An EQUAL project implemented by three European organisations from France, Malta and Portugal
The AGEnder initiative
The AGEnder Project was developed within the framework of the European programme ?Equal? whose objective is to fight against discriminations in employment, to reduce inequalities and to support better social cohesion. It associates three organisations - the General Confederation of the Portuguese Workers (Portugal), National Commission for the Promotion of Equality, a Maltese Public Association in charge of equality promotion (Malta) and the Emergences Institute (France) - around two themes, age and gender.The European Union was given the objective of increasing women's employment rate and of promoting policies of struggle against all kinds of discrimination. Likewise, because of demographic trends, one of the European Union priorities is to increase the rate of employment of aged people (50-64 years). In the majority of the European Union Member States, policies and actions are thus carried out regarding "age management" and professional equality between women and men.
However, in all the set of themes on "age management ", we can observe that gender is, most of the times, absent. On the other hand, studies on the gender dimension very seldom take into account men and women or include the question of ageing and the place of ?senior? women in our society. Nonetheless, discriminations based on age and gender keep increasing in the labour market, also at the moment of retirement.
Thus, the partner organisations have decided to carry out three studies on their respective realities, regarding the gender and age dimensions in their countries. The studies introduce a certain number of general socio-economic data on the situation of ?senior? women and on the policies implemented in this area in the three countries concerned. In addition, a particular sector of activity was targeted in each country.
The various exchanges between the partners and the results of the studies showed that right now, few experiences as regards public policies or actions carried out in the companies cross these two dimensions (age and gender).
The AGEnder studies
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The situation of the women at the end of the career in France Booklet of 28 pages Click here to download the study in English Click here to download the study in French Click here to download the study in Portuguese |
Study realised by Rachel Silvera - economist and professor at the University of Paris X, searcher at MATISSE - Paris I.
The situation of the women "seniors" in France is alarming for several reasons: in terms of health and working conditions, the phenomena of ageing are particular to the women, more than throughout their working life, a certain "refusal" of their occupational diseases and painfulness of their work is to be raised... In addition, concerning the employment, for good number of women, the generations of more than 50 years knew interruptions of activity and had difficulties more important than the men to work again. This has serious consequences in terms of rights to the retirement, with the effect of the two last reforms which result in a more important lengthening of the durations of activity for the women?
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Gender Aspects in Malta: Inactive women over 40 and within the tourism sector Booklet of 30 pages Click here to download the study in English Click here to download the study in French Click here to download the study in Portuguese |
This study was motivated by a number of concerns in Malta. One of the main issues is the low participation rate of Maltese women in the labour market when compared to the EU average. Statistics also highlight the fact that there is disparity between age groups and employment rates. In fact, in relation to females there is a significant difference in employment rates between the 25-34 age group and the other age groups. The percentage of working women decreases within the 35-44 age bracket and over. This has serious consequences in terms of rights to pensions.
The tourism sector is an important industry for Maltese economy. Research (MTA, 2001) shows that the majority of employees in the accommodation and catering establishments are males, while it is only in the case of travel agencies that female employees outnumber male employees. Moreover, males outnumber females at higher level posts such as managerial and supervisory levels. These facts raise certain concerns vis-à-vis the participation of women within the tourism industry.
In view of the low participation of women in the labour market, the Maltese Government, has drawn up policies and put in place actions with the aim of facilitating women to enter, remain and/or advance in the labour market?.
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Data to know the situation of women in the Portuguese labour market and in the restaurant and beverages sector Booklet of 30 pages Click here to download the study in English Click here to download the study in French Click here to download the study in Portuguese |
The analysis which is presented intends to highlight the situation of women in the Portuguese labour market with a particular reference to the Restaurant and Beverages sector ? an industry with a predominance of women at work.
In a context of high and growing women?s employment rate, already overtaking the targets defined by the EU until 2010 and of significant improvement in women?s school qualifications, notably regarding higher education, the labour market remains marked by the principles of separation and hierarchy, as a result of which subsist ?men?s jobs? and ?women?s jobs?.
Continuously and systematically, women who are concentrated in the less qualified and more underpaid occupations, thus remitting them, in this sector, to a sort of ?household employability? ? are in a majority in jobs with less visibility, where duties are very similar to those done at home, as is the case of the female pantry workers or cooks.
The study also confirms that there is a growing salary gap as age goes up. The salary gap between men and women over 55 is wider and hits most particularly women forma this age group, since, in average, their monthly salary is 170 ? less than men?s.