equality abd types of equality conclusions
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Answer:
1. Respect both for human rights and respect for equality between women and men are founding values for the Union, as stated in the Treaty on European Union and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
2. It is important to promote common values such as respect for human rights and equality between women and men as well as a common understanding that human rights are universal and apply to all, irrespective of, inter alia, sex.
3. The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) provides that the Union shall aim in all its activities to eliminate inequalities and to promote equality between women and men, and to combat discrimination on various grounds, including sex, when defining and implementing its policies and activities [1] and empowers the Council to take action to combat discrimination on those grounds.[2]
4. This set of Conclusions builds on previous work and political commitments voiced by the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and other relevant stakeholders, including the documents listed in Annex I.
5. Equality between women and men is a fundamental principle of the European Union enshrined in the Treaties and is one of the objectives and tasks of the Union, and mainstreaming the principle of equality between women and men in all its activities represents a specific mission for the Union.[3]
6. Equality between men and women is enshrined in Article 23 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
7. The European Parliament and the Council have both invited the Commission to adopt a Strategy, with the same formal status as previous Strategies, for gender equality for the period after 2015.
8. In its Work Programme for 2016, the Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to continue its work to promote equality between men and women.
9. The Commission recently presented its Strategic engagement for gender equality 2016-2019 which sets out five priority areas: increasing female labour-market participation and the equal economic independence of women and men; reducing the gender pay, earnings and pension gaps and thus fighting poverty among women; promoting equality between women and men in decision-making; combating gender-based violence and protecting and supporting victims; and promoting gender equality and women's rights across the world.
10. The Union possesses a significant body of legislation promoting compliance with the principle of equal treatment for men and women in the fields of employment and access to goods and services.
11. The Union has played an important role in promoting gender equality worldwide and has committed itself, inter alia, to the full and effective realisation of the UN Beijing Platform for Action. Since 1999, the Council has adopted Conclusions with sets of quantitative and qualitative indicators on the critical areas of concern.
12. The UN Summit held on 25-27 September 2015 adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including a stand-alone goal to “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” as well as the commitment to mainstreaming gender equality in other goals. This universal agenda provides new obligations and opportunities to fully mainstream the gender dimension into all relevant EU and national strategies, policies and funding programmes and to systematically promote and implement gender impact assessments and gender budgeting, and to monitor and evaluate policies, including by collecting sound and comparable data disaggregated by sex and age, using available data wherever possible, with a view to achieving gender equality, not only in the context of external action, but also within the Union.