreaming” should include the obligation of the Union and the Member States to analyze the outcomes of all policy measures at all stages and levels of decision-making, in order to make necessary changes where needed. Furthermore, the purpose of “gender mainstreaming” should not remain limited, as it does today, but should be expanded to cover all areas wherever the Union is present, including Common Foreign and Security Policy, as well as the creation of an Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice (police and judicial cooperation).
– The non-discrimination clause (Article 13) needs strengthening, and decisions made under this clause should be taken by a qualified majority in the Council of Ministers, in co-decision with the European Parliament.
– The budget and financial decisions have different impacts on the lives of women and men. It is essential to include the gender dimension in budgeting processes so that necessary adjustments can be made and budgets contribute to gender equality. This requires political commitment.
– Gender equality should be the driving force behind and shaping the Union’s external policy. The role and presence of women in the Union’s international relations should be strengthened. Equality objectives should be fully integrated into the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the Union’s external policy, including macroeconomic policy, external trade policy, development aid, poverty alleviation programs, as well as foreign policy and security policy.
– The principle of balanced gender representation should also apply to the members of the Youth Assembly scheduled for this coming July.
– Measures should be taken so that the language used for all texts of the Assembly and the new Treaty is gender-neutral. It is regrettable that even the regulations of the European Parliament do not use gender-neutral language. Unfortunately, the relevant amendment was rejected by our colleagues in the Committee on Institutional Affairs.
– In order to facilitate the integration of the gender dimension into the Assembly, I would like to propose that, among the other working groups being established, a working group for gender mainstreaming be created.

Our strategy is to maximize our contribution to the work of the Assembly. I see today’s discussion as the first important step toward achieving our common goals. I hope that after this phase of listening, or rather this kickoff, we can work together—European institutions, national parliaments, other national and local bodies, civil society, where the European Women’s Lobby plays a key role, trade unions, the Economic and Social Committee. Academic circles should also have the opportunity to communicate and feed into the process on an ongoing basis. In conclusion, all those who are interested in including women’s perspectives in the work of the Assembly should be mobilized to strengthen our efforts to formulate comprehensive proposals that will be taken into account by the Assembly.

I hope that we can exchange views and agree on how to create a platform of minimum requirements as a common basis for further discussion. Certainly, this will not be the last meeting of this kind. I see our role as leveraging the expertise of as many organizations and women’s groups as possible for the work of the Assembly, in order to fill the gaps left by our insufficient representation in the official meetings of the Assembly.