As part of the scheduled international meetings, the third meeting of the European Local Citizen project was held in Llaurí (Spain) on 19 September. The main topic of the meeting was The Gender Perspective in Relation to the Maastricht Treaty. It was attended by all European project partners as well as local participants, bringing together more than 50 people.
The event was welcomed by Óscar Navarro Torres, president of the Mancomunitat de la Ribera Baixa who, after thanking all the partners for attending the event, highlighted the impact of the Maastricht Treaty, especially in rural areas, stressing that “the inclusion of the gender perspective as one of the priority issues of the Union served to promote the emergence of common legislation to protect women”s rights”.
Anna Maria González Herdaro, Mayoress of Llaurí, also welcomed all attendees, pointing out that the European Union was key in opening the debate on women”s rights and the leading role of the Maastricht Treaty as a turning point in the equality of men and women, stressing that “there is still a long way to go on the issue of equality. Hopefully this day will provide us with more ideas to implement and help improve the situation of women in our municipalities”.
The first presentation focused on “The impact of the Maastricht Treaty in relation to the progress of women in our county” with three political representatives that presented their views on the subject.
The deputy mayor of Llaurí, Juan Morató Aviñó, began by pointing to the Maastricht Treaty as the starting point in the search for equality between men and women, stressing that “it is necessary to train new generations in aspects of equal treatment and opportunities”. In addition to “making the most of the opportunity to get to know and collaborate with other countries of the European Union, also involving citizens in enforcing equal opportunities for women”.
Maria Pilar Sala Fayos, Mayor of Favara, then highlighted the impact of the Treaty on women’s labour rights and the European Union in general. She raised the need to “endorse the policies developed to ensure that women’s rights continue to be defended” as well as to ensure that “women are not excluded because of their decision to become mothers and start a family”.
Concluding this point of the agenda, Mentxu Balaguer Pastor, Mayoress of Corbera, emphasised the importance of “continuing to work together, institutions and citizens, to ensure gender equality in our society, promoting education, values and critical capacity to move forward. We set the limits”. She also stressed the need to “raise awareness in the society in education and in family where the value of women is questioned”.
Afterwards, two members of the Mancomunitat de la Ribera Baixa, who organized the event on behalf of the partnership, shared with the audience their approach on the connection between the Maastricht Treaty and the promotion of gender equality in our region.
Zaida Martínez Ribes, a technician in the Mancomunitat’s Equality Department, offered an in-depth reflection on the impact of the Maastricht Treaty on gender equality, highlighting its influence in laying the foundations for important advances in the European Union. She highlighted the fundamental role of article 119 in the fight for equal pay and in promoting greater representation of women in leadership positions, among other aspects. However, she also underlined the persistent challenges, such as the pay gap and gender-based violence, and the need to continue working to achieve real and effective equality in the European Union. Her analysis invited us to reflect on the next steps to build a more equal Europe.
Regina Martínez Román, career guidance technician and head of the “Futuro en Femenino” project, gave a detailed overview of the main groups at risk of social exclusion. She explained the factors that place these groups at a disadvantage, making it difficult for them to access employment opportunities. He also delved into employment policies and their impact on these groups, highlighting the role of the Maastricht Treaty, even when it did not have the labour market as its main objective. Through an illustrative video, it was shown how to integrate the gender perspective in active employment policies.
Finally, the panel addressed several questions to the participants on the labour market situation, social exclusion and public policies in each country of origin, as a preliminary step to the personalised round table discussions.
The panel discussion was followed by round tables were all the participants were actively involved.
During the round tables, the participants were organised into four working groups with the aim of exploring the central theme of the meeting in greater depth. Under the moderation of members of the Mancomunitat, the participants shared their knowledge, ideas, experiences and perspectives on the subject.
Participants shared their personal experiences of discrimination in the working environment, the difficulties of raising children as single mothers and the skepticism women face on high level and visibility posts.
The main ideas and conclusions arising from the working groups and the presentations of the day were presented at the end of the meeting offering a complete summary of what had been discussed throughout the day.
After closing the meeting, the participants had the opportunity to enjoy a guided tour of one of the most important monuments in the area, the Castle of Cullera, to enjoy one of the most spectacular views of the coast and the Mediterranean Sea.
The meeting proved to be a success, providing participants with a deeper understanding of the Maastricht Treaty and the gender policies implemented in the participating countries. And of course, it helped to increase awareness of European citizenship and an active commitment to the principles of gender equality in the European Union.
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