For the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy on family businesses in Europe

DRAFT OPINION of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality for the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy on family businesses in Europe


SUGGESTIONS

The Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality calls on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions in its motion for a resolution:

A. whereas there is a growing presence of women in family businesses and women are a major resource in terms of their ability to influen ce strategies, decisions and management;

B. whereas family businesses represent an important career opportunity for women;

C. whereas women encounter substantial difficulties in their involvement in family businesses and are subject to ‘vertical’ and ‘horiz ontal’ gender segregation;

D. whereas women often play an invisible role, or act as figureheads, and do not have their job or salary status appropriately recognised, which has serious repercussions in terms of social security contributions, pensions and welfare;

E. whereas women have difficulty in taking over fam ily businesses as successors, given that preference is given to sons and daughters are nearl y always excluded;

1. Calls for measures to protect women to be applied and implemented more effectively, with a view to avoiding horizontal and vertical seg regation, wage and job discrimination (invisibility and ‘figurehead’ treatment), providing both genders with equal opportunities, social rights and access to health;

2. Stresses the need to protect women’s right to su ccession in family businesses, on a par with men, by promoting a culture of fairness between men and women which highlights the entrepreneurial role of women in family businesses, in positions of management, responsibility and leadership;

3. Calls for the ‘mother-entrepreneur’ figure to be promoted, in order to guarantee the right to maternity and to grant financial assistance to women who intend to devote themselves to both their families and businesses;

4. Urges the European Union and Member States to consider and include the protection of women each time they legislate on matters relating to family businesses. 

(2014/2210(INI))
Rapporteur: Daniela Aiuto