Gender equality is a development objective of democratic societies, a common good and a matter of social justice. Gender stratification in society hinders balanced human development and leads to human rights violations. Equal treatment of men and women is one of the core values of the European Union and a central principle that runs through all its activities.
The sustainability of a society depends on its ability to create the best opportunities for its people to develop and thrive. There is a direct link between economic growth, employment and real equality between the two largest social groups – men and women. The active participation of all human resources – both men and women – ensures competitiveness and employment growth. Every person must be able to develop their abilities and make choices freely, without being constrained by gender stereotypes and traditional gender roles. Valuing the skills, competences and talents of every member of society is important for both the sustainability of society and human development.
Equal, full and effective participation of men and women in all areas of collective life, in particular in employment, will contribute to achieving smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, which is the goal of the Europe 2020 strategy. In order to achieve this, promoting gender equality must become a daily activity in the policy-making process.
Promoting gender equality will help to make the public sector more efficient and human-centred, and to ensure that the policies and public services that are designed are in fact equally accessible, of good quality and of equal benefit to men and women.
If you feel that you’ve been treated unequally, please contact the Equality Commissioner by e-mail at avaldus@volinik.ee or telephone +372 626 9059. The anonymity of the person is guaranteed when contacting the Commissioner.
