DISCRIMINATION : SPAIN PLEDGES TO PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY.

The Spanish EU Presidency will present several proposals in the coming months to mainstream gender equality throughout the European Union's future policies, including the EU2020 strategy, saidaBibiana Aido Almagro, Spain's minister for equality, during the meeting of the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights (FEMM), on 25 January. "Europe is currently at a crossroads where we can shape the future of our societies," she said. "We should create a fairer European model with more solidarity."

In her contribution, the minister said that Madrid will push during its term at the Union's helm for progress with the anti-discrimination directive, which is currently under negotiation in Council. Several member states - among them Germany and the Czech Republic - object in principle to the current draft, whose eventual adoption would require unanimity. "It would be very bitter for us if we could not even agree on minimum standards to address discrimination," she commented.

Touching upon the issue of women's access to and participation in the labour market,aAido Almagro said that "Full equality has not been achieved at all yet, women still do not fully participate in the labour market, while it would make economic sense for them to do so". She explained that "We cannot do without the skills and intelligence of women. They make up more than half of the world's population. Furthermore, studies have shown that when women participate in the board of a company, this increases effectiveness".

Noting that women are still the main contributors to household and family care, the minister said these tasks should be divided...