Under the sign of Men's roles in Families and in Equal Opportunities, COFACE members spend a full week in Helsinki
SEMINAR PROGRAMME
COFACE had a busy first October week when its member organisations gathered in Helsinki to hold a Seminar on the Role of Men in Families. With the very valuable support of its Finnish member organisation, Väestöliitto (The Family Federation of Finland), COFACE analysed a series of aspects of this issue. The meeting essentially discussed the results of surveys carried out by family organisations in seven EU member States on the different roles men play in their family : as the fathers of their children of course, but also as the sons of their elderly parents. The specific issue of families with a disabled member was also addressed.
The seven family organisations came from Belgium (Ligue des familles - M. Patrick GOVERS), Cyprus (Pancyprian Organisation Polyteknon - Stylianos MAVROMOUSTAKOS), Finland (Väestöliitto - Pirjo PAAJANEN), France (Union Nationale des Associations Familiales - Gilles SERAPHIN), Greece (Family and Childcare Centre - Vivie PAPADIMITRIOU and Spiridoula STASINOPOULOU, Italy (Unione Famiglie Handicappati - Anna-Maria COMITO-FECCHIO) and Portugal (Liga Portuguesa dos Deficientes Motores-CRS - Paula BOUCEIRO), forming together with the Belgian Institute for Equality between Women and Men a partnership coordinated by COFACE and supported by the EU Programme on Equal Opportunities between Women and Men. The Seminar (4/10) and the meetings of the Steering Committee and Administrative Council (3/10) were part of this European project and were an important opportunity to examine and exchange the results of a year's work. The final reports will be ready by the end of the year.
The Seminar was opened by Ms Leila KOSTIAINEN, the Finnish State Secretary at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, and closed by Ms Iva LANOVA from Commissioner SPIDLA's cabinet and Ms Waltraud DAHS from the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, with again a representative of the Finnish Ministry, M. Kari ILMONEN.
Before the seven reports, the 75 participants heard a stimulating keynote speech by M. Hugo SWINNEN from the Dutch Verwey-Jonker Institute on Working Fathers, Caring Men, which was an excellent introduction to our topic. Among others, he underlined the need to act at three levels: the macro-, the meso- and the micro-levels, e.g. respectively time-money-service measures; cultural changes in the way men and women divide paid work and care tasks; de-gendering tasks within the family. There was also an interesting report by M. Samuli KOISO-KANTTILA on the Finnish project "Men's Moment", looking at the gender issue from a man's perspective.
Our European project's expert, Ms Ghislaine JULEMONT, presented a very comprehensive -although not entirely final- synthesis report of the project's findings, conclusions and recommendations. Additional material is still in the pipe-line as the project continues until end 2006. We shall come back to the overall results of the project in a few weeks time (watch this space!).
After this presentation, a panel reacted to what it had heard. The most relevant representatives of civil society in the field were brought together to voice their approach of the issue of Men in Families. Participants had the opportunity to debate with Ms Inge REICHERT (European Centre for Public Enterprises), Ms Annette LAWSON (European Women's Lobby), Ms Minna ETU-SEPPALA (Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe), Ms Heli PUURA (European Trade Union Confederation) and M. Per Kristian DOTTERUD (Reform - Resource Centre for Men (Norway)). To the two main questions raised: What should be done to increase men's participation in family life? Which legal provisions should be foreseen? Reactions mainly underlined the need, on the one hand, to offer a fair choice to women and men and, on the other hand, to fight stereotypes. The ways to respond to these needs were addressed differently by panellists : some requesting more legislation at EU/national levels, some asking for more freedom/less legislation. All agreed however that the issue was topical, but complex, so... the debate continues. 
And indeed it did continue immediately the two following days...
The Finnish EU Presidency had organised an important Conference on Men and Gender Equality - Towards Progressive Policies on 5 and 6 October. With State Secretary Leila KOSTIAINEN in the chair on the first day, about 200 experts from all around Europe and even from Australia presented their findings and thoughts on the issue of men and gender, looking into institutional mechanisms and concrete measures for advancing gender equality.
Four working groups examined respectively the issues of Segregation in Education and Training; Gender Mainstreaming in Health Policies and Practices; Violence; Reconciliation of Work and Family Life. In the latter, chaired by Mr Hugo SWINNEN (see above), COFACE President Yves ROLAND-GOSSELIN set the scene and context with a presentation on Demographic Change.
The conclusions of the sometimes lively but on the whole very respectful discussions were summed up by Commissioner Vladimir SPIDLA and Finnish Minister for Social Affairs and Health, Tuula HAATAINEN, who both insisted on national responsibilities in this field but also on the European dimension of the issue. There was a need to use the Community framework to conduct consultations, exchange experiences, combat stereotypes. In short the EU is a good context for setting an example in gender equality policy and family policies were a way to secure more time for men to spend in their families. A Council Resolution will be prepared by the Finnish Presidency for the December Council. Minister Tuula HAATAINEN had the last word in stressing that there should be no competition between men and women, but that men needed equality and equality needed men.
