| dc.description.abstract | Equality between women and men is enshrined in the Treaties and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights as a fundamental principle of the European Union (EU). Equality between women and men is one of the EU’s main objectives and tasks1. Article 157(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) allows the Member States to take positive action to achieve full equality in practice between men and women in working life.
Despite making up nearly half of the workforce and accounting for 60 % of new university graduates in the EU, women continue to be under-represented in economic decision-making positions, in particular at the top. Women’s untapped talent, which, properly exploited, could benefit businesses and society at large, represents a wasted investment in human capital. Women represent on average almost one-third of business leaders in the EU, but the situation varies between countries. On average, the company boards of the largest companies listed on EU stock exchanges include barely one woman in every ten board members, and progress in changing this has been slow in recent years. Equality in decision-making is one of five priority areas2 in both the Women’s Charter3 and the European Commission’s Strategy for Equality between Women and Men (2010-2015)4. In both documents, the Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to working to increase the percentage of women in positions of responsibility.
Slow progress towards gender balance in economic decision-making has put pressure on governments and companies in many Member States to redress the situation. There is discussion across the Union on the best way to increase the presence of women, in particular in corporate boardrooms.
The ‘business case’ for gender equality is another important issue. It is widely argued that women’s advancement in the world of work brings benefits for businesses, while the under-utilisation of women’s skills is a loss for the economy, particularly in the light of anticipated skill shortages.
This document has been drafted against that background with the aim of highlighting the gender gaps in selected high-level economic decision-making positions5, the main barriers women face, and the economic and business case for better representation of women in top positions. It also outlines some examples of action taken by governments, the social partners and the corporate sector to increase women’s participation in management. | en_US |
