"We must succeed in going beyond presenting the illusion of equality.” So argued the Minister-President of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation Rudy Demotte on Monday. He was speaking at an event which took place on the sidelines of the 63rd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, also opening in New York on the same day.
The afternoon’s round-table discussion revolved around good practice and policies for the design and implementation of social protection, public services and sustainable infrastructures. The aim is of course in particular to achieve the promotion and representation of women.
Around twenty countries spoke during the meeting.
The implementation of compulsory male-female representation quotas in both state-owned and private companies, has been evident since the 2011 law came into force, said Demotte, currently attending the United Nations event to represent Belgium. Further progress has taken place in French-speaking Belgium, where subsidized NGOs have witnessed the compulsory imposition of a maximum quota of two-thirds of members of the same sex on their boards, he stressed.
In terms of equal pay, “although Belgium is one of the highest scoring countries,” the 2012 law aimed to further reduce the pay gap. The legislation implemented permanent monitoring systems in companies with over 50 employees, said the Minister-President. Such companies have a duty to provide precise details on the evolution of pay structures and pay scales based upon seniority, he elaborated.
Demotte received a round of applause from the meeting for his speech, being particularly congratulated by representatives next to him in the meeting from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Brazil.
The Brussels Times
