From October 23 to 27, 2022, a seminar was held in Lyon/France on "How to achieve true gender equality at work", organised by the CFTC (French Confederation of Christian Workers), with the EZA support and financed by the European Union.
INTRODUCTION
As an objective followed by the European Union, gender equality is the subject of policies supported at both national and European level.
Our work consisted in taking stock of the respective legislation, making a statement between the strengths and weaknesses of these, in order to be able to assess their effectiveness and to consider appropriate proposals to make the effective search for men and women equality.
Beyond this state of the positive law of the countries in that matter, the participants talked about the applicability of the principle of equality to the genders, naturally, fundamentally distinct and complementary, which are men and women.
It seems necessary to take this difference into account in order to understand the logic of the establishment of equality.
It is on the strength of this verified hypothesis, applied to the professional field, that we have been able to demonstrate that equal rights at work between men and women, however essential it may be, is not uniformity.
34 representatives of workers' organisations participated in the seminar. The following countries were represented: Albania, Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, France, Lithuania, Moldova, Portugal, Romania.
The seminar was led by Joseph THOUVENEL, CFTC Confederal Secretary.
Tthe seminar was opened by Mr. Veselin Mitov, vice-president of EZA.
The following topics were discussed:
- "The evolution of law in France" by Mrs. Sandrine Chadefaux, Legal Manager of the CFTC PARIS.
- "The issue of gender equality seen from Germany" by Mrs. Suzanne Hirschberger, Head of Department - pastoral care of workers-IG-METAL, Germany.
- "The issue of gender equality seen from Portugal" by Mrs. Maria Reina Martin, President of FIDESTRA-Portugal.
- "The issue of gender equality seen from Bulgaria" by Mr. Veselin Mitov, International Secretary PODKREPA-Bulgaria.
- “The issue of gender equality seen from Spain by Mr. Martiniano Blazquez, member of the CEAT Spain Council.
- "The situation of widows in Africa in connection with African workers in France", By Mr. Jean-Baptiste Pandzou, Vice-president of the CSFV-Fédération commerce service force de vente.
- “From kindergarten to primary school, is there equality between boys and girls?” by Mrs. Krystele Gratien, Teacher of specialised schools – Network for helping children in difficulty.
- "The issue of gender equality as seen from Lithuania" by Mrs. Jelena Soms, Vice-President Lithuanian Labour Federation (LDF).
- “The positioning of the European Trade Union Confederation” by Mr. Vladimir Djordjevic, Confederal Councillor CFTC.
- "CFTC action for equal rights between men and women within the High Council for Equality" by Aurélie Chasseboeuf, Confederal Councillor CFTC.
- "The role of parents in the construction of the human being", by Mrs Anne Schaub-Thomas, Psychotherapist-Belgium.
- “The issue of gender equality seen from Albania” by Mr. Bilbil Kasmi, President of SAUATT-Albania.
- “The issue of gender equality seen from Romania by Messrs Silviu Ispas, Director IFES-Romania and Bogdan Hossu, president of the Cartel Alfa-Romania trade union.
- “What is equality by Madame Chantal Delsol, Philosopher.
Seminar results
France, like other European countries, has put in place several new laws intended to establish equal rights between men and women.
In France, from the principle of non-discrimination, we have gone from the concept of positive discrimination to the implementation of quota policies. This last system has quantitatively increased the number of women in charge. For example, in 2021, there were 45.3% of women on the Boards of Directors of large French companies (37.9% in Belgium, 36% in Germany, 32.6% in Spain and 31% in Portugal). However, these invasive policies in the company can come up against the great principle of Republican meritocracy. Should we legislate at the risk of not respecting freely and democratically expressed choices? How to move from the - inappropriate - status of the incapacity of women to the - legitimate - status of equal rights between women and men, ignoring the innate difference between the sexes? Our societies are changing, even in revolution on these issues, will men and women emerge unscathed from this brutal transformation? Do institutions such as the Special Agency for Equal Opportunities in Romania or the High Council for Equality in France have a real impact on national policies?
Decisions
The trade unions present at the seminar intend to continue their efforts to be forces of proposals regarding legislative developments on gender equality in their respective countries. Overall, they want new legislation at European level that is more restrictive but respectful of the existing differences between men and women. It is important that our organisations invest in places of reflection concerning equal rights between men and women, such as the High Council for Equality in France. Everyone agrees on the fact that one should not try to assimilate one sex to the other to achieve equal rights, that this would be a decoy preventing the situation of men and women from being properly understood.
We must empower women without undermining masculinity, and adopt legislation adapted to gender differences, so as not to reverse inequalities under the pretext of combating them.
It has been observed that the granting of certain rights to women could in fact lead to discriminatory situations for men. For example, the required parity can lead to a person being excluded from recruitment, not because of their skills but because of their sex. This amounts to unequal opportunities, therefore unequal rights, whether for women or for men. It would therefore be fairer to aim for parity by working on the means of real equality of choice and by considering in the various professional sectors the particularities linked in particular to maternity.
We must oppose radical and blind equality which, disregarding the nature and deep desires of people, would become synonymous with a real absence of choice.
Consequences
Despite the legislative advances in Europe in terms of gender equality, we must remain vigilant and preserve the rights acquired by women in recent years. Our legal constructions could be easily shaken if they are not based on solid foundations, carefully thought out, and not subject to the perversion of the norm as we wanted to conceive it.
We must move towards policies to fight against inequalities in rights and must not want to stubbornly create artificial “equality” between naturally different genders. Women must be restored to their status as capable persons endowed with an array of rights and obligations equal to those of men.