The rise of ‘anti-gender’ movements in recent years has created serious threats to equality, according to a report which flags Malta as the member state that bans abortion in all cases.
These groups contest and misinterpret the concept of ‘gender’ to deny certain rights of women and LGBTQI people, the EU’s centre on gender equality said in its review of the Beijing Platform for Action, published ahead of International Women’s Day.
Some movements threaten to limit women’s access to legal and safe abortions, the report said, adding that some member states permit abortion only under specific restricted circumstances, or not at all in the case of Malta.
Asked whether the ban was of concern, director Carlien Scheele said the European Institute for Gender Equality’s findings showed that in some states it was a challenge to ensure the protection of women’s rights, in particular sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Since 2013, some states had taken steps to reduce access to essential sexual and reproductive health and services, such as contraception, family planning and abortion.
Some states have seen a “concerning trend of policy and legislative proposals that could, as the Council of Europe states: ‘roll back existing protection for women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights’,” she added.
According to the report, which outlines the EU’s progress, one big challenge that needs tackling is the unequal sharing of unpaid housework and caring responsibilities.
On average, women do an extra 13 hours of unpaid work each week, compared to men
On average, women do an extra 13 hours of unpaid work each week, compared to men. This limits women’s career opportunities and prevents them from entering positions of power. On company boards, decision-making positions mostly go to men, with women occupying a quarter of board seats in large companies across the EU.
According to the report, women in Estonia, Greece, Lithuania and Malta account for only 10 per cent or fewer board members.
Scheele told Times of Malta that equal participation of women and men in decision-making was a matter of justice, respect for human rights and better reflection of the interests of different groups in society.
In politics, equal participation is an important condition for effective democracy and good governance.
In the economy, more balanced representation of women and men in decision-making can boost innovation, competitiveness and productivity, and contribute to the future prosperity of the EU.
She believes that one of the major things holding women back from being promoted to decision-making positions was not a lack of merit but traditional gender roles and stereotypes.
“Women are often expected to take on the bulk of household and care responsibilities, with care responsibilities keeping some 7.7 million women out of the labour market.
“In politics, there is also an increasing concern about online harassment, which can discourage women from participating in political debate or running for office.”
What is the Beijing Platform for Action?
A quarter of a century ago, 189 governments came together in Beijing to sign a commitment for the empowerment of women in all areas of life.
The EU was among the signatories to the Beijing Platform for Action, and since 2010 EIGE has been tasked with monitoring its implementation. As its most recent report shows, no country has yet fully completed the objectives outlined in 1995: while there has been indisputable progress, there have also been setbacks.