Genderconferentie waarschuwt voor te grote verschillen tussen man en vrouw (en)

The technical conference entitled “Equality between men and women as a basis for growth and employment” has taken place today, Thursday, in Valencia. Experts from the EU outlined their proposals for a new social pact and policy that will acknowledge and re-evaluate the contribution of women to sustainable economic growth.

In her closing speech, Spain's Minister for Equality, Bibiana Aído, said that inequalities are “bad business” for society as a whole and lead to economic inefficiency.

“The more inequalities there are, the less capacity, less value, less employment and more employment insecurity exists”, said Aído, who went on to add that equality is a tool with political benefits that generates higher levels of employment, greater GDP, more sustainable birth rates and greater social cohesion.

The Spanish minister also believes that the crisis represents an opportunity to build a new European model that is “more effective and more inclusive” and that it is "essential" that this new Europe depends on women, since "there have never been so many highly educated women in Europe".

Statement from the Triple Presidency

“Now is the time for the knowledge economy to become the equality economy", continued Aído, who will chair the informal meeting of EU ministers of equality on Friday. The countries of the triple presidency (Spain, Belgium and Hungary) will sign a joint statement then on the importance of equality "for overcoming the crisis and so that this never happens again”.

The speakers at the conference include the Director of Equality of the European Commission, Belinda Pyke, who pointed out that Spain "is ensuring" that equality has an important place on the EU's agenda and called for "flexible agreements that allow men and women to work as they wish".

Daniela Bankier, the Head of the European Commission's unit for Equality between Men and Women, called for "More quality and equal employment" in the workplace, saying that the average pay gap between European men and women is 18%, a figure that in her opinion "reflects many of the inequalities that still exist”.

At the close of the technical conference, the Spanish minister and the Mayoress of Valencia, Rita Barberá, met with those attending the informal meeting, including six ministers (Belgium, Ireland, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Luxembourg and Poland), as well as Vice-ministers and Secretaries of State from the other EU Member States.