Institutions and Organisations Promoting Equal Opportunities in Belgium and Flanders

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Institutions and Organisations Promoting Equal
Opportunities in Belgium and Flanders

• RoSa Documentation Centre and Archives
• On Feminism, Equal Opportunities and Womens
  Studies

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Table of contents

• Unit 1 Structures of the Belgian Equal
  Opportunities policy Introduction
• Double structure Federal Regional
• 1974 1985 1991 1995
• The United Nations Womens Conferences
• The United Nations Womens Conference in Beijing
  
• Unit 2 Schematic overview of the structure of
  the Equal Opportunities policy
• Political structure
• Administrative structure
• Advisory structure
• Unit 3 Belgian and Flemish Equal Opportunity
  Institutions a word of explanation
• Political institutions explained
• Belgium is a federal state
• Federal Level
• Executive Power
• Legislative Power

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Unit 1 Structures of the Belgian Equal
Opportunities policy Introduction

• Double structure Federal - Regional
• Due to the specific constitutional structure,
  equal opportunities policy in Belgium is
• executed both at the national or federal level
  and at the regional level
• Federal Belgium
• Regional Flemish Community
• French Community
• We shall have a closer look at the federal and
  the Flemish structure
• The Equal Opportunities policy in Belgium has a
  double aim
• Horizontally
• all sectors are stimulated to incorporate the
  equal opportunities policy mainstreaming)
• Vertically
• specific measures aim at advancing equal
  opportunities for women and men

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Unit 1 Structures of the Belgian Equal
Opportunities policy Introduction

• Equal Opportunities is a relatively young matter
  of policy in Belgium. Only in 1974
• womens wishes were acknowledged for the first
  time with the creation of the federal
• Commission for Womens Labour. No doubt this was
  done in view of the
• International Womens Year of 1975.
• Other landmarks are 1985 - 1991 - 1995
• The next slides provide with more detailed
  information on those dates.

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Unit 1 Structures of the Belgian Equal
Opportunities policy Introduction

• Commission for Womens Labour
• During the preparations for the United Nations
  International Womens Year (1975), the Belgian
  Commission for Womens Labour was established.
• It was an advisory body within the Ministry of
  Labour and Employment
• It proposed measures concerning womens labour,
  such as
• a bill regarding equal pay for male and female
  workers
• adoption leave
• short leave for illness of a child or other
  family problems
• maternity protection, parental leave etc.
• It was abolished in 1985

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Unit 1 Structures of the Belgian Equal
Opportunities policy Introduction

• The first Belgian Secretary of State for Social
  Emancipation
• As a result of the United Nations Womens
  Conference, held in Nairobi the same year, the
  Belgian government installed a federal Secretary
  of State for Social Emancipation.
• This implies that Equal Opportunities was for the
  first time recognized as an official matter of
  policy.
• In 1986, a new Commission for Womens Labour was
  created within the Secretariat of State.

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Unit 1 Structures of the Belgian Equal
Opportunities policy Introduction

• Equal Opportunities becomes the competence of a
  federal Minister
• Still at the federal level, equal opportunities
  is no longer managed by a Secretary of State it
  now becomes the competence of a federal Minister.
  This means an upgrading for equal opportunities
  as a matter of policy.
• Exactly which federal Minister gets Equal
  Opportunities is not fixed it may vary according
  to the distribution of portfolios after every
  election
• 1991 Minister for Employment and Labour
• 2002 Minister of Civil Service, Social
  Integration Metropolitan Policy

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Unit 1 Structures of the Belgian Equal
Opportunities policy Introduction

• The first Flemish Minister for Equal
  Opportunities is appointed
• During the preparations of the United Nations
  Womens Conference in Beijing (1995), a Flemish
  Minister of Equal Opportunities is appointed
• The Beijing Conference issued an important
  Platform of Action, calling upon Governments, the
  international community and civil society to take
  action in twelve critical areas of concern (see
  below)

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Unit 1 Structures of the Belgian Equal
Opportunities policy Introduction

• The United Nations Womens Conferences
• In 1975 the UN drew global attention to women's
  concerns by calling for an International Women's
  year and convening the first conference on women
  in Mexico City.
• Another convention was held in Copenhagen,
  Denmark in 1980.
• In 1985, the UN convened a third conference on
  women in Nairobi, Kenya, to look at what had been
  achieved at the end of the decade. It was not a
  lot, but an important document was published
  Forward-looking strategies for the Advancement
  of Women.
• In 1995, Beijing hosted the Fourth World
  Conference on Women. Representatives agreed that
  inequalities between women and men have serious
  consequences for the well-being of all people.
  The final document, called the "Platform for
  Action" said
• "The advancement of women and the achievement of
  equality between women and men are a matter of
  human rights and a condition for social justice
  and should not be seen in isolation as a women's
  issue."

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Unit 1 Structures of the Belgian Equal
Opportunities policy Introduction

• The Platform of Action, issued at the Beijing
  Womens conference, indicates 12 critical areas
  of concern
• Poverty
• the persistent and increasing burden of poverty
  on women
• Education and training
• Inequalities and inadequacies in and unequal
  access to education and training
• Health care
• Inequalities and inadequacies in and unequal
  access to health care and related services
• Violence
• Violence against women
• Armed conflicts
• The effects of armed or other kinds of conflict
  on women, including those living under foreign
  occupation
• Economic activity
• Inequality in economic structures and policies,
  in all forms of productive activities and in
  access to resources
• Political power
• Inequality between men and women in the sharing
  of power and decision-making at all levels
• Advancement of women
• Insufficient mechanisms at all levels to promote
  the advancement of women
• Human rights
• Lack of respect for and inadequate promotion and
  protection of the human rights of women

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Unit 2 Schematic overview of the structure of
the Equal Opportunities policy

• Political structure
• Federal Executive Power Minister of Civil
  Service, Social Integration Metropolitan
  Policy. Legislative Power Advisory Committee
  for Equal Opportunities for Women Men of the
  Belgian Senate.
• Advisory Committee for the Social
  Emancipation of the Belgian Chamber of Deputies.
• Flemish Executive Power Minister of Welfare,
  Health Equal Opportunities. After the elections
  in June 2004 the equal Opportunities in
  Flanders will be positioned within the services
  of the Minister President.
• Legislative Power Working group Welfare, Health
  Equal Opportunities of the Flemish Parliament.
• Administrative structure
• Federal Administrative Bodies Institute for the
  Equality of Women and Men.
• Flemish Administrative Bodies Service Equal
  Opportunities in Flanders.
• Interdepartmental Commission for Equal
  Opportunities.
• Service for Emancipation Matters.
• Advisory structure

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Unit 3 Belgian and Flemish Equal Opportunity
Institutions a word of explanation

• Political institutions explained
• Belgium is a federal state
• When Belgium was created in 1830, it was
  parliamentary monarchy with a
• written constitution. But it also was a unitary
  state. The constitutional revisions
• of 1970, 1980, 1988, 1993 and 2002 gave Belgium a
  federal structure. Each
• community and each district have their own
  directly elected assembly and their
• own government within the Belgian state. They all
  make their own laws
• (decrees) in a number of specific areas. Their
  large autonomy may cause
• conflicts of competence. Therefore the Court of
  Arbitration watches over the
• observance of competences. The Belgian federal
  construction is unique in the
• world in this way that there is no hierarchy in
  the competences.
• The 3 communities are The Flemish community
• The French community
• The German speaking community

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Unit 3 Belgian and Flemish Equal Opportunity
Institutions a word of explanation

• Political institutions explained
• The 3 communities and the regions are competent
  for
• Education Agriculture and Horticulture
• Culture Transport and Public Works
• Health Care Environment
• Economy Employment
• Public Welfare Water Policy
• Scientific Research Language Legislation
• Financial Policy Development and Co-operation
• Energy Municipalities and Provinces
• Housing International Co-operation
• The residual competences belong to the federal
  government
• All competences which have not explicitly been
  assigned to the communities or the regions

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Unit 3 Belgian and Flemish Equal Opportunity
Institutions a word of explanation

• Political institutions explained Federal Level
• Executive Power
• The federal Minister responsible for Equal
  Opportunities varies according to assignment of
  competences after the federal elections. This is
  new since 2002, before that date it was always
  linked to the minister of labour. Since 2002 it
  is the competence of the Minister of Civil
  Service, Social Integration Metropolitan
  Policy
• Unlike the Flemish Minister, whose
  responsibilities also imply migrants, gays and
  lesbians, handicapped persons, children and
  elderly people, the competence of the federal
  Minister for Equal Opportunities is limited to
  equality between women and men
• Task
• to promote initiatives for guaranteeing equal
  opportunities between women and men
• to coordinate policies for a better integration
  of women in all areas in which the federal
  government is competent.

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Unit 3 Belgian and Flemish Equal Opportunity
Institutions a word of explanation

• Political institutions explained Federal Level
• Legislative Power
• The Advisory Committee for the social
  emancipation of the Belgian Chamber of Deputies
• consists of 19 members of Parliament representing
  most political parties
• gives advice at the Chambers request, at the
  request of one of the Chamber committees or of
  its own accord
• aim to promote social emancipation of the
  Belgian citizens. It is not limited to equality
  between women and men.
• Read more about the Advisory Committee in Dutch
  or French
• The Advisory Committee for Equal Opportunities
  for Women and Men of the Belgian Senate
• Consists of 15 senators representing most
  political parties
• gives advice on equal opportunities at the
  Chairperson of the Senates request, at a
  standing senate committees request or of its own
  accord
• some topics partner-related violence in Belgium,
  gender dimension in statistics, situation of
  women in Afghanistan and Tibet, follow-up of the
  Womens World Conference in Beijing for the
  federal competences, equal presence of women and
  men in advisory bodies,..
• Read more on http//www.senate.be

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Unit 3 Belgian and Flemish Equal Opportunity
Institutions a word of explanation

• Political institutions explained Flemish Level
• Executive Power
• The executive power is held by the Flemish
  Minister of Welfare, Health and Equal
  Opportunities
• Equal opportunities in Flanders is a much larger
  field than equal opportunities on the federal
  level that implies equality between women and men
  only. The areas of competence in Flanders are
  equal opportunities for
• women and men
• handicapped people
• migrants
• gays and lesbians
• children and the elderly
• The Flemish Minister disposes of her own Service
  Equal Opportunities in Flanders which is
  embedded in the Coordination Department of the
  Ministry of Flanders and comes under the
  hierarchic authority of the Flemish Community.
  See section Administrative bodies explained

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Unit 3 Belgian and Flemish Equal Opportunity
Institutions a word of explanation

• Political institutions explained Flemish Level
• Legislative Power
• The Committee for Welfare, Health and Equal
  Opportunities of the Flemish Parliament
• goes into welfare policy, health care policy and
  equal opportunities policy in Flanders
• welfare policy family and child care, care for
  elderly, youth and handicapped people, ethnic
  minorities, poor and homeless people, ..
• health policy mental health care, nursing homes,
  prevention of illness,..
• equal opportunities policy for men and women,
  for minority groups such as gays and lesbians,
  handicapped people and migrants, children and
  elderly
• Read more (in Dutch) on the Committees website

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Unit 3 Belgian and Flemish Equal Opportunity
Institutions a word of explanation

• Administrative bodies explained Federal Level
• The Institute for the Equality of Women and Men
• Replaces the former federal equal opportunities
  service
• is competent to take a matter to court and has
  the power to assist in a court of law any victim
  of discrimination based on sex
• has a peculiar legal structure
• it is an independent non-profit institution with
  an independent chairperson and independent
  financing
• is legally responsible for the consequences of
  its decisions
• yet it may receive orders from the federal
  minister competent for equal opportunities
• works for two target groups
• the Belgian government
• the Belgian citizens
• fights any form of discrimination based on sex
• controls and detects inequalities in laws and
  regulations

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Unit 3 Belgian and Flemish Equal Opportunity
Institutions a word of explanation

• Administrative bodies explained Flemish Level
• The administrative Service Equal Opportunities
  in Flanders
• The Flemish Minister disposes of her own Service
  Equal Opportunities in Flanders which is
  embedded in the Ministry of Flanders and comes
  under the hierarchic authority of the Secretary
  General of the Flemish Coordination Department,
  division Interdepartmental Policy Support.
• The Service Equal Opportunities in Flanders
• Works on policy preparation, execution and
  evaluation of equal opportunities policy
• Works on making visible de facto gender
  inequalities
• Financially supports research projects and
  projects of womens organisations and organises a
  dialogue between these actors
• Is active in eleven out of twelve critical areas
  of concern in the Beijing Platform of Action (all
  except armed conflict, which is a federal
  competency)
• Develops strategies of gender mainstreaming in
  all of the Flemish policy fields, with an accent
  on decision making and reconciliation of work and
  family
•      

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Unit 3 Belgian and Flemish Equal Opportunity
Institutions a word of explanation

• Administrative bodies explained Flemish Level
• The Interdepartmental Commission Equal
  Opportunities
• performs preparatory work for the equal
  opportunity policy in Flanders for all
  departments in the Flemish government
• it focuses on equal opportunities for Flemish
  citizens of the 5 known target groups men/women
  migrants gays and lesbians handicapped and
  elderly people
• the Service Equal Opportunities in Flanders
  acts secretary and chairperson to the
  Interdepartmental Commission Equal Opportunities
  
• Read more (exists in Dutch only)
  www.gelijkekansen.vlaanderen.be
•      

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Unit 3 Belgian and Flemish Equal Opportunity
Institutions a word of explanation

• Administrative bodies explained Flemish Level
• The Service for Emancipation Affairs
• The Service merely works for the personnel of the
  Flemish Administration. Its an internal body for
  stimulating equal opportunities for Flemish civil
  servants. Its a subdivision of the Ministry of
  General Affairs and Finance, the Flemish Minister
  of Civil Service is in charge of the Service.
• Some of its activities
• Equal opportunities for men and women in Flemish
  public institutions
• Equal opportunities for migrants and handicapped
  people in the Flemish Administration
• Day care for children of civil servants working
  in Brussels
• Undesirable sexual behaviour at the workplace.
• Read more (in Dutch) Emancipation Matters

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Unit 3 Belgian and Flemish Equal Opportunity
Institutions a word of explanation

• Advisory bodies explained
• Apart from Administrative bodies, there are also
  advisory bodies, some of them hold both
  functions.
• Federal Level
• The Institute for the Equality of Women and Men
  
• The Institute is not only an administrative but
  also an advisory body to the federal government
  it evaluates the impact of policies from a gender
  perspective and puts forward proposals for the
  authorities to improve laws
• structure and activities have been explained
  earlier under Administrative bodies.

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Unit 3 Belgian and Flemish Equal Opportunity
Institutions a word of explanation

• Advisory bodies explained
• Apart from Administrative bodies, there are also
  advisory bodies, some of them hold both
  functions.
• Federal Level
• The Council of Equal Opportunities for Men and
  Women
• was created in 1993 resulting from a merger
  between the Commission Womens Labour and the
  Equal Rights Council.
• The allocation of tasks between both the
  Institute and the Council has been described in
  the Royal decree of 4th April 2003 regarding the
  Reorganisation of the Council of Equal
  Opportunities for Men and Women, published in
  the Belgian Law Gazette of 5th June 2003, page
  30761.
• Informs and advises of its own accord, at the
  request of the Institute, a federal Minister or a
  federal member of parliament
• Orders research, draws up reports and proposes
  measures about equal opportunities between men
  and women
• Has a number of standing committees
• mirrors social diversity through its composition
  
• womens organisations, family organisations,
  social partners
• advisory organs for youth and culture policy,
  political parties
• experts

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Unit 4 The French Community

• The structure of Equal Opportunities policy in
  the
• French speaking part of Belgium rests on
• The Minister President of the French Community
  charged with Equal Opportunities
• Read more Hervé Hasquin, Minister President
• Equal Opportunities Direction of the Ministry of
  the French Community
• Read more Equal Opportunities Direction
• Advisory Committee charged with examining matters
  related to equal opportunities between men and
  women
• Parliament of the French Community, Palais de la
  Nation 6 1012 Brussels
• European Social Fund
• Ministry of the French Community Cell ESF, Rue
  Royale 123 1000 Brussels

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