The politics of backlash. From gender mainstreaming to mainstreaming equality for all

Maria Stratigaki, Panteion University, Greece ATHENA 3

WG3A: strengthening cooperation between academic and social organizations

addressing women or gender differences

A constant reinforcement of EU gender equality policies (till 1997)

• The Treaty or Rome (article 119)• The action programs (1st,2nd, 3rd)• The Directives (equal treatment in the labour

market) • Increase number of Women Commissioners in

(1995)• More women MEPS (1994) • The Beijing Conference (1995)• The Treaty of Amsterdam (Article 2, 141) 1997

Analysis of EU Documents

EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND• Regulation 2084/1993, 1994-1999 • Regulation 1784/1999, 2000-2006 • Regulation 1081/2006, 2007-2013

ACTION PROGRAMMES• 4th Action Programme on Equal Opportunities for Women

and Men 1996-2000 • Framework-Strategy on Gender Equality (5th action

programme) 2001-2005 • Road Map for Equality Between Women and Men

2006-2010

The Treaty of Amsterdam (1997)

Article 13• ..take action to combat discrimination based on

sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age and sexual orientation

Article 3, par..2• In all the activities … the Community shall aim to

eliminate inequalities, and to promote equality, between women and men.

Opportunities of Article 13

New legal base for tackling discrimination including on the basis of sex. - Directive 2004/113 on equal treatment of women and men in access to goods and provision of services- Anti discrimination Directives 2000/43 and 2000/78

Introducing new “types” of discrimination in the EU policy agenda.– New opportunities for NGOs

Progress

Action Programme (Framework Strategy 2001-2005) OBJECTIVE: “equal opportunities” to “gender equality” GENDER MAINSTREAMING: “dimension of equal opportunities” to “objective of equality” “take equality into account” to “aiming at equality”

The European Social Fund (3rd period 2000-2006) Double approachSpecific Funds Transversal policy priority

Table 1. Gender Equality in Medium-Term Action Programmes

Terms (dual approach)

Fields of Action Gender Mainstreaming Balance between gender mainstreaming and specific action

1996-2000

4th Action Programme on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men COM (1995) 381

Equal Opportunities between women and men (objective). Principle of integrating the equal opportunities for men and women dimension in all policies and activities

1. Partnership 2. Labour Market 3. Reconciliation 4. Decision Making5. Women’s Rights

1. In all fields of economic and social life (employment, local development) 2. Integration of equal opportunities in the Structural Funds3. Integration of equal opportunities in Community Policies

Specific action is more important than gender mainstreaming

Council Decision (95/593/CE) adopted after Beijing upgraded gender mainstreaming to the first priority in all EU and national policies (art. 2).

2001-2005

Framework-Strategy on Gender Equality (5th action programme) COM (2000) 335

Gender Equality

Strengthening the gender equality dimension of Community Policies

1. Economic life 2. Participation and representation3. Social Rights 4. Civil Life (violence) 5. Roles and Stereotypes

1. Employment Strategy 2. Community policies influencing everyday life 3. Education policies , culture etc (stereotypes) Formulation : Dimension of equality between women and men Gender dimension Gender Perspective

Balance between specific actions and gender mainstreaming

Gender mainstreaming appears as an operational objective aiming at achieving the strategic objective (gender equality in 5 fields)

Tableau 2. Gender Equality in the Regulations of the European Social Fund.

Duration Terms Position in the document

Fields of Action

Operational Issues (activities, plans, evaluations)

Relative position of social exclusion

1994-1999

Regulation 2084/1993

Equal Opportunities between Women and Men in the labour market.

One of the 4 fields of objective 3 of ESF.

Employment, under-representation, qualifications, accompanying actions.

Measurement of gender gap in employment. Impact assessment of ESF action for equal opportunities between women and men. Studies, pilot projects etc.

EqualIntegration of vulnerable people at risk for exclusion form the labour market is one field of action in Objective 3 of of the ESF.

2000-2006

Regulation 1784/1999

Women’s Access in the labour market (specific action) And Equality between Women and Men (transversal dimension).

One of the 5 policy priorities of the ESF.

Labour Market, career perspectives, entrepreneurshipreduction of vertical and horizontal segregation based on sex.

Support to structures and systems facilitating reconciliation of family and working life. Services et infrastructure for caring of independent people.

Inferior Equal opportunities for All is one of the 5 policy fields of the ESF. It is not a transversal dimension!.

Backlash since 2006

• THE ROAD MAP (2006-2010)– Objective– Political importance – Budget

• The ESF (4th period 2007-2013)– Integration of two types of equality– Gender equality inferior to equality for all – Reduction of projects/ political pressure

2001-2005

Framework-Strategy on Gender Equality (5th action programme) COM (2000) 335

Gender Equality

Strengthening the objective of gender equality in Community Policies having an impact on women’s lives

1. Economic life 2. Participation and representation3. Social Rights 4. Civil Life (violence) 5. Roles and Stereotypes

1. Employment Strategy 2. Community policies influencing everyday life 3. Education policies culture etc Formulation : Dimension of equality between women and men Gender dimension Gender Perspective

Balance between specific actions and gender mainstreaming

Gender mainstreaming appears as an operational objective aiming at achieving the strategic objective (gender equality in 5 fields)

2006-2010

Road Map for Equality Between Women and Men

COM (2006) 92

Equality Between Women and Men

Integration of a gender dimension in all policy areas

1. Economic Independence 2. Reconciliation 3. Participation 4. Violence, trafficking of human beings 5. Stereotypes6. Gender Equality outside the EU

Gender Mainstreaming is a key-action in all fields (employment and social protection, education, research, culture, structural funds, external relations, human aid).

Gender mainstreaming is more important than specific action.

Gender Mainstreaming is everywhere, it «replaces » specific action. Its meaning does not differentiate in difference policy fields

2000-2006

ESF Regulation 1784/1999

Women’s Access in the labour market (specific action) And Equality between Women and Men (transversal dimension).

One of the 5 policy fields of the ESF.

Labour Market, career perspectives, entrepreneurship, reduction of vertical and horizontal segregation based on sex.

Support to structures and systems facilitating reconciliation of family and working life. Services et infrastructure for caring of independent people.

Inferior Equal opportunities for All is one of the 5 policy fields of the ESF.

It is not a transversal dimension!.

2007-2013

ESF Regulation 1081/2006

Women’s Access in employment Segregation in educations

One of the 4 under-priorities of priority 2 of ESF.

Long-term participation, progression of women. Reduction of segregation, pay gap.

Integration of equality between women and men and equal opportunities in all operational programmes

Superior Social Inclusion and the fight against all forms of discrimination is one of the 5 priorities of the ESF

Some (interlinked) reasons for the backlash

• Enlargement – Reduction of policy mechanisms at EU – Decentralization to national governments – Merging of policy issues/fields

• Political conservatism in Commission and the Parliament

• Anglo-Saxon approach to inequality (vulnerable people, personal problems)

Perspectives

• Equality for All (are women included? )

• Diversity management (is gender included?)

• Merging of budgets (ex. Progress)

• Merging of policy issues (ex. Year of Equal Opportunities for All)

• Merging of civil stake holders (ex. European Social Platform)

Main Challenges

• How to save specific gender equality institutions (EP, EWL ?? ) and budgets?

• How to avoid dilution of sex discrimination in anti-discrimination policies?

• How to avoid to see women as a minority group?

• How to keep on the policy agenda the structural character of gender inequality?

Cahiers du Genre No. 44/ 2008

Numéro spécial coordonné par Sandrine Dauphin et Réjane Sénac-Slawinski

Gender mainstreaming: De l’égalité des sexes a la diversité?

Article:La politique du recul. De l’intégration de l’égalité

“des sexes” a l’intégration de l’égalité “pour tous”. pages 49-72.