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European Parliament resolution recognizes women in fisheries
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on 25 February 2010 on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) (2009/2106 (INI)) in which the full involvement of women in activities in the sector, on an equal footing with men, is seen as a fundamental objective of the CFP that should be reflected in all the policies and measures designed and adopted for the sector (paragraph 29). See http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2010-0039
The resolution further reiterated that fishing is a vital activity, not just in food terms, but also in social, recreational and cultural terms.
The resolution highlights the need to value and respect the role of women in fisheries and in the sustainable development of fishing areas. It calls on Member States to take necessary measures to ensure that assisting spouses (that is, collaborating spouses) enjoy a level of protectionthat is at least equivalent to that of the self-employed, under the same conditions that apply to the latter, including as regards access to the profession and the right to fish.
The resolution calls on the European Commission and the Member States to co-operate to promote and incorporate the principle of equal opportunities at the various stages of the implementation of the European Fisheries Fund (including the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation stages) as provided in Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No. 1198/2006). It further urges the Commission to ensure that the most vulnerable groups in the fisheries sector, especially working women, fisherwomen and women shellfish gatherers, are not disadvantaged when access rights to resources are allocated, by encouraging their participation in the Regional Advisory Councils.
