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National Guidelines in Romania
National Action Plan for Equal Opportunities between women and men (Site in Romanian) The full title of the National Action Plan is Government decision No. 1273/2000 (7/12/2000), approving of the National Action Plan for Equal Opportunities between women and men (Hotarâre No. 1273 din 7 decembrie 2000 privind aprobarea Planului national de actiune pentru egalitatea de sanse între femei si barbate, MO No. 659, 12/15/2000 The National Action Plan is implemented by the Labour Ministry (Directorate for Equal Opportunities), in collaboration with the prefects and the decentralized public services. Article 1 provides that Romania respects all the international conventions dealing with women and children’s protection, as well as equal opportunities in the Labour field, as provided by the Constitution article 4(2). The National Action Plan applies in the following fields: a. legislation; Article 7 deals with the Plan’s implementation in the legislative field. Its main objective is, in conformity with the Romanian National Program for EU Accession, is to complete current legislation by harmonizing it with international treaties adopted in the EEO field. Article 8 deals with the Plan’s implementation in the social rights field. According to this article, the first operational objective shall be to accelerate efforts to eliminate any form of gender discrimination in the labour field. To that end the following actions are planned: a. information programs on equal social rights between women and men will be initiated and developed; b. permanent professional training will be promoted, in order to facilitate women and men’s equal access to all sectors of activity; c. instruments monitoring the implementation of measures against discriminatory behaviours in the workplace will be improved; and, d. the capacity to sanction gender discrimination will be enlarged. The second operational objective is to include gender equality in the family’s social protection sphere, as well as in measures for the prevention of marginalization. Actions for this objective include: a. programs facilitating women and men’s equal access to education, medical assistance, children and elderly people attendance services, reproductive rights and justice will be supported; b. men’s active participation in family life will be supported through the improvement of women’s economic role; c. measures for the social and economic protection of new types of family units (single parents, consensual couples) will be multiplied; d. reward sources for women and men participating in housework will be identified; and, e. measures to prevent and combat family violence will be extended, and assistance services to victims will be diversified. Article 9 deals with the Plan’s implementation in the economic field. In this area, the first operational objective will be to develop strategies to support the integrative approach of gender equality in economic policies. To that end, several actions will be undertaken: a. gender analysis (through the use of research results and of relevant statistical data) will be integrated in the policies of elaboration, implementation and evaluation of the measures of economic development and of poverty reduction; b. the cooperation of economical agents with social partners will be developed in order to contribute to the realization of gender equality in labour relations; c. management structures will be improved and their members will be prepared to accelerate the equal opportunities principle implementation process. The second operational objective is to include the gender dimension in the elaboration and implementation of workforce occupation strategies. To that end, several actions are to be undertaken: a. creation of necessary conditions for equal access of men and women to measures reinforcing their integration on the labour market; b. creation of special programs for the female workforce’s professional retraining and for its orientation toward traditionally under-represented sectors (in particular sectors using communication and training technologies); c. economic agents stimulation in order to attract female workforce in activity sectors where they are under-represented. The third operational objective is to reconcile professional life with family life through the development of family support programs. To this end, the following actions will be undertaken: a. support for the more equal distribution of family responsibilities through the development of access to parental leave and the encouragement of men’s participation in solving family problems; b. development, through agreements between social partners, of flexible working time programs (part-time work) equally available to women and men; c. extension of childcare and elderly persons- care services. Article 10 deals with the Plan’s implementation with regard to participation to decision-making. Its major objective is to achieve women and men’s balanced participation and representation in decision-making. The operational objective shall be to create national and local structures which will implement the equal opportunities principle. To this end, the following actions will be undertaken: a. progress toward a balanced allocation of functions in decision-making structures will be monitored; b. activities encouraging public awareness of the importance of gender balance in public decision-making organs will be developed; c. programs supporting women’s high level professional careers will be stimulated. Article 11 deals with the Plan’s implementation in the public awareness field. More information on the importance of the gender equality issue within the democratization process will be disseminated; access to this issue will be facilitated through recourse to modern information means. The second operational objective shall be to eliminate current cultural prejudices and stereotypes on women and men’s roles. Activities include: a. the integration of the principle of equality between women and men will be supported in fields such as education and professional training, culture, science, research, sport, media, in order to modify behaviours, attitudes, norms and values defining and influencing genders’ roles; b. programs combating negative stereotypes on women, particularly through advertising, educative material, with examples providing realistic alternatives on women and men’s roles in a democratic society; support exchanges of successful practices and experience developed nationally and internationally on the promotion of gender equality. According to article 13, the realization of the Plan’s objective is compulsory for all concerned institutions. Its implementation is realised through the adoption of normative acts, national and inter-ministerial programs, and pilot-projects. Article 14 specifies that reliance will be placed on the experience and support of international organizations working in the equal opportunities field. National institutions will implement the Plan relying on budgetary as well as extra-budgetary resources (article 15). Lastly, Article 16 provides that the Inter-ministerial Consultative Commission for equal opportunity for women and men (CODES) shall monitor the Plan’s implementation. It should be mentioned that in its 2001 country Report on Romania, the European Commission has deplored that the National Action Plan had not been followed by any concrete action. The National Action Plan for Employment 2002-2003 The National Action Plan for Employment (NAPE) is a political document adopted by the Government of Romania. It sets forth the action planned for the period 2002-2003 and will contribute to the evaluation of the progress made by Romania as a EU candidate country. NAPE is an instrument designed to highlight Romania’s efforts towards European integration. NAPE was elaborated as part of the institutional twinning project developed under the Phare Project RO 9908, run by the Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity in co-operation with two institutions from the EU Member States, namely the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs – from Germany – and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment – from the Netherlands. NAPE was developed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity in Romania, in co-operation with the National Employment Agency and the following other ministries and institutions: Ministry of Public Finance, Ministry of Development and Prognosis, Ministry of SMEs and Cooperatives, Ministry of Education and Research, Ministry of Industry and Resources, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Health and the Family, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Housing, the National Institute of Statistics, National Board of Adult Training, National Research Institute for Labour and Social Protection, Institute of Educational Sciences, and the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Similarly, the national trade union and employers’ organizations also participated in the production of this important document. NAPE spells out the Romanian Government’s Labour Employment strategy. This strategy is based on 4 pillars: Improving employability; Developing entrepreneurship and creating new jobs; Encouraging flexibility of businesses and their employees; Strengthening equal opportunities policies for men and women. The main objectives under Pillar IV (Strengthening equal opportunities policies for men and women) are to be achieved by the Labour and Social Solidarity Ministry, which is in charge of implementing actions and measures designed to achieve this goal, in co-operation with other institutions, social partners and representatives of the civil society. The Government’s objectives under Pillar IV are: a. Inform and train employees, employers, trade unions and public servants
in charge of the application of national and community laws regarding the equal
opportunities for men and women; Guidelines 16 to 18 set forth the Government’s objectives with regard to its action within Pillar IV. Guideline 16 provides for a gender-mainstreaming approach in implementing the Guidelines across all four pillars: Objectives a. Information and training of employers, employers’ association, trade
unions and public servants in the application of the national and community
laws regarding the equal opportunities of men and women; Measures a. Elaboration and implementation by the inter-ministerial advisory commission
on equal opportunities issues of the national Program containing concrete actions
at sector level in application of the National Action Plan regarding equal
opportunities for men and women. Responsible institution: Ministry of Labour
and Social Solidarity (MLSS) and the representative ministries in the inter-ministerial
Advisory Commission on equal opportunity issues.
a. stimulate the female employment rate Measures a. equal sharing of parental responsibilities (child upbringing and household
affairs);
a. Prepare the “Study on Changes in the Sharing of the Family Responsibilities”.
The study will consider female and male participation in family-related activities
(household, childcare and upbringing, caring for elderly and other dependants)
and the impact of legislative measures on parental and paternal leave in reconciling
working and family life. Responsible institutions: MLSS and the National Institute
for Labour and Social Protection Research. i) share of working women/men with paid pre-maternal and parental leave; Responsible institution: Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity, National Institute for Statistics Measures - Objective 2 a. Preparation of annual reports regarding part-time occupation by gender.
Responsible institutions: MLSS, NAE, and social partners; Measures – Objective 3 a. Initiate a study on the possibility to grant tax facilities to encourage
the building of kindergartens and homes, for the purpose of establishing a
strategy to develop child, elderly, disabled care services. Responsible institutions:
MLSS Measures - Objective 4 a. Creation of a Fair Practices Guide dealing with employment mediation and
career counselling in the case of men and women to help their reintegration
in the labour market after long parental leave. Responsible institution: MLSS,
NAE. |
