Lithuania to host EU sex equality institute

EU Business - 01/12/2006 - copyright © 2006 EUbusiness Ltd.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Social/061201193740.99f0355e  

Lithuania will host a new EU sex equality institute set to open its doors next year, EU social affairs ministers agreed on Friday.
The European Institute of Gender Equality, yet to be formally approved by the European Parliament, will start life with a staff of 15 and a seven-year budget of 52.5 million euros.
"We did want to send out a clear political message that we think that gender equality is extremely important at the European level, national level and local level," EU Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimir Spidla told reporters after a meeting of EU health and social affairs ministers.

Lithuania beat fellow new EU members Slovenia and Slovakia to host the institute, which will have its seat in Vilnius.
The EU ministers, in a final statement, encouraged the future institute "and the different national gender equality bodies to investigate how various circumstance, opportunities, structures and policies affect both men and women, boys and girls".

It also encourage the development from earliest childcare and education of "Pedagogic practices aimed at eliminating gender stereotypes," paying special attention to ways to "improve the capacity and potential of boys and men to care for themselves and others".

Spidla said the creation of the institute would be "an important step forward" in tackling cases of discrimination between men and women, while admitting that its effectiveness would depend on how EU member states cooperate with it.

The main activities of the Institute for Gender Equality will be to collect, record, analyse and disseminate information on gender equality Community-wide.

On the basis of the information collected it will develop "methodological tools to support the integration of gender equality into all Community policies".

The general public will be given access to information on the issue of gender equality, notably through a documentation centre and a website.

The pay gap between men and women throughout the EU is around 16 percent.
See also: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO)