European Parliament criticises the EU's approach to gender equality

Brussels, 18/03/08: A new European Parliament report assesses a strategy titled 'Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in Development Countries', that was proposed by the European Commission (EC) during 2007. The Parliament’s report criticises how most of the DCI plans for helping individual countries contain no specific targets for improving the lot of women.

Felekans Uca, the German left-wing MEP who drafted the report, said in the plenary debate that took place on Thursday 13 March, that trade issues have not been properly addressed in the EC strategy and also insisted that sexual and reproductive health is an issue of fundamental importance.

Click here to read the European Parliament's report
Click here to read the resolution adopted on 13 March 2008
Click here to read an article from IPS News about the EU's efforts to improve gender equality in developing countries