The European Commission published its working programme for 2020 outlining their priorities and initiatives for this year. MMM’s specific focus on this working programme will be:
The EU Delegation will work on the upcoming Action Plan to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights. This is an important initiative which could help put in practice the principles of gender equality, work-life balance, childcare and support to children and families.
A new European Child Guarantee will be presented next year as part of a European integrated plan to combat child poverty and ensure children have access to five key social services: adequate nutrition, free education, free healthcare, decent housing and free early childhood education and care.
The Child Guarantee initiative is planned to be included in the next EU budget and will integrate strategies to fight child poverty and promote children’s well-being, focusing in particular on 4 vulnerable groups: children with a handicap, children with a migrant background, children living in institutions and children living in vulnerable situations.
The Commission will present a Gender Equality Strategy to address the key challenges that women face today, including gender-based violence, economic independence and access to the labour market.
In addition, proposals on pay transparency will be put forward and we will follow closely and advocate for mother’s rights.
We will also take stock of the report on the Impact of Demographic Change and the Green Paper on Ageing and work on these issues.
Part of the European way of life is about fostering skills, education and inclusion. This provides the tools and knowledge for people to thrive and play their full part in the twin transitions.
The Commission in its commitment to make the European Education Area a reality by 2025, will present a new Skills Agenda for Europe to help identify and fill skills shortages, as well as support re-skilling.
The EU aims to lead the transition to a fair, climate-neutral, digital Europe, which will affect us all: every country, every region, every person. But for it to be successful, it must be just and inclusive for all. The transition will also entail a change in the way we use, produce and consume things. The new Circular Economy Action Plan will help transform our production and consumption system with a view to reducing its environmental and carbon footprint.
For more information on the Commission’s priorities for 2020
14.04.21
The pandemic has shed light on the most valuable, yet invisible and undervalued work: care work. Without it, our societies would grind to a halt. It is carers all over the world who have been at the forefront o
11.03.21
Statistics show that at the current pace, closing the gender pay gap between men and women would take more than 250 years.[1] The European Commission (EC) has finally published its proposal for a Directive to i
05.03.21
Make Mothers Matter welcomes the statement recently made by Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights [1] .
20.02.21
In April 2015 the Shared Parental Leave Scheme came into force in the United Kingdom. The new scheme still required that new mothers take the first two weeks of maternity leave. But now they could exchange thei
25.01.21
October 2020 saw the results of the first Irish Maternity Experience Survey, providing an important insight into women’s experiences at all stages of maternity care in Ireland - antenatal, care during labour
03.12.20
We answered by submitting a paper describing our views on the future of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan.