Gender equality: framework strategy, work programme for 2001

PURPOSE : to present the Framework Strategy on Gender Equality Work Programme for 2001. CONTENT : the EU has a long-standing commitment to promoting gender equality, enshrined in the treaty since 1957. To further this policy, the Commission adopted, in June 2000, the Community Framework Strategy on Gender Equality. The Community work towards gender equality in the period 2001 to 2005 will take the form of a comprehensive strategy which will embrace all Community policies in their efforts to promote gender equality. In this time period, the Commission will, through the involvement of all Commission services, progressively work to achieve the goals set out in the Framework Strategy. The Framework Strategy unites and co-ordinates the different initiatives and programmes across the Commission under a single umbrella, around clear assessment criteria, gender equality, and ensures their global consistency by identifying overlaps thus optimising efficiency and visibility inside and outside the Commission. The Strategy is underpinned by an annual work programme the objective of which is to identify and bring together the priority actions that each service develops every year, with the aim of: translating idealistic ultimate goals, into realistic and measureable stages or phases; facilitating the measurement of progress in the implementation of the framework strategy and the continuous internal evaluation; constituting the basis for reporting and increasing visibility with regard to the Commission's commitment to gender equality. The Framework Strategy encompasses the following fields of intervention: 1) promoting gender equality in economic life : this area focuses on the gender gaps in the labour market and the ways to tackle them. 2) promoting equal participation and representation : this area covers the lack of women's participation in decision-making bodies. The actions include strategies and instruments to promote women political, economic and social decision-making at all levels. 3) promoting equal access and full enjoyment of social rights for women and men : the objective is to effectively apply gender mainstreaming to all policy areas which have an impact on women's daily life such as transport, public health and the fight against discrimination on other grounds and to continue to improve the application of Community legislation. 4) promoting gender equality in civil life : this area covers the enforcement of human rights of women through promotion of human rights of women, enforcement of equal opportunity rights and strengthen the fight against gender-related violence and trafficking in women; 5) promoting change of gender roles and stereotypes : the objective is to overcome stereotyped images of women and men in particular in education, training, culture, media, youth and sports policy. Lastly, priority action for 2001 shall include: conducting gender impact assessment of selected policy areas, inserting in all calls for proposals and expressions of interest a reference to the gender equality and improving gender balancein committees and expert groups.�