Economic Independence www.economischzelfstandig.nl Economic Independence How economically independent are women worldwide? Introduction by Marjan Nieuwenhuis WOUW-Amsterdam, NVR 16 september 2016

Situation in the Netherlands • Many women work part-time, also singles • When first child is born, women work less or stop working, while men are going to work more • Also when cohabitating, women work less • Only 9 percent of women work full time • Women earn 20 percent less than men for the same work • Less opportunities for promotion (for women) • Women find paid work just as important as to raise children, while men find paid work more important

Big impacts on the financial situation of women Big consequences Men have five times as much retirement funds as women Sufficient income in the Netherlands means 880 euros per month, this is the amount a single person receives for social welfare.

Legislation in the interests of men What are the politics in the Netherlands? • Some political parties want to reduce the partner-alimony from 12 to 5 years. This would ideally promote the empowerment of women. • There is resistance against this proposal by some women's groups as long as the financial situation is not equal to that of men • A draft law turned in on June 2015, but till now no advice has been given by the State Council, which is unusual. • It is such a politically sensitive issue, that it is put on hold until after the elections. What stands out: • After a divorce, most children live with their mother. • Women with children who divorce have their income drop 21 percent, while men’s income increases by 33 percent.

Purchasing power after divorce men | women 1. No children 2. Children stay with their mother 3. Children live with father 4. Average

Global equality is still an illusion • More than one hundred years the feminist movement have yielded no equality for women and men • Time to involve the men The United Nations has launched two campaigns for this purpose, namely • One on violence against women • One on global gender equality, HeForShe Wereldwijde gelijkheid van vrouwen

Speech Secretary-General of UN Women, December 10, 2015 Fortunately, there are people in the UN who have hopeful expectations for women, such as Phumzile of UN Women

He For She • In September 2014, UN Women set up the HeForShe campaign to involve men and boys in achieving gender equality and women's rights. The campaign encourages them to speak out and to take action against inequality regarding women and girls. • It is the first time that men and boys are invited to stand behind our goal of global gender equality. The aim is to achieve this by 2030. • Their motto is: 'What we share is more powerful than what divides us. Take action now to create a gender-equal world.’ • At a special kick-off on September 20, 2014 at the headquarters of the UN in New York, called the Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson * (old Harry Potter actress, 24 years) in a speech on her own road to feminism, men and boys to fight against women's oppression. This speech became a hit on social media. • Also the UN Women wanted the campaign to be supported by 100,000 men. This was achieved in three days. Among others Barack Obama and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon signed for the campaign. • * https: //youtu.be/gkjW9PZBRfk, speech Emma Watson

The 10x10x10 campaigns was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 23, 2015. The idea is to motivate the leaders of 10 governments, 10 companies and 10 universities to help improve the position of women in a more accelerated way by creating the structural and cultural changes that are required. It is a small pilot and is evaluated over the course of a year to see if this is a viable strategy. http://webtv.un.org/watch/phumzile-mlambo-ngcuka-un-women-launch-of-the-heforshe-campaign-special-event / 3797075321001

Report after one year, the business • Below is the one year report of the 10x10x10 action at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 22, 2016 - with speeches and panel discussions with CEOs of companies that have participated in the pilot. • The companies for this pilot have been chosen because they are innovators and advocates. They operate in 190 countries and have more than one million people employed. • They reveal in Davos the figures for gender equality from the report in the presence of Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson. • This video was made one year after launching the 10x10x10 business report of the campaign. • https://www.youtube.com/embed/cv-9rI3W72g

Report of 10 companies with more than 1 million workers in 190 countries with an inventory of gender equality in their business after one year Baseline: Employees: 40% Fri - 60% m Managers: 27% Fri - 73% m CEOs: 29% Fri - 71% q These companies undertake to improve the situation of women in the workplace and to publish progress. In 2030, there will be gender equality http://www.economischzelfstandig.nl/assets/uploads/HeForShe_IMPACT10x10x10_ParityReport_Corporate_Final-23jan16.pdf