SPEECH/07/134

Margot Wallström

Vice President of the European Commission responsible for Institutional relations and communication strategy




Address on the occasion of the International Women's Day

International Women's Day 2007
Bilgi University of Istanbul, 8 March 2007

Today when we celebrate International Women's Day- we might ask ourselves, as my good friend's young daughter did the other day- Are all the other days men’s days, then?

Or we might ask other relevant questions...

"Humankind is made up of two entities: man and woman. How could it be possible for the whole to progress if we let one half progress and neglect the other? How could it be thought possible that one half should reach the height of the skies when we let the other half wallow in shallow ground?"

The words of a feminist?

No, the words of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in the Vakit newspaper, 30 March 1923.

As you will know, Atatürk viewed women's emancipation and equality as a pre-requisite for a broader social revolution. Some have called the fight for equality 'the unfinished revolution'. Accurate analysis – it applies here in Turkey, in the EU and globally.

Let me start by:

EU

Gender equality is central to the achievement of the EU's – and Turkey's – goals on rights, democracy, solidarity, cohesion and competitiveness.

The basic principle of equal pay for men and women was introduced in the Treaty of Rome as early as 1957.

The treaties now include a whole arsenal of antidiscrimination clauses:

• Equal rights at work - all rights, not just pay
• Protection from indirect discrimination and harassment at work
• Equal rights outside the workplace – such as access to services
• The chance for the EU to take action other than just laws – such as campaigns and exchanges of best practice - in order to combat discrimination
• The principle of gender mainstreaming which applies to all EU policies and activities.

This all sounds very impressive. And the current body of EU equal opportunities law and policy shows that the EU is more than a market.

It shows that the EU is capable of discussing – and agreeing on – vital questions relating to common values.

But at some point I – and you – stop being impressed.

A recent Eurobarometer survey shows that antidiscrimination legislation is still not applied properly across the EU. The opinion of almost two thirds of citizens when asked is that women are still being discriminated against in their countries.

As the EU celebrates it's European Year of Equal Opportunities in 2007, discrimination and inequality continues to be a part of everyday life in the EU.

Let me give you some examples:

There is still a considerable gap in employment rate between women and men. Women often hold part-time jobs and their rate of employment is significantly lower than that for men - 71% for men and only 56% for women; the rate of unemployment is higher for women than for men and the risk of poverty is also higher; and women continue to earn significantly less than men.

European society continues to fall short of being representative - of its diverse populations – most visibly in the decision and policy-making arena.

We are a union of 490 million people, more than half of whom are women (and girls). So there is an issue of lack of representation when the percentage of women in national parliaments is on average 23%, and 30% in the European Parliament. In national governments (senior ministers) the representation of women is on average 23%. At present, only Spain (and, outside the EU, Norway) have governments with male and female ministers in equal number. There are fewer women than men in municipal assemblies in European countries.

In the fifty largest companies listed on the stock market, women account for roughly 1 out of 10 of the members of the highest decision-making boards, which are chaired by women in only 3.8% of cases. So it seems that Mrs Yalcindag of TUSIAD is quite an exception!

The unbalanced representation of women in decision making at political and economic levels constitutes a democratic deficit. That is why the Commission has set up a comprehensive database on women and men in decision-making in order to improve statistics and monitor progress towards gender equality.

There are many factors keeping women at the margins of decision-making. Policy should therefore focus on combating gender stereotypes at an early age, and on encouraging young women and men to explore non-traditional educational paths. It is as important to facilitate women's entry into non-traditional sectors as it is to promote men's presence in sectors traditionally occupied by women.

The promise of equality is a long-term goal that should concern all of us if we are to achieve it in practice. Men and Women.

Although the struggle for gender equality has been traditionally carried out by women, it is now necessary for the whole of society to be involved in it. The struggle for gender equality is not a women's struggle against men, it is a struggle for justice and for human rights for all. And it also benefits the men and the children!

One of the factors that keep women away from the centre of the decision-making process is the unbalanced division of work and family responsibilities. Today women remain the main care-takers, and they still do the majority of the work in the home and for the family.

“Reconciliation policies” are therefore important because they are a key to increasing women's participation in the labour market and to achieving equal economic independence for both women and men. They help to create a flexible economy while improving quality of women's and men's lives.

Reconciliation includes access to quality and affordable childcare, but also flexible work patterns, transport, time management and the sharing of unpaid work between women and men.

The issue of violence against women and children in the home is a huge hidden problem. Domestic violence is, according to Amnesty figures, the major cause of death and disability for European women aged 16 to 44 and accounts for more death and ill-health than cancer or traffic accidents. Male violence in the family is a factor that greatly affects women (and children), and contribute to their isolation in society and to their performance both when it comes to employment and participation in society overall. The concept of “domestic violence” can hide the fact that that this is in 99, 9% of cases men’s violence against women.

As Atatürk spotted back in 1923, this is not only an issue for women. It is an issue for society – and men - as a whole.

I would like to see a well-researched study on the 'cost of non-equality' to Europe's economy and growth.

Turkey

Ensuring equal rights for men and women, in line with EU standards, is, as you know, a precondition for any country to join the European Union, Turkey included.

There has been significant progress in addressing women’s rights in Turkey over the recent years.

The Constitution has been amended to enshrine the fundamental principle of the equality of men and women;

The Turkish Labour Code contains provisions implementing the “acquis communautaire” on equal treatment for men and women;

The Penal Code has been overhauled and stricter rules on violence against women, particularly for so-called "crimes of honour" have been introduced;

The new Municipalities Act provides for the introduction in large cities of shelters for women that have been subject to domestic violence;

In addition, a Directorate-General on women's issues has been established.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Government for these achievements but also first and foremost all those who have fought for it in the Turkish women’s movement. I know that women activists were instrumental in pushing these issues on to the agenda and in making constructive, workable proposals which won the day.

All of this progress is exemplary and has earned the respect of other countries. Yet it cannot be denied that, on the whole, the position of women in Turkey remains a complex one. Serious problems still exist:

Men and women have been equal before the law for more than 80 years. I know that 30% of doctors, architects and professors are women.

Yet this has been overshadowed by socio-economic and regional disparities which remain a challenge in Turkey. Despite education being compulsory since the republican revolution the number of illiterate women remains high. This is in particular a problem in the Eastern part of Turkey.

Education will be a key factor in Turkey's progress – both in general and in its path towards with the European Union.

Your 'Girls Education Campaign', which started in 10 provinces in the east and south east regions, has resulted in 177,000 girls and 87.000 boys being enrolled in primary school who would otherwise not have an education. This is very encouraging. Nonetheless, there are still too many girls who are denied the right to education, as prescribed in the European Social Charter – which Turkey signed in 1989 – must be given the life chances which an education can provide.

No education, no job: only 25% of Turkish women are in the workforce, one of the lowest in the OECD.

No representation, no change. We in the EU have nothing to crow about when it comes to women's representation in politics. But it is striking how limited it is in Turkey. Efforts have to be made to improve the situation on this score, as well. In the upcoming elections more female candidates should be included in the different parties’ election lists, as a recent report in the European Parliament points out.

(Personally I am a firm believer in quota systems. We know they are working from experience. Frankly speaking –there is already an unofficial male quota system in place - all over the world as a matter of fact - time has come to change this!)

And then there is the major challenge of violence against women, in particular the so-called 'honour killings'. Although the legal framework has been improved over the last few years, new cases continue to occur of young girls and women being killed by a relative or having committed suicide after suffering abuse. We need to see more hard action from the police and the judiciary.

I believe that the situation of many Turkish women has made significant progress in legal terms over the last few years. It has also benefited from a radical increase in media coverage, especially about 'honour killings' and girls being kept away from school. The situation is no longer a marginal issue.

Women have also benefited from a big push by a strong and articulate women's movement here.

And the prospect of EU negotiations has focused minds, as it is designed to do. The EU commission supports, through its Civil Society Dialogue programme, projects in the area of women’s rights with 17, 5 million euros.

But more must be done to ensure that women throughout Turkey feel the benefits of these changes. The legal framework regarding women’s rights in Turkey is overall satisfactory, but women’s rights need to be anchored firmly in practice.

***

I would like to make International Women's Day obsolete – not necessary.

But as long as women all over the world are abused, paid less, denied their human rights globally, in the EU – including in Sweden where I come from – and in Turkey, I fear this day will still be around for some years to come.

However, let me finish on a positive note.

Today I would like to pay tribute to all the thousands and thousands of women's organisations and brave individuals around the world that are fighting for women's rights and equality between women and men.

All these millions of strong and brave women who stand up and advocate their views, in parliaments, in courtrooms, in the media, on the streets in demonstrations, in civil society like peace-groups, human rights groups, feminist groups, in support networks , in classrooms, around the family dinner table – politicians, activists, lawyers, trade-unionists, doctors, teachers, mid-wives, workers, journalists, academics, farmers, students, artists...all of these women who keeps the fabric of society together, also trough hardships and conflicts and at the same time fights for a change to the better...

I salute their courage and stamina.

And some of you are here today!

Let me end where I started, with the International Women's Day - let us make sure that instead of this one day for women we will work for making all the 365 days belong to both women and men.

Thank you!