Anita Nyberg. Center for Gender Studies Stockholm University Stockholm, Sweden

Transcription

1 Anita Nyberg Center for Gender Studies Stockholm University Stockholm, Sweden

2 EU Objectives: All policies gender mainstreamed Women s employment rate 60% Childcare services for 90% of children 3 years and mandatory school age Childcare services for 33% of children under 3 years Each parent an individual, non-transferable right to at least three months parental leave

3 Changes since earlier crises Women s share among economic and political decision-makers has increased The difference in time spent on unpaid domestic and care work has diminished between women and men. Women s earnings capacity has increased.

4 Women s educational level has increased strongly and the share of women attending university education is higher than among men in all 27 EU-countries Women s employment rate has increased regularly at a rate that has been consistently higher than for men. The female employment rate, at 59.1% in EU27 in 2008, is very close to the 2010 Lisbon objective goal of 60%. However, there are big differences between different countries, with only 37% in Malta and almost 75% in Denmark.

5 The European Economic Recovery Plan (EERP) (December 2008) Communication for the Spring European Council, Driving European Recover (March 2009) Annex II Structural Reform Stimuli Measures in the EERP 500 measures in the 27 EU-countries

6 1. Supporting industrial sectors, businesses and companies Supporting industrial sectors, business and companies Bolstering sector-specific demand: cars, tourism, construction Investment in investment in social services infrastructure: construction (health care, social housing, child care, long term care)

7 2. Supporting labour markets Temporary working-time reductions (with support of public funding) Do unemployed men and men with shorter working-hours participate more in unpaid domestic and care work? Cuts in wages in the public sector

8 3. Supporting investment Roads, railroads, ports, airports, renewable energy, energy efficiency, R&D and innovation in cars, green transport, biotechnologies.

9 4. Supporting household purchasing power Targeted towards low-income households, pensioners and families with children

10 Men s employment is directly or indirectly supported by measures directed towards industrial sectors, labour markets and investments Women supported as consumers in lowincome families. Women s wages lowered in the public sector. Gender mainstreaming, women s employment, child care and parental leave not mentioned. Assessment fair?

11 Measures in Sweden Male-dominated measures Special measures in the vehicle industry Guarantees construction period of buildings Tax deductions for repairs and rebuilding private homes Mainteance of roads and railroads Sum Mixed measures New-start jobs Vocational training and adult education Sum Female-dominated measures Support to the municipalities SEK 28 billion 20 billion 3.6 billion 1 billion 52.3 billion 0.9 billion 0.5 billion 1.4 billion 17 billion

12 Recommendations for discussion Collect and publish key data by gender to improve monitoring of the gender impact of the crisis and to be able to better assess policy measures Ensure that gender impact analysis is undertaken before and after measures are undertaken to avoid unintended consequences

13 Improve women s participation at all levels of economic and political decision-making in order to enhance the possibilities of both women s and men s views to be heard. Work to combat stereotyping, including addressing outmoded assumptions about men as earners and women as carers. Women and men need to reinvent themselves as both earners and carers. There should be a focus on encouraging women and men to break the gender segregated labour market and encouraging greater sharing of domestic tasks.

14 Make investments not only in physical infrastructure but also in social infrastructure such as child care, education and life-long learning. Human capital is required in a knowledge society. Time spent in child care and education while young have long lasting positive effects and are oriented to the future.

15 Use the crisis to break up the gender segregated labour market and make efforts to recruit women to sectors which today are male-dominated and heavily supported in the crisis, such as investments in roads, railroads, ports, airports, renewable energy and efficiency and R&D and innovation in cars, green transport, biotechnologies

16 Use the male job loss and shorter working hours to promote and facilitate sharing of caring responsibilities between women and men by encouraging fathers to spend more time with their children and use the parental leave, possibly facilitated by public resources.

17 Thank you