European Commission report on Equality between Women and Men 2010 - The European Commission released its annual report on equality between women and men in the European Union at the end of December 2009. The report shows that there is a positive trend towards a more gender-equal society and labour market, yet gender gaps persist, mainly to the disadvantage of women.
The report stresses that the current economic crisis has raised concerns that the achievements in gender equality are at risk and that the effects of the recession will put greater pressure on women. However, the European Commission also argues that these times of crisis offer a unique opportunity for change, given that gender equality is a precondition for sustainable growth, employment, competitiveness and social cohesion. The report stresses that gender equality therefore continues to be a core element of the EU 2020 strategy, and so gender equality policies should be considered as a long-term investment and not as a short-term cost.
Reducing the gender pay gap, improved work/life balance, social inclusion for women in particular vulnerable situations, and combating gender-based violence are all priorities for the future.
Where work/life balance is concerned, the report stresses the needs for care services for children, but also for disabled and elderly persons in an aging population. The report also trails a reform of tax and benefit systems to encourage secondary earners and main carers for dependents to take up work and ensure equal economic independence for women and men, also with regard to the earning of pension rights, while still protecting those with atypical career patterns.
The European Commission will be publishing a follow-up strategy to the roadmap for equality between women and men before summer 2010.
The report
coface’s response to the European Commission’s consultation on the roadmap for equality between women and men 2006-2010 and follow-up strategy
Report of the Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion: Homelessness and housing exclusion
This report summarises the main findings from an analysis undertaken by the Network of experts in 2009; it covers the 27 EU countries. The experts analysed the "social and economic inclusion of homeless people" and the "access to adequate housing" in their respective country.
Drawing on both the national experts’ analysis and the Network Core Team’s assessment of the Social OMC, it also puts forward 15 concrete suggestions for addressing the key barriers to making progress at both national and EU levels in the fight against homelessness and housing exclusion (HHE) – i.e., insufficient political commitment, lack of understanding of HHE and lack of agreement on definitions and appropriate indicators, absence of or inadequate data sources, and inadequate (if any) monitoring and reporting.
The report
Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion
Report Eurofound on Living conditions, social exclusion and mental well-being
Over the past two decades, the concept of social exclusion has increasingly replaced the concept of poverty within the EU policy discussion on social vulnerability and disadvantage. It has been shown that unequal access to the labour market and poor living conditions negatively affect social participation and social contact, which in turn impact on the quality of life of Europe’s citizens and lead to a sense of social exclusion. The second European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS), conducted by Eurofound in 2007, offers a wide-ranging view of the diverse social realities in Europe today. This report looks at the relationships between living conditions, social exclusion and mental well-being.
One of the main key findings is the role of financial and social support. The role of the family in providing financial support varies between the European countries; but when we talk about moral support, the major source of this support is family (considered as the primary source by about two-thirds of European citizens in all country groups). Overall, at the same level of lifestyle deprivation, individuals who have access to financial or moral support tend to show lower levels of perceived social exclusion.
The report
UNAF brochure "Mentor a local child"
Local mentoring is a way to forge links between two families focused on a child’s development. It is not about giving money, or adoption: local mentoring is about supporting a child or teenager and (with their parents) helping them to grow and fulfil their potential. France’s UNAF (national union of family associations) has been working to develop local mentoring for 10 years.
Local mentoring covers many areas of family welfare. It is based on creating family ties in the widest sense and getting families to act together. It is also very much about prevention. It is good for all those involved in the relations. It is about families reaching out to one another; it supplements existing provision and puts little drain on the public purse.
Simple, common sense, volunteering, prevention... the strengths of mentoring are probably also its weaknesses in terms of getting it recognised and mainstreamed into public policies and promoting it to families and professionals. The big challenges for mentoring today, therefore, are securing recognition for it as an organized, reliable and efficient form of provision, enhancing the quality of mentoring, and promoting it to families so as to maximise the benefits.
UNAF press release
