Heading for the Open Sea
October 2007
"Innovative EQUAL approaches that are addressing the persisting gender
inequalities in employment and society will soon have to face the challenges of
the open sea", said Lucia Scarpitti when she opened the 3rd Peer
Review of the European Community of Practice on gender mainstreaming on behalf
of the Italian Ministry of Labour. Referring to the achievements of EQUAL
Scarpitti expressed her confidence that the new models will brave the waves and
prove their validity in the new ESF programmes.
After having had the unique opportunity of developing and testing those
concepts in the protected space of EQUAL, project promoters and programme
managers are now busy disseminating and transferring good practices towards
mainstream policies and practices. The Italian hosts of this
Peer Review had decided to focus the event on the integration of the gender
dimension into the world of business and economy. Key players who have benefited
from EQUAL were invited together with project representatives to share their
experiences and strategies for the future.
In addition to organising face-to-face events such as the Florence Peer
Review, the Gender Mainstreaming Community of Practice has developed a
communication and
networking platform on the Internet. Launched in Florence, it is intended to
be the hub for those involved in implementing the ESF at all levels - ESF
programme managers, gender equality bodies and experts, policy makers and ESF
promoters. Right on the spot Peer Review participants registered as members and
committed themselves to making the platform a real gender mainstreaming
warehouse, stocking tools and embarking on common learning experiences.
From test runs to sustainability and lasting impact
The Peer Review was structured in two parallel workshops. The first targeted
business owners and managers whose enterprises are integrating the gender
dimension into their management systems and personnel policies. The second
workshop assembled representatives of trade unions, employer organisations and
public authorities from local and regional levels. Together they reviewed
methods of incorporating gender equality in the social dialogue and into
collective bargaining.
Each working group met in three sessions. The first was dedicated to
collecting the best solutions to inequalities and discrimination, the second to
exploring and sharing strategies of making the solutions sustainable and the
last to exchanging the most promising ways of transferring the new models to
future ESF programmes and relevant national policy areas.
The workshops yielded a wealth of good practices with good mainstreaming
potential and at the same time created and strengthened contacts and cooperation
amongst participants. Successful approaches on the way of becoming regular
practice include:
- Mobile gender equality teams and consultancy services are helping SMEs to
maximise the use of female potential in management and are thus contributing to
closing the gender gaps in middle and senior management.
- Gender equality auditing and award systems motivating companies to initiate
or strengthen equality action plans. If "flagship companies" are singled out
because of outstanding schemes such as for instance widening vocational choices
of girls towards science, engineering and technology other enterprises are
following suit.
- Round tables and networks of private sector companies demonstrate that
"equality is good business".
- Integrating the gender dimension into the work of business creation and SME
support agencies increases the number of women entrepreneurs and the
productivity of women led companies.
- Bringing together social and political actors at local or regional level to
sign "new social contract for equality between women and men" leads to protocols
of action plans and eventually to collective agreements.
- Improved legal frameworks, awareness raising, plus needs tailored counselling
and training for social partners as well as business managers turns them into
agents of change.
- Entrusting the task of mainstreaming practices and tools to a special group
whose members are in a position of enabling this transfer process.
These are just a few glimpses on what emerged from the debate. More detailed
reports about the outcomes of the workshops will shortly be published on the
Internet platform of the Community of Practice (www.gendermainstreaming-cop.eu).
A
Policy Brief on gender mainstreaming provides background information and an
overview of relevant EQUAL achievements.
In terms of sustainability and transfer towards mainstream policies and
practices participants agreed on five key factors for success. These include the
involvement of the social partners from the very early stages of developing a
new solution, the necessity to experiment it and to prove its validity. The
solution must be available in the shape of a tangible product so that potential
users can easily apply it to their own specific context. Moreover, adopting a
model of handling gender issues should mean added-value such as business
advantages and social recognition for the company or organisation.
Incorporating EQUAL principles into the new ESF programmes
The closing plenary session featured a panel discussion amongst key people
from the European Commission, Italy, Germany and Sweden, all involved in the
implementation of the European Social Fund (ESF). Facilitated by Giovanni
Principe, the General Director of ISFOL (Italian EQUAL support structure), they
cast a critical eye on the gender equality track record of the ESF in the past
and new programming period. Juliet Peters-Travis from the Commission reported
that gender equality is one of the most popular themes addressed by the 117
Operational Programmes which are currently being assessed and confirmed by the
Commission. Also, in the framework of the transnationality action plan agreed by
Commission and Member States one of the first thematic networks proposed could be
dedicated to gender mainstreaming. The contributions of Luigina Leonarduzzi and
Maria Rönnbäck, ESF managers from the Italian Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia and
from the region of Norra Mellansverige (north-middle-Sweden) mirrored both a commitment to gender equality
and transnationality. Renate Wielpütz, member of the Monitoring Committee of the
German Federal State of Berlin described how gender mainstreaming is anchored in
the national and Länder level Operational Programmes of her country. Intended
strategies include gender budgeting; gender balance in Monitoring Committees;
and a scoring procedure that makes gender equality a hard criterion in the
selection of projects. In addition, a special body was set up to enable the
transfer of good gender equality practices between the different Länder.
All panellists agreed that events such as Peer Reviews, but also the new
Internet platform are
extremely useful to reinforce exchange and review of strategies and practices
amongst ESF implementers.
A Community of Practice as motor for further development
In 2006 seven Member States (Finland, Belgium-Flanders, Ireland, Italy,
Portugal, Spain, and the Austrian Region of Styria) have formed a Community of
Practice on Gender Mainstreaming (GM
CoP). Under the slogan "Gender Mainstreaming, a tool for change" they
wish to join forces with other countries in a common endeavour of disseminating
relevant EQUAL achievements throughout Europe. The Peer Review in Florence was
the third in a chain of such events. These are organised in the participating
Member States in 2007 and 2008. Two have taken place in
Graz and in
Dublin. After Florence one more will follow in Ghent. The Peer Reviews
target decision-makers in national, regional and local governments, key people
concerned with the implementation of national and regional ESF programmes, as
well as stakeholders representing the enterprises, social partners, gender
equality bodies, NGOs and EU-level organisations.
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