IPU-UNDAW Meeting on The Role of Parliaments in Financing for Gender Equality

New York, 27 February 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doina DREŢCANU

Member of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men

Chamber of Deputies, Romania

 

 

Madam Chair,  

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Thank you for the opportunity to take the floor. Let me congratulate the IPU and UNDAW for organizing this meeting, as well as the key note speakers for their contributions.   

 

A stronger presence of women in Parliament and in the central and local administration is a pre-requisite for promoting women’s economic empowerment and input.

 

It has been said before, but we need to reiterate that an increased presence of women in Parliaments, although a key factor, does not ensure automatically effective results in tackling the women advancement agenda. In order to be successful, women politicians, parliamentarians or not, must learn to cope with a political environment that is highly competitive, to make their voices heard within their parties, to initiate and build lobby groups.  

 

Cross-party women caucuses can play an important role in providing a comprehensive and coherent approach to gender mainstreaming into the work of Parliament, including in relation to the financing for gender equality.

 

In this respect, I can inform you that a Group of Women Parliamentarians has been set up in our institution, with the aim to build solidarity and partnership in favor of certain core objectives: a legislation impacting favorably on gender equality and the status of women; awareness raising among decision-making factors on the challenges faced by women and their specific needs; an increased participation of women in politics, at all decisional levels; a better visibility of women parliamentarians and of their contribution to the work of Parliament; cooperation with similar structures from other parliaments for the sharing of information, good practices and lessons learnt.

 

In carrying out its activities, the Group cooperates closely with the Committees on Equal Opportunities in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate, which provide substantial support and expertise, as well as a valuable portfolio of contacts within the civil society.

 

Dear colleagues,

 

The contribution of women entrepreneurs to economic progress is an undeniable reality. In Romania, the development of entrepreneurship, including among women, plays a major role in the country’s integration into the European Union.

 

In this connection, I would like to bring to your attention a very successful initiative implemented in Romania, with a significant impact in the business community, namely the Multi-Annual Program for Developing Entrepreneurial Culture among Women Manager in the SME’s Sector. The Program covering the period 2005-2008 is financed from public funds and aims at promoting an information and training system that facilitate women’s mobility on the labour market and an increased involvement of women in private economic structures by means of enhancing their entrepreneurial skills.

 

The Program’s main objectives are to:

 

-         - increase the number of women entrepreneurs;

-         - develop entrepreneurial capacity and spirit among women;

-         - use optimally the human capital of women entrepreneurs;

-         - improve the economic results of women led enterprises, by means of entrepreneurial training;

-         - facilitate equal access of women to the knowledge-based economy;

-         - stimulate exchanges of experience and partnerships among women entrepreneurs.

 

It is important to underline that in Romania an ever increasing number of women entrepreneurs organize themselves in professional or local associations. This enables them to have an easier access to training, information and financial resources.

 

Thank you.