A woman’s place should be at the heart of Europe

Date: 05/09/1996

EUROPEAN integration is moving forward, but it is leaving half of Europe behind.

The obvious under-representation of women throughout the higher echelons of European decision-making already casts serious doubt on the legitimacy of the existing EU institutions.

Current discussions at the Intergovernmental Conference further compound the problem by failing to consider equality as an important issue for the future of the Union.

Moreover, the noticeable lack of female representatives at the IGC reflects the image that many women have of Europe - which is that of a white, middle-class male.

Public office, institutional organisations and democratically-elected representations give a masculine image to the role of representation of the people. Men still hold a monopoly at the highest levels of decision-making and many retain an outdated view of women's participation in 'serious' politics.

At a recent conference in Brussels, Mr Agnelli, chairman of the Fiat Group, commented to a representative of the European Women's Lobby, regarding the 'Euro', that he had known women for many beautiful things but never in association with economic and monetary union.

Such sexist attitudes, clearly a result of male-dominated structures, render the Union a questionable institution in the eyes of more than half of the citizens of Europe.

Given these facts and figures, how can women be convinced of the benefits of a tighter European Union? But more importantly, what will a future Union look like which incorporates neither the interests nor the talents of women in its decision-making processes?

The argument for including women equally in political life is not just about numbers; much more important is the fact that the exclusion of women from the construction of the Union results in the exclusion of half the talents and skills of the population. Europe is in dire need of such expertise.

In addition, women offer a different style of politics, placing more emphasis on the social dimension.

Not surprisingly, a recent poll in the UK found that more than half of the respondents believed that the country would be governed better if more women were in political office. At recent UN conferences, similar statements were made, including comments that social, political and economic progress would not possible without the active participation of women.

Unless greater efforts are made to include women as participants in - and equality as a foundation for - the construction of the new EU, governments will be hard pressed to build a Union which is in the interests of all people.

The IGC which opened in March this year could have been an opportunity to create inclusive new political mechanisms and structures to promote equality as a fundamental right. However, any hope that women had entertained that their issues and concerns would become part of the political agenda were dampened when the newly-constituted IGC Reflection Group of 17 representatives included only one woman as an observer, MEP Elisabeth Guigou.

The lack of representation in political institutions stands in stark contrast to the urgency arising from the problems that women face in the EU.

Overall unemployment figures for female workers have changed little since 1994. Women's unemployment rate in the Union has held at around 12.6&percent;, while male unemployment has actually dropped from 10.2&percent; in 1994 to 9.6&percent; in 1996.

Women are still paid less than their male counterparts in the same positions (the difference being between 15 and 33&percent; depending on the member state), and women still constitute the majority of the poor in the EU (70&percent; and rising).

It stands to reason that women should expect their life circumstances and problems to be equally taken into consideration in the building of a new EU.

Responding to the lack of female representation and reflection of women's concerns, the European Women's Lobby (EWL), a coalition of more than 2,500 women's non-governmental organisations throughout Europe, set out in 1995 to bring women's views to bear on the IGC.

By creating its own reflection group as well as consulting with its member organisations, the EWL was able to produce a comprehensive revision of the Maastricht Treaty from a woman's point of view.

The EWL's 'Committee of Wise Women', composed of women experts from all 15 member states of the Union, proposed detailed textual amendments to the treaty reflecting the concerns of many women in the EU.

The EWL found that women would not accept a Union based solely on economic growth. Social development and quality of life must also play decisive roles within the context of sustainable development.

The EWL proposes that social protection and employment must be the yardsticks by which progress is measured. In this context, it supports the full integration of the Social Protocol into the body of the treaty, amended to allow for qualified majority voting.

Social rights belong within the treaty and must be applicable in all member states. What is more, citizens' and residents' equal rights and participation need to be firmly anchored into the treaty.

While the current treaty has chapters on youth and environment, women's equal rights do not have a place there. It is of fundamental importance that the Union's new treaty guarantees women's equal rights and equal participation.

The EWL has therefore proposed to introduce a new chapter on equality into the treaty. Moreover, concerned about the lack of citizens' representation at EU level, it argues for the recognition of NGOs as “social partners”.

European social NGOs are a vital link between governments, the Union and its citizens. Indeed, as membership of political parties and trade unions continues to dwindle, special interest representation adds another dimension to democratic development.

New initiatives by the European Commission, such as the European Social Forum, indicate strongly that there is already recognition at Commission level that NGOs are an important voice for citizens.

With these proposals for amendments to the Maastricht Treaty, the EWL has demonstrated that rather than just opting out of European construction, women are willing to contribute to it. It remains to be seen whether governments have the political savvy to recognise the importance of women's input.

European integration has reached a critical point. New challenges have arisen not only in the context of the globalisation of the economy and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, but also in the changing nature of European society itself.

Europe is in the process of redefining itself in terms of institutions and policy-making, which must reflect social concerns as well as economic interests. Questions of democracy and citizenship, peace and security, as well as environmental issues and human rights, must be considered along with equal opportunities and unemployment.

If European integration is to succeed, policy-making must reflect the concerns of all European citizens within a broad social and economic context.

The IGC could be the vehicle which could close the distance between citizens and their governments. It could be the basis upon which a European constitution could be developed which provides for a truly European identity.

Today, only 23&percent; of European citizens have heard about the IGC, and only 11&percent; know that there is some type of relationship between the IGC and the revision of the Maastricht Treaty.

Given these results, taken from a recent Eurobarometer survey, the Union and its member states have a duty to inform and involve their constituency in the building of this 'house Europe'.

While much lip-service has been paid to issues like equality and employment, actual politics do not reflect this.

The Essen summit in 1994 arrived at the conclusion that the two most important priorities for the EU were the fight against unemployment and the promotion of equal opportunities. Yet shortly afterwards, the budget for the European equal opportunities programme was cut drastically.

There will be a high price to be paid for maintaining discrimination and inequality, in particular as women have not been allowed so far to occupy their rightful political space in the 'house Europe'.

Barbara Helfferich is general secretary of the European Women's Lobby.