"If we believe in the values of democracy, we cannot leave half the population out of the management structures": before March Eight, Vladimír Spidla, commissioner in charge for equal opportunities, submitted a new report to the Executive, entitled "Women and men in the decision-making process 2007 Analysis of the situation and trends". The study confirmed that, "in spite of the recently made advances, women in Europe are still excluded from the top management of politics and economy". The subject was focussed on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, and the Commission announced that, within 2008, it would organize a "European network of managing women to foster exchange of experiences and good practices for all the 27 EU countries". In accordance with the data shown in Brussels, "all over the European Union, 24% of the members of parliaments are women, with respect to 16% of ten years ago. And the proportion of women with ministerial offices is analogous". MEP women, on the other hand, are 31%. The highest percentages come from Northern Europe countries. In the private sector, "men still occupy 9 places out of 10 in the boards of directors of big enterprises, and represent two thirds of directors of companies". (To be continued)
