Conference on professional equality between women and men, the demographic challenge and the economic stakes
Sevelnord, in Lieu Saint-Amand
© Valérie Couteron
- from: 13.11.2008
- to: 14.11.2008
- In: Lille, Grand Palais
In view of with the economic, demographic and social challenges of Europe, and despite a marked improvement in the employment situation for women and men, efforts are still necessary to improve the participation of women in the job market and the reconciliation between family life and professional life, in accordance with the Lisbon strategy for growth and employment and the objectives defined in Barcelona.
In this context, the French presidency has decided to organise a conference dedicated to this topic, entitled "Professional equality between women and men, the demographic challenge and the economic stakes", which will take place on 13 and 14 November 2008 at the Grand Palais in Lille.
The aim of this conference will be to specify the stakes involved in professional equality between women and men in the EU, to define the objectives to be reached and to develop existing good practice in European countries. This event is organised around four round-table dicussions and will bring together a broad panel of European participants and representatives from institutions and civil society.
The first round table will be focus on the mix of professions and women's access to executive positions. It will allow participants to reexamine the issue of the different guidance given to girls and boys in the education sector and the consequences of this guidance on women's professional life and career development.
The second round table will provide an opportunity to examine the issue of the quality of jobs for women and the safeguards in their professional careers. While women are gaining increased access to the job market, substantial inequalities with men persist in the development of their careers, which are in particular held back by a recourse to part-time work or by career interruptions associated with the use of 'family' leave. Particular attention will be paid to the concentration of women in certain sectors and professions, which could present certain specific characteristics in terms of organisation, working conditions and stress.
The third round table will cover the theme of equality of earnings between women and men, and the ways and means to achieve this. European women actually earn on average 15% less than men, a remuneration gap that arises from both direct discrimination with regard to women and a certain number of structural inequalities.
Finally, the fourth round table will deal with the reconciliation between professsional life and personal life, providing an opportunity to show how this is becoming a major issue both for the attractiveness of regions as well as for corporate performance.
- Updated: 30.12.2008
