European ministers are sending out a message of support for parity in political circles

The first Vice-president of the Spanish government, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, the Minister for Equality, Bibiana Aído, and the British Minister for Women and Leader of the House of Commons, Harriet Harman, opened the second European Women in Power Summit today, Wednesday, in Cadiz. The summit seeks to give new impetus to gender equality in the EU. 

In her address, Bibiana Aído mentioned the first European Women in Power Summit, held 18 years ago in Athens, as well as the “equality between men and women obtained in Europe”, but she also asked that steps be taken towards “real equality” through “democratic parity as the starting point for the construction of a democracy that integrates all sectors of society”. 

According to the minister, only 25% of national MPs in Europe are women, and only one quarter of ministers in the governments of Member States are women. She went on to point out that in 2008 only seven of the EU-27 countries had more than 30% female MPs, rising to 35% in the case of the European Parliament.

However, only one in ten members on the boards of directors of the major European companies are women, representing a mere 3% of the directors of these companies. And all of this despite the fact that 60% of people with university qualifications in the EU are women. 

The minister highlighted the national, European and international scope of the fight for gender equality, with special emphasis on developing countries, and advocated the creation of a “future gender agency” within the United Nations. 

Vice-president Fernández de la Vega compared the historical moment of transformation of the Athens Summit in 1992 with the present, pointing out that equality policies cannot be merely those of “reflection and paper, they must also be policies of action and presence”. 

According to the Vice-president, “the mass access of women into the public sphere, the achievement of equality, has already had significant consequences”, as “our access to positions of responsibility not only gives women what is fair, it also drives forward society as a whole”. 

She considered it urgent “to fight against the impunity of violence against women”, saying that “it is global in nature and appears in many forms”. The Spanish Presidency has therefore proposed the creation of a European Observatory to fight against gender violence, as well as the European order for victim protection. The Vice-president went on to point out the need to contain the global crisis in the real economy through “a sustainable and responsible economy” that “brings to the fore women's true position in the financial, business and labour worlds, in a decisive way”. 

During her address, Harriet Harman, the British Minister for Women and leader of the House of Commons, talking of the ministers present, said “we have achieved some progress, but we are still pioneers”. She also highlighted the importance of holding periodic meetings of European ministers as together they can “change the way in which countries work together” and offer a new perspective of international relations. 

Harriet Harman agreed with Bibiana Aído that the work ahead should be carried out on three fronts: “within our own countries, throughout Europe and internationally”. Additionally, she expressed her firm support for the creation of a UN Agency for Women. She said that she had called a meeting in London with diplomats and ambassadors to the UK to support the creation of this new agency by the United Nations. 

During the inauguration of the summit, the President of the provincial government, Francisco González, referred to the Cadiz Constitution of 1812 and expressed his satisfaction at this “new link between the city and the fight for the highest ideals that inspired the EU”. Likewise, Bibiana Aído highlighted that it was appropriate that the venue for the summit should be this “city historically renowned for its love of freedom and just causes”.

23 women ministers representing seventeen European Union countries, together with other women representatives meeting in Cadiz, will approve a policy statement at the end of the summit in order to give a definitive boost to gender equality in Europe.