Social partners in the EU: Acting for gender equality

Social partners in the EU: Acting for gender equality - Social partners lunch debate
25 November 2014, Brussels, Belgium

Organisation: Eurofound Brussels Liaison Office
Venue: Restaurant l’Atelier, 28 Rue Franklin, 1000 Brussels

The Europe 2020 Strategy sets out increasing gender equality as one of its main goals. In addition, the EC Strategy for equality between women and men 2010-2015 and Council conclusions on the European Pact for gender equality for the period 2011 - 2020, recognize the need to pursue gender equality with gender mainstreaming actions and encourage the social partners to develop and implement ‘initiatives in favour of gender equality and promote gender equality plans at the workplace’ .

Objectives

The objective of the lunch is to exchange and debate on pressing gender issues in the EU, on the relationship between the level of social partners’ commitment and equality performance by countries and possible further directions of action.

Content

The discussion will be mainly based on the forthcoming Eurofound comparative analytical report ‘Social partners and gender equality in Europe’  which covers  the twenty eight EU Member States plus Norway and examines, among other aspects, the main challenges faced by social partners when attempting to disseminate, promote and implement gender equality actions within their organisations.

Eurofound Deputy Director Erika Mezger, Isabella Biletta and Jorge Cabrita, Research managers in charge of the report, will introduce the debate. They will give insight into actions taken and tools used by the social partners to promote and implement their strategies related to gender equality. The participation of women and men in social partner main governing boards will also be highlighted. Data from the European Working Conditions Survey on women and men working conditions will be referred to as background information for the discussion (see Related content).

Daniela Bankier, Head of ‘Gender Equality’ Unit, EC Directorate General Justice, will comment on the Eurofound report and contribute to the debate with the social partners.

Participation is by invitation only.