Female employees

42% of the people employed in the European Union are women.

Even today, gender remains one of the most formative and significant social differences. In most areas of public and private life, there are major differences between women and men and the aspects they affect include safety and health at work.

Gender mainstreaming is a strategy geared to ensuring that the task of promoting equal opportunities (as entrusted to the state by Article 2, Paragraph 2 of Germany's constitution, the "Grundgesetz") is translated into practice in all areas of government, particularly by all public administration employees. According to the internationally recognised usage of the term, "gender mainstreaming" refers to the optimisation of administrative actions to ensure that the realities of men's and women's lives are systematically reflected in planning, implementation and evaluation. Gender-specific assessment of the implications of specific actions is thus a key element.

Gender mainstreaming is a means of devising policies which are fair to both genders. However, it can only, and is only intended to, supplement policies which serve to promote women's rights or equal opportunities, not replace them.

Gender mainstreaming means that the different life situations and interests of men and women are taken into account in all areas of society, right from the outset and on a regular basis, since reality is not "gender-neutral".

The European Union defines gender mainstreaming as "incorporating equal opportunities for women and men" into all activities. At the EU level, gender mainstreaming was first made legally binding in the Treaty of Amsterdam, which entered into force on 1 May 1999.  [i]

The following pages list various sources which deal with safety and health at work and gender mainstreaming.

[i]  Source/Copyright: Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ)