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UfM adopts new project to support women’s empowerment in the Mediterranean
A project aimed at developing women’s empowerment in the Mediterranean through the development of effective field projects and the setting up of networks and platforms, was adopted by Senior Officials of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) at a meeting held last month.
European Commission gives guidance to Europe's insurance industry to ensure non-discrimination betwe
Brussels, 22 December 2011 – The European Commission has adopted guidelines to help the insurance industry implement unisex pricing, after the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that different premiums for men and women constitute sex discrimination.
Prevention is key to ending violence against women, says UN Human Rights chief Navi Pillay
[UN, New York, 5 July 2011] Prevention of violence against women was the focus of a discussion on women’s human rights held last month at the UN in Geneva in the framework of the 17th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Commonwealth People’s Forum provides crucial interface between governments and civil society
Perth, Western Australia hosted the Commonwealth People’s Forum (CPF) from 25th to 27th October 2011 in the run up of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) from 28 to 30th October 2011. These meetings are held every two years.
Female mentors to help woman entrepreneurs to get started
Brussels, 15 November 2011. A new European network of mentors to promote female entrepreneurship through the sharing of know-how and experience has been launched today by the European Commission. Women only account for 34.4% of the self-employed in Europe.
SCOOP: Socio-economic Sciences: Communicating Outcomes Oriented to Policy
SCOOP: Socio-economic Sciences: Communicating Outcomes Oriented to Policy is supported by the European Union under the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities 7th Framework Programme for Research. Project duration: October 2009 - September 2012.
Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of victims of gender-based and domestic violence
Brussels, 16/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - The Council of Europe has created a convention to protect the victims of gender-based and domestic violence. It was presented in a press conference at the European Parliament on 15 June with José Manuel Bota, chair of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Rashida Manjoo, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Eva-Britt Svensson, chair of the EP women's rights and gender equality committee.
Brussels, 30/05/2011 (Agence Europe)
In adopting the report by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (EPP, Greece) on women and business leadership on 25 May, the European Parliament (EP) women's rights/equal opportunities committee calls on the Commission to prepare “a road map setting specific, measurable, appropriate and realistic targets, with a timetable, for the achievement of balanced representation”.
Youth on the Move – starting on the journey through life
For many young people in Europe, the final years of school and the transition from education into work present major challenges. The economic crisis has only increased the obstacles they face in obtaining the skills and qualifications needed to secure a satisfying job and a secure place in society.
First European Equal Pay Day highlights EU earnings gap
Women in the European Union earn on average 17.5% less than men during their lifetimes. This stark figure will be highlighted tomorrow during the first EU-wide Equal Pay Day. This day – 5 March – marks the extra number of days in 2011 that women must work to match the amount of money earned by men in 2010. The European Commission is committed to closing the gender pay gap and published an overall strategy for gender equality in September 2010 (see IP/10/1149 and MEMO/10/430). This year’s Equal Pay Day, which aims to raise awareness of the pay gap, comes ahead of International Women's Day on 8 March.
Statement by the EWL on the adoption of a new Pact for Gender Equality (2011-2020)
[Brussels, 16 March 2011] The EWL has issued a Statement in the aftermath of the Council of the EU’s adoption last week of a new Pact for Gender Equality 2011-2020. While welcoming the renewed commitment of the Member States to the fulfilment of the EU Treaty ambitions in relation to equality between women and men, the EWL regrets that no binding concrete measures, including targets, are foreseen in the Pact, except the renewed commitment to the Barcelona childcare objectives.
UN Women
The United Nations General Assembly unanimously decided to establish UN Women, the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
Self-employed workers to gain maternity and pension benefits under new EU law
Self-employed workers and their partners will enjoy better social protection – including the right to maternity leave for the first time – under new legislation endorsed by EU governments today.
More women in top jobs key to economic growth, says EU report
Only one in 10 board members of Europe's biggest listed companies is a woman and all central bank governors in the EU are male.
Tackling the gender pay gap – Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we need to tackle the gender pay gap? At 18% across Europe, the gender pay gap remains intolerably high and stubborn. Equal pay for equal work is one of the European Union’s founding principles.
Longer parental leave and incentives for fathers
Longer parental leave and incentives for fathers agreed by EU ministersEuropean Commission, Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Parents will have the right to longer parental leave, under new rules agreed by EU ministers today.

Five major high-tech firms pledge to promote more "Cyberellas" 

In today's global financial crisis, jobs in information and communication technologies (ICT) sectors like telecoms and the internet are reliable sources of growth and crucial for the recovery of the economy. However, the EU's competitiveness depends on attracting and keeping skilled workers, especially in the high-tech sector, including women. But while a shortage of around 300,000 qualified engineers is expected in the EU by 2010, less than 1 in 5 computer scientists are women. The European Commission responded in 2007 by encouraging telecoms and internet companies to attract more "cyberellas" – women with ICT skills. As a result, five major ICT companies will today sign a Code of Best Practices for Women and ICT. They are committing to do more to make tech jobs attractive for women and to make better use of and promote female potential in the ICT sector.

"The signing of this Code of Best Practices is a first step towards making high-tech jobs cool for girls and getting more women into the ICT sector. I congratulate those companies that today have the courage and conviction to commit to this Code, that will enrich the ICT sector by making it more female-friendly," said Viviane Reding, EU Telecoms Commissioner. "However, the ICT sector is only starting to realise the scale of the issue and how important it is to attract women, and to close the skills shortage we are facing in Europe. The ICT sector in Belgium currently faces a shortage of 10,100 IT qualified staff, in Poland 18,300, in Italy 2,800, in France 4.300, in Spain 41,800 and in Germany even 87,800! I call on other ICT companies to follow suit and sign the Code for Women and ICT by the end of this year."

Today, Commissioner Reding has overseen the signing of a Code of Best Practices for Women and ICT by five European and multinational companies: ALCATEL-LUCENT, IMEC, ORANGE-FRANCE TELECOM GROUP, MICROSOFT and MOTOROLA. This results from industry talks launched by Commissioner Reding on International Women's Day 2008 (IP/08/392). The Code aims to attract girls at school or university to the high-tech sector but also retain and promote women already working in this sector through:

Establishing Girls Labs or Computer Clubs for Girls where girls can develop greater self-confidence when using ICT by creating websites, mixing music or designing online magazines. Code signatories IMEC, Motorola, Orange and Microsoft already have active Girls and Technology labs or summer technology camps. Such clubs also exist in the United Kingdom, and Germany

Mentoring programmes during maternity leave which help women on parental leave to keep up-to-date with the latest technological developments, for example as offered by Motorola.

Practical help in balancing family and work-life. Companies such as IMEC already offer flexible working hours and home working.

Women's ICT forums and networks offering support on job searches, advice and mentoring. Alcatel Lucent is promoting career support for high potential women to fast track them up the career ladder. Microsoft and Motorola also have fully implemented women leadership programmes.

Setting targets for the recruitment and promotion of female ICT professionals at all levels and monitoring the achievement of these targets. Code signatory Orange is boosting the recruitment of women by holding the process open until at least one woman has applied.

The European Commission will closely monitor the implementation of this Code and will assess it in a year's time. "Such good practices need to be complemented by firm targets. One practical way to do this is to boost the representation of women in the Boards of ICT companies", said Commissioner Reding. "Today only 7% of board members in the 116 major ICT companies are women. Therefore, let's set ourselves a target to double this by 2015."

Background:

To raise awareness about Europe's female potential for ICT, Commissioner Reding launched in 2007 the "Shadowing Initiative" (IP/07/305) now organised yearly. On a Shadowing Day, young girls follow a successful woman from the ICT sector (engineer, executive or politician) through a typical working day, meet male and female ICT experts and get a taste of what it might be like to work in the ICT sector. In 2008, more than 100 girls took part in this shadowing initiative (IP/08/392).

In October 2008, at the Global Meeting of the Women's Forum for Economy and Society in Deauville, Commissioner Reding met other female leaders from politics and industry calling for more women with ICT skills ('Cyberellas', MEMO/08/631).

Today's signature of the Code of Best Practices on Women and ICT was accompanied by the conference "Cyberellas are IT!" in Brussels where Commissioner Reding presented a short clip on the shadowing exercise which took place in Lyon in November 2008. The videoclip "ICT is wicked" will be distributed to schools around Europe and is available online:

http://212.68.215.195/europa/shadowingday09.wmv

More information can be found at www.ec.europa.eu/itgirls.

 
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