| Author (Person) | Smith, Emily |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.12, No.1, 12.1.06 |
| Publication Date | 12/01/2006 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Emily Smith Date: 12/01/06 Women's working conditions in parts of the EU are so poor they can cause miscarriages and permanent injuries, according to a European Parliament report. The report, from Parliament's women committee, puts pressure on governments to improve working life for 51% of the EU population. It is expected to be backed by Parliament's plenary session on 19 January. The report concludes that wages and working conditions for some European women "particularly in large commercial chains", are "an affront to women's dignity and...often the cause of miscarriages and disability". It adds that many new jobs created for women are "precarious and badly paid". Portuguese MEP Edite Estrela started work on the report last year in the light of the ongoing debate over Europe's Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs. It finds that persistent differences between the working lives of women and men are blocking progress towards Lisbon objectives, by perpetuating low pay and unemployment. The lack of adequate childcare for mothers is the biggest barrier to improving women's working life, the report suggests. Governments should make sure at least a third of children under three have access to childcare, rising to at least 90% for children between three and the start of school. MEPs suggest encouraging schoolgirls to consider a wider range of jobs as a start, "in order to guarantee them better opportunities on the labour market". In particular, the report says women should be encouraged to learn about new technologies and scientific research, making themselves more competitive when job-hunting. Improvements to the EU labour market more generally would mean knock-on benefits for women. With this in mind, the report calls for Europe-wide recognition of qualifications and a guaranteed minimum income for single parents. According to current statistics, on average EU women earn 15% less than men, though in some countries the figure is 33%. Reducing this gap should be "an absolute priority" for governments, says the report. Just over 30% of women work part-time, compared to 6.6% of men. But at the same time, too much pressure on women to work part-time can have negative side effects, even "social exclusion and poverty". The situation is made worse, says the report, by men not doing their fair share. It "deplores the fact that men do not make sufficient use of the organisation of working time and new forms of employment" to balance jobs and family. According to a European Parliament own-initiative report, drafted by Portuguese MEP Edite Estrela for the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, women's working conditions in parts of the EU were so poor they could cause miscarriages and permanent injuries. The purpose of the report was to put pressure on governments to improve working life for 51% of the EU population. It was expected to be backed by Parliament's plenary session on 19 January 2006. |
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| Source Link | http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Employment and Social Affairs |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
