The European Women’s Lobby
For the Articles on equality between women men, the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe offers some improvements to the current Treaties. Of course, the text could be stronger but this should not diminish the value of the improvements offered.
The European Constitution makes progress in the field of gender equality. Not only does it retain all the existing provisions on equality between women and men (equality between women and men as one of the Union’s objectives in article I-3, gender mainstreaming clause in article III-116, legal base for combating discrimination on other grounds than nationality in article III-124, principle of equal pay for female and male workers in article III-214), it also provides for a number of improvements:Â
The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe suggests a useful set of improvements to the Current EU system. It responds to many of the criticisms that have previously been directed at the EU, making it clearer, more efficient and more accountable. The EU Treaty articles on Equality between women and men have been moderately strengthened, although not as much as EWL would have liked. The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe should be viewed as one step in the process of achieving full equality between women and men in European society.
from EWL Communication Strategy for the European Constitution