International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8 March every year. The celebration has its origins in the early 20th Century, when no country in Europe (with the exception of Finland) allowed women to vote in national elections. Women’s rights have obviously increased substantially since then, but there is still a “glass ceiling” keeping them from the very top positions.
In 2003, the European Commission started keeping a database to monitor the numbers of men and women in key decision-making positions in Europe. The statistics show that only 3% of the largest publicly-listed companies in the EU have a female CEO, whilst only 7% have a female chairperson of the board. In politics and finance, the statistics are only slightly better – there are only two female presidents and four women prime ministers in the EU-28, whilst only one central bank governor (Cyprus’ Chrystalla Georghadji) is a woman.
What is keeping women from top leadership roles in Europe? We had a comment sent in from Silke from Germany, a woman in the middle of her career. She told us that in almost every job interview she’s had, she has been asked whether she plans to have children (the implication being that she would not be hired if she did). She said this is almost unbelievable, and this attitude seems to be one of the biggest challenges holding women back professionally.
To get a reply, we took Silke’s comment to Valérie Kinoo, a Women Entrepreneurship Facilitator at transforma bxl, and author of an article on increasing female participation in the European labour market in the latest issue of Europe’s World.
What would she say to Silke?
Well, I totally agree with her. It’s a really big problem that women often face in their careers, and that’s why it’s good that the European Commission has a Directive to protect pregnant workers. But we should also be encouraging men to take more paternity leave as well, and we should be talking about “parental leave” instead of just “maternity leave”, so that men are also taking care of children.
Because, at the moment, employers only ask such questions to women and not to men, and this shouldn’t be the case. So, it’s about protecting the rights of pregnant workers, encouraging men to care of children as well, and having more care services available for children.
We also had a comment come in from Peter, who argued that, on average, women often earn less money for performing exactly the same jobs as men. He believed that measures need to be put in place to promote greater transparency in relation to pay rates, in order to close the gender pay gap.
We put Peter’s comment to Francesca Bettio, Professor of Economics at the University of Siena, Coordinator of the European Network of Experts on Gender Equality (ENEGE), and author of an article in Europe’s World arguing that better gender equality in Europe’s workforce would boost economic growth.
What would she say to Peter?
Transparency policies have been put in place in some European countries, and there are various tools available where women can disclose their salary to see if they are being paid less than men. However, this on its own does not solve the problem.
I think one has to go to the root of the problem, which is the division of labour within the family. And, here, I must say that men have got a huge role to play, meaning they should be more willing to share housework and especially care work, and sometimes even at a small, temporary cost to their careers. So, I believe that the role of men at home is as important as transparency in the workplace.
Finally, we had a comment sent in by Tiago, who said he was worried that unreasonable expectations are being placed on young women today. Tiago believes that women are being made to feel like failures if they decide not to pursue a career, and that women should be given autonomy to do what they want, including not pursuing a career.
How would Valérie Kinoo respond?
I would agree with Tiago that there is a lot of pressure on young women today, and they’re increasingly facing problems that were not common in the past. For example, more and more young women are suffering from stress and related health problems, and burn-out. A lot of young women today are facing unemployment and high personal debt, because they borrow money for their education, but I do not agree that this means women don’t want careers. Instead, I think society should work to take this pressure off women and offer them solutions.
And how would Professor Francesca Bettio reply?
So, I agree in principle, but I would like to turn the question on its head, because this is a question that is always asked about women. People always underline that women should not be pressured to be workers, as if it is only women who should fill the role of parenting instead of working, whereas actually men have two roles as well. Very few people raise the question of whether there is too much pressure on men to work, and whether they are made to feel like failures if they do not have a career. It is just assumed that men will work. Why don’t we ask ourselves whether men are really free to choose whether they want to stay at home or have a career?
Why are so few women in top leadership roles in Europe? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below, and we’ll take them to policy-makers and experts for their reactions!
I think affordable daycare is vital. It’s just as important for the women themselves as it is for the economy of the country that they live in. I know in some countries, for example, that the cost is so high that it doesn’t make sense to go back unless you’re in a very, very high level position, because the salary you earn doesn’t match the daycare costs, and this is especially true for women that work in professions with lower wage scales. So, of course, affordable daycare is necessary to keep women in the labour market as employees.
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Because of stereotypes that both men and women have, about their role in a society!!
Another interesting question is: what type of women are the (few) ones that actually have managed to achieve top leadership roles?
I see top women leaders having, in general, strong typical masculine personality traits, more than average men: “Yeah, she is a woman, but she’s manlier than most men – she’s one of us!”.
Because old parties continue to relegate women to not eligible places.
Because men do not vote woman.
One issue that is often overlooked is that males are forced into stereotypes by society as well. I think that a big part of the issue that women have to take care of the children is that the fathers are expected to have a job and earn the money. If you don’t, others will look at you like you are a failure. So men *have* to take a full-time job, otherwise they aren’t real *men*. And if men have full-time jobs, women are forced to take care of the children. Thoughts on this?
Because majority of the leaders and politicians want his son come on his position they don’t want his daughter or sister or wife come onhis position
I think women are must be empower
They was teaching people for 2000 Years like this and they still do it like that in some schools : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNa5S9UhjnY
We left men guide us but sometimes they became dangerous…….
What a lot of tripe. The old boys clubs are a thing of the past. If women aren’t in top jobs it’s because at the time the job was available, the bloke was a better match. Yes there are more guys in senior management and govt positions, but for about the last 10 years or so most developed countries have employed on skill and team matching. So if a guy and girl have equal skills but the bloke is a better character match, then he’ll get the job. If the girl is a better match, then the job goes to her. This sexist rubbish died in developed countries a decade ago.
Maybe they are less interested in those jobs than men are.
Because male dominance is entrenched and is not willing to include women. Neither is it interested in sharing power. The king is naked!
BECAUSE ONE IS ENOUGH TO DESTROY ALL EUROPE BECAUSE SHE WANT HER COUNTRY LEADER .
NO NEED TO SEARCH FOR HER , SHE IS IN ALL EUROPEAN UNION AND SHE DONT CARE IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO EAT …. SHE WANT MORE !!!!!!!!!!!
Biologically the women are mothers, but men – leaders. I am agree, that for the same job both men and women should receive the same salary.
This is simple. Because women play with Barbies.
Because we can’t! We too many responsabilities, inside and outside and we have to chose, and we chose our familie because is very hard say ‘no’ to our children, we are their hole world
I realy don’t know. Maybe because of the prejudices of too many men.
because we don’t care and don’t believe the EU’s role.
Because the people of Europe use to vote for men
.
After the debate you started the other day I can only assume more ‘Europeans’ & commentators on here prefer women to be prostitutes & not in the boardroom.
Makes me proud to be ‘not European’.
I think the question is also applicable to the U.S. The difference between the Americans and Europeans is our allies on the other side of the Atlantic have already recognized the vitality of women in leadership positions ? as evidenced by the late Margaret Thatcher, Germany?s Angela Merkel, and Kosovo?s Atifete Jahjaga (who was selected after only five-years of Pristina’s independence ? an accomplishment rarely seen in history). Why are women is so few leadership roles? Because their strengths, contributions, and potential haven?t been accepted by society on a wide-scale until the last several decades ; that is changing ? and it?s about time.
?he problem is not the number but the quality.As it is now European Leadership it is an achivement.
Because wamen still put the family first. Not live their children like rabbits. Family first.
The future is going to be better. Is EU still on the top of the world for women participation? I hope Europe succeeds at least on this for now.
Because they don’t want to! Many women feel fulfilled just to be good mothers, because this is a 24-hour job in itself and is very exhausting. It is a high-position job on God’s career ladder that has big responsibilities. To work something else means doing two jobs at the same time which makes it very difficult to focus. There are less women on high positions simply because it is a matter of their choice.
Simply because at the time there were fewer women completinv higher education than men? Europe is a very gerontocratic society
Because they shouldnt be outside the kitchen anyway ? :D Or maybe, because they have other life goals – babies.
If this is the Problem with EU ?!
Equality would be equal chances. For everyone. Depending on skills, not on sex.
Because they cann’t manage?
I will be honest. Sorry if im going to be offensive: they do not want most of the time because they fear to be rejected. It is a matter of confidence! If someone is really good, man or women, nobody will reject that talent.
??
because men wants to have the power
Because it’s a men’s world. Still.
who cares ….
Because very few women have the power to grip a subject and project it with intelligence and intense emotional conviction as men do. Men have this power because they are natures natural leaders. Why women don’t love that drive in men is an enigma to me. I find it hugely sexy.
There is npothing I dislike more intensely than a woman pretending to be masculine. Not only is it embarrasing it is laughable.
Here are examples.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5e5byjOQU8
And the prospective leader we have in the wings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URbRGMKXfmI
And a master of charismatic speech.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utYcFf93Srs
However, one English woman has the ability but was never taken seriously. Here was the potential to lead. It was ignore, but held me spell bound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAC2mvgcof8
Here she is again. How I would love to have her deliverance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jckm3X5MXo
Because (top) leadership roles can still not be combined with having children. Sadly it still is an either or. What is lacking is the necessary flexibility from most employers/companies/institutions in terms of working hours and office presence as well as the understanding that mothers bring unique qualifications not just to top leadership positions but to any position: efficiency, brilliant time management, stress resistance, mediation capacity, social competence etc. Instead, most mothers struggle to juggle jobs with inflexible working hours and finding enough time for their children. And if you are forced to prioritise, this priority does not often lie with the top jobs….
@ Nadine Krysostan:
Hogwash. Margaret Thatcher had young twins when she was in office and as our leader. So, women who want to be leaders, and those pushed there to support political correct dogma, can and do, do it. However, if you read Thatcher’s own book, she was deeply sad leaving her children to do this.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/9982157/Margaret-Thatcher-Yes-I-wish-I-saw-more-of-my-children.-But-I-cant-regret.html
And Denmark has a female leader. Who was obviously fancied by the man in the White House. To the angst of his wife.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxvq35olVcs
Then of course Indira Gandhi.
https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/Independent/Indira.html
In fact there are too many to list list here so this link may give you some insight.
http://www.jjmccullough.com/charts_rest_female-leaders.php
Very few women want it or have the presentation for it. It is not that there are not opportunities, the diversity agenda is longinig for them, hence the two clowns we have in the UK lined up for office who do not have any of the necessary equipment for leadership. Harmen and Cooper. Both lacking in any credibility similar to the breast modelling Katie Price.
I think it’s a sign of the education 20-40 years ago. If you look again in another 20-40 years I think you’ll find significantly more numbers of women in politics and in the big roles.
However – that doesn’t mean to say there’s no sexism in politics more specifically, European Politics… Let’s not be silly, of course there is.
The established male power structures and their fear of losing their footing to smarter people.
……Men….??
Total nonsense : most women do not even want a top position, like many men… stop to loose time about this item. Women who really want…..reach….!
Family!!
Old man , traditionaly educated : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNa5S9UhjnY
So Angela Merkel is not a woman? And Margaret Thatcher wasn’t a woman either? That’s news to me.
Why can’t black people become the head of state in Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Britain or Spain? Seems like there’s both racism and discrimination at the core of the issue. Yes, monarchy is an inheritly discriminatory system (it differentiates based on ‘birth’) and there’s also the whiff of racism about it. A society that clings to monarchy might just not want its own ‘Barack Obama’ out of some less-than-noble reason.
So there you have another big problem. One cannot be for monarchy and at the same time be against racism and against discrimination.
Women don’t want to take the FIRST role of men but if the cappabilities IN POLITIC are so much..why not? Men difficult can accept a women to lead them…egoism!!!! So a tender relation is better than WAR between them. Also when only men are leaders we have war…after war..there are more aggresive
Men.
Money of course !
The answer? Men
Women in Europe obsessed with themselves and other women, that is the reason. More self investment and more “self confidence” will get them a long way.
Well first it should be made possible for women. Most countries barely cater fairly to their needs. Truth is that they often pick up the responsibility for the children. Denmark has an excellent and largely free system that takes care of babies and kids as soon as the maternity leave is over, from 7am til 5, not some shorter hours. This way women are not penalised, they CAN continue their career. Obviously it is hard to compete for the top jobs if forced to take a few years break. The UK does not even provide for this adequately. Second, well, frankly, we should force men out. White middle age men will choose white middle age men to replace them. This is proven. Positive discrimination – minimum quotas – is I think the only way to go, at least to create the transition where women are in fact in enough important roles to change the rules of the game and make it more fair for other women to join. So far, those who make it to the top job seem to have to be like men to get there. That is what needs to change. Just thoughts..
I feel quite differently from, Yannick Cornet. I don’t see staying home with a beautiful son or daugher as being ‘penalised.’ The one being penalised is the child having to be farmed out from time of waking to time of sleeping to someone who has no interest in their welfare, or, more importantly love of their being. They are political orphans virtually from birth.
I think women should be forced out. Forced out of the closet that is. How many of these women in parliament are not women who really want marriage a home life and children but pretend they do in order to find a partner? They have no nesting instincts, and frankly should not have married in the first place, as their commitment is not to the raising of a family but to employers who exploit them for their vulnerability and incompetance for low pay.
I also think women who are in office should be open about their sexuality and declare their sexual leaning, just as men should. You cannot vote blind as that is like voting for half a body rather than a full one. The view of the hetrosexual on many family issues and sexuality is very often quite different from homosexual views.
Why should the people and tax payers of a country fund childcare for parents who should be ‘firstly’ devoted to their own children and yearn to lovingly care for them and have a waking relationship with them? So, one or the other parent should be ‘forced’ out of the work and of any kind of promotion until the child is at least eight years old. It is well known that children only do well in early life if cared for by their mother. However, the second best for their mental and physical function is their father, then their Grandparents. So, to make childhood a joy, rather than a desperate internal pain of abandonment, parents must be ‘forced’ into leaving their jobs during the years they are needed to raise their family.
White middle aged women should be forced out along with black middle aged women as they are not seriously qualified for top level jobs, as, in the main, they are losing their faculties as a result of the menopause and who wants that around them all day? They should be prepared to be at home to care for the grandchildren and the elderly because they simply are not suited to the work force with the over emotional leanings they have, along with their constant need to weep over unbelievable paranoia from projected put downs. Rather they should be prepared to accept the reality of their inadequacy being the reason they were passed over. Women are an expensive liability in the work place when they are promoted above their ability. Which is ground onto society because of political correctness.
However, I do agree women are indoctrinated into behaving and aspiring to a masculine demeanor in society, the same way men are being forced by the same strange agenda to be more and more feminine. Cry, give in to childish tantrums and so on. Which is not good for society or the nation when a more steady unemotional logic is needed to move society forward peacefully.
Example, masculine Margaret Thatcher led Britian into the gulf war, followed by the effeminate, Tony Blair, who joined in with the the USA policy on Iraq and Afghanistan. To protect American oil profits.
Here are a few examples of what happens to children that are left in the care of those who couldn’t care less about their well being or their emotional need for love and genuine attention.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjLInvSKGEg
And there are many many of these camera caught people. Look down the youtube listings. You think they are better off at nursery? Well think again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkuSik1GHgA
And
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mtYQxlpC2s
Is working for peanuts worth this? Governments should be forced out of office unless they return us to the days when one parent earned enough to support a family of four without having to do two or three jobs and without two parents have to work. As it was when we lived in a civilised society.
Remember it? I do, my mother never had to work if she didn’t choose to, my father earned enough to keep a family and buy as house as well as a car. Without having to do two jobs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2jfVjCsyqc
Oh, dear, he’s not doing the housework along with her. What aprice to pay. So, women must be forced to tell it up front, they don’t want family, children and domestic life. They simply pretend they do. Or, are being forced to do the impossible against their will. It cannot be both ways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj1rEdKOUBY
How about those onions? Shoe on a different foot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSNuEJIEC3g
Obviously: yes! And I don’t have children, but it’s so clear infants, children, teens should be provided with the best care, education, health possible to give them a chance to grow, prosper and contribute to creating a better community that, in turn, had done its best for them.
yes
Yes.
No, government should butt out!
Yes
Every country should, its outrageous how much you have to pay normal baby sitters and daycare
You should invest more in children period. Both promoting the birth rate of Europeans and then taking care of the kids from the health to feeding. It is an absolute shame that children in Europe are going hungry while billions of ? are shipped out of the EU.
ofcourse affordable daycare is the only way in which both sexes can equally play their part in the economy + it can help stop populationdecrease!
Yes
YES =D !
Yes. Afordable childcare is a social necessity.
Yes, and Australia, USA, everybody is welcome in the EU : we’ live in a global worLd….don’t we ? And the world belongs to everybody, so please make life simple !
Obviously. Under the present circumstances of such rate and level of poverty and unemplyment, a entire generation of children risk to be uneducated.
Or worse….easy victims of criminality.
Always!
Yes
The quality is mutch more important than what it cost
in italy kinder garden are all private, and crap!
the model must be the Emilia – Romagna , the region where there are the best nursery in the world
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-GkBzNDfKM
Our children reprezends our future, so, YES!
Yes… Because if they make it difficult for future parents to have families, then there will be less children, less voters, less tax payers to pay taxes to support this darn system… Thus we will have to rely on immigration, a thing very difficult now with the rise of the far right everywhere in Europe, due to the “marvellous” policies that the European elites have chosen to implement and adopt!!
yes.
Yes, of course. The earliest possible public investment results in the largest public benefits over a lifetime – health, education, no crime, etc.etc. – all international research proves.
Look Kolinda Grabar Kitarovi? -Na?a Predsjednica
Because women are not encouraged from an early age to go into politics.
Because society is subliminally sending the message to women that they should use their beauty not their intellect.It’s sad really,i believe that women sometimes are far more capable than us yet they are held back even in this day and age.
Because they are probably not interested.
Simply because men are more than women in politics.
It’s an unfortunate image they chose fir that article. That’s Helle Thorning, Danish prime minister, and the least popular national leader we’ve had for a long time. She got elected as a socialist, and has been doing conservative policy. It’s almost comical.
There aren’t. Our governments have plenty of women in politics!
maybe weman don’t have strong personalities :) :) and they are not few, just fewer than man !! and that is OK … it’s a psychologically normal society, to my opinion … just like, why there aren’t any children , or very few …
According to me because men are afraid of women..
because women need to invest more energy then men
Because they are more wise. ..
Because most of our countries are run by conservative and Christian democrat parties …
New legislation and regulations will solve the problem, Why Masonry don’t allow mix of women’s and men in major masonic temples and lodges? Gender equality in EU today is used for propaganda and political gains..
In an honest and fair society where merit would be the biggest determining factor for the attributions of “jobs”, Ex. if for 10 political office or job offers the best candidates were women, they should occupy the positions, political or in other situations, and reality don’t support the EU propaganda..
Is not about inequality is just about meritocracy!
Stereotypes… Of what the roles of a man and a woman should be in a society. And both men and women have them.. So we all suffer from the consequences: men, women gay or straight!! Eliminate the stereotypes and you will have the society you want!!
Cause of experience, education, skills and many many other things.
https://youtu.be/G_sGn6PdmIo
Discrimination.
I believe because of education . The most important is to remove from EU schools all those who teach that women should have different rights. Religion should be removed from all schools , example this kind of people : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNa5S9UhjnY . We should teach children like this : http://youtu.be/5JoUAGYXjVc?t=3m30s
Slovenia , Croatia , Poland are the best in EU with gender pay gap , communists created equality to damage church . Latest figures from Eurostat, released to coincide with International Women?s Day on Sunday (March 8), shows there was a 16.4 percent EU gender pay gap in 2013, down from 17.3 per cent five years earlier. http://www.euronews.com/2015/03/06/which-eu-country-has-the-biggest-gender-pay-gap/
This is totally stupid question! People are different! By gender, race, religion, sex, politically, culturally,IQ, … We all should stop putting our ugly fingers in the Gods’ business.
Because Sweden does NOT vote for women
The difficulties faced by women in Israeli society
http://www.euronews.com/2015/04/03/gett-the-trial-of-viviane-amsalem-describes-an-israeli-woman-s-battle-to-obtain/
cause men are better
bcoz woman is verru respondible and relax for all what is her decision.she is not arogant when the time have forum she is listening what the other parties have a rigth solutions.
Tjitske, join the debate!
Why aren’t we specifically asking the woman? Maybe put in some quotes from female politicians?
The inequality is between those who have power, and those who are too weak. Not between men and women. Egoism, target orientation and organisation are the main drivers. ;) Power asymmetry, greed, and destroying competition are the topics, on which we have to work. Then we may have equal chances.
Because we are often more emotionally intelligent.
Because one Merckel is enough…
Its an open secret.Our forefathers restricted women to the kitchen and taking care of kids.We are partially waking up from our sleep to discover women could do what men can.I will also be pleased to be asked why teachers are poorly payed.
Woman have the tendency to take care of their people, not taking their money and use them as slaves.
Not only in Europe, I would say..
feminism?
Feminism.
Leave the business to decide itself. Otherwise you go on opposite discrimination. We have next week international gender balance conference in Bulgaria: 24 women and 1 man from Romania….
The kind of sexist assholes that answer “feminism”.
There are already some interesting studies on that. How about you present them rather than allow some uninformed folks blame it again on feminism?
A nice summary if some of them is in Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In. But there are many other sources.
In short: women are conditioned to lean out, not to be ambitious (you want to step out in a few years to have kids, so why would you need that promotion now?), to be liked rather than respected. And the employers apply too much benevolent sexism,as they think they know what is good for women (flexible working hours, right?!), and actually leaving them with an impression of not being in charge of one’s career.
Prejudices and the stereotypical roles we all have in our minds ,men AND women, of what should be our role in a society, family, country etcetera ……
Because men and women are different, and tend to pursue different interests and ambitions with different sets of priorities. It’s not about prejudice, not about stereotypes, not about sexism. It’s about biology.
Because its better that way.
Come on! Few women in the leadership!! Who said that? My senior manager is a woman and my junior manjor is a woman too, even I was lately in Hungary, I was working in a hospital, almost all there were women. Come on! We’re in the era of women domination :-P
Cowardly men and will of power .
CUZ they Busy in The kitchen lol
Because many of them have other priorities ?
Just look at the comments and you will see what. Patriarchal and sexist society we still live in.
What are you talking about. We just had president elected – Croatia. What you want 100% of woman in places? Scotish people also just choosed woman.
Our patriarchal culture… Most of people refuse that exisist, but it is
…did you read the article?…
…too difficult for some men here?…
….Bravo! for some of the male comments…
…Bravo to the Men that Like and Love Women…
Because it is a man’s world.You have to fight for leadership.
Because women in Europe, as in most of the world are not treated properly. They are treated like second class people. This is dictated by the religions!
Too many centuries of a culture where women suffer more pressure to assume roles in the household, child raising and underpaid jobs, rather than to educate themselves and aiming for other goals in life.
If feminism was something that most women really wanted, why was 50 shades of grey such a big seller?
Because we are humane!
it took one woman to destroy europe..
men obviously
We prefer men to be leaders but we have our opinions too….
When women’s don’t know how to drive a car ? Will be a leadership?
because their mothers…they have to raise children etc. The day has only 24 hours.
mulher a frente seja do que for da sempre asneia
because men think are smarter and better in taken decisions…so there is no place enough for women. Women are not taken in consideration as men when it is about leadership…
Because they talk too much (just kidding) :P
Because men think are smarter and better in taken decisions…so there is not enough place for women as leaders. Men crave also more for power than women. Women are not taken in consideration as much as men are, when it is about leadership.These are my observations.
MEN
MEN
Education https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNa5S9UhjnY . We should teach children like this : http://youtu.be/5JoUAGYXjVc?t=3m30s
Because they are less likely to let business men and politicians get away with corruption. Statistically speaking 79 percent of whistle blowers are women. I personally think they should be running the Country, especially Spain.
Europe is the old continent with a old culture that I could be decribed as sexist…women have manage home! I really hope one day it will be different