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Women in the economy: employment, entrepreneurship and gender budgeting

Motion for a resolution | Doc. 15562 | 22 June 2022

Committee
Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination

While considerable progress has been made in relation to women’s economic empowerment in the last decade, deeply entrenched inequalities, significantly exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic, persist in the Council of Europe member States.

Gender inequality in the economy manifests itself in various forms:

  • gender gaps in the labour market concerning differences in employment rates, hourly pay, prevalence of part-time work, division of unpaid care and family responsibilities, working conditions and possibilities for economic independence;
  • gender inequalities in entrepreneurship, such as lower self-employment rates, difficulties in access to credit, finance, capital, reconciling work and family life, prejudices and stereotypes about women in business;
  • gender segmentation of the economy, with women over-represented in less profitable sectors like education, health and social work, and under-represented in particular in the area of STEM subjects, which offer better employment and professional development opportunities;
  • difficult access for women to economic decision-making in public and private sectors.

Ensuring effective implementation of gender budgeting by Council of Europe member States is vital for improving gender equality in all fields including the economy. More efforts must be made to highlight the importance of women’s participation in the economy and ensuring more inclusive growth, as prerequisites for gender equality and equitable and sustainable societies and as part of the solution to post-pandemic recovery. Equal opportunities and greater labour market participation among women can increase economic prosperity and competitiveness in Europe.

Taking its Resolution 2235 (2018) “Empowering women in the economy” as a starting point, the Parliamentary Assembly should re-examine this issue and make recommendations on closing gender gaps in employment and entrepreneurship, addressing labour market segregation, precarious work and digital divide (by increasing women’s participation in STEM subjects, artificial intelligence, green economy and digital sectors), improving care services, promoting better work-life balance and advancing gender budgeting.