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EUROPEAN REVIEW

ISSUE 30 - Page 10

Gender institute to provide equality ammunition

AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE NEW European Social Agenda is a further push to achieve equality between women and men. Worried by factors such as the hardly improving gender pay gap, the president of the Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, has declared that a balanced representation of women and men in politics and the economy is vital for future prosperity. To this end the EU is to set up a Gender Institute to be a research 'centre of excellence' and to provide reliable statistics for gender equality to be integrated into Brussels policies, so-called mainstreaming.

The need for such work was underlined by Communications Commissioner Margot Wallström in a speech to celebrate International Women's Day: apart from women being payed on average 15% less than men, she drew attention to the gender imbalance in EU institutions with only 29% of commissioners, 30% of MEPs and 17% of the members of other Committees being women. In the private sector, she said that the proportion of women chairing supervisory boards had increased from 2% to 3% in the past year but at this rate 'we will only achieve gender balance in the next millennium!'.

Vladimir Špidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, was more upbeat about the new institute 'What better way to celebrate International Women's Day than to propose the creation of a specific agency dedicated to equality for women and men?' and specifically mentioned the gender pay gap as a problem that it could help to solve. It is envisaged that the institute will be up and running during 2007 and it has been given a budget of €52.5 million to last until 2011.

Tribute to Maria Irace, trade union educator

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Maria Irace, Italian trade union educator, contributor to and friend of the European Review.

Working in the education department of the Italian federation CISL, Maria travelled all over Europe becoming a 'highly qualified focal point for education, especially for young trade unionists'. Jeff Bridgford, director of the European Trade Union College commented 'Whenever ETUCO was involved in new developments and projects I was always keen to invite the CISL to participate, knowing that Maria would be involved. We valued her vast experience and her unswerving commitment very highly ... she was an active participant in the development of a European trade union

Irace, M.

education methodology, the training of trainers at the European level, the preparation and dissemination of European training materials, the development of innovative training method, most notably in the use of electronic communication for distance learning purposes, and of course the design and delivery of European courses'. National training officer at the TUC, Liz Rees, added 'Maria was a real innovator, committed to trade union education and to making difficult concepts easy for learners. She was a joy to work with, a good friend who will be sadly missed'.

Maria in happy times

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Working in the education department of the Italian federation CISL, Maria travelled all over Europe becoming a 'highly qualified focal point for education, especially for young trade unionists'. Jeff Bridgford, director of the European Trade Union College commented 'Whenever ETUCO was involved in new developments and projects I was always keen to invite the CISL to participate, knowing that Maria would be involved. We valued her vast experience and her unswerving commitment very highly ... she was an active participant in the development of a European trade union		education methodology, the training of trainers at the European level, the preparation and dissemination of European training materials, the development of innovative training method, most notably in the use of electronic communication for distance learning purposes, and of course the design and delivery of European courses'. National training officer at the TUC, Liz Rees, added 'Maria was a real innovator, committed to trade union education and to making difficult concepts easy for learners. She was a joy to work with, a good friend who will be sadly missed'.
	Maria in happy times