FEMINISING THE MAINSTREAM: Women and the European Union's Training Policies

Gender segregation remains a remarkably persistent feature of the workforce in all member states of the European Union (EU), regardless of variations in rates of female economic activity, the growth of equality legislation and changing values prompted by notions of social justice. However, the argument that such patterns of segregation, in particular the clustering of women in low skilled, low paid work, represents a waste of human resources has a more powerful resonance in the context of converging economic and social factors. The creation of a Single Market, chronic skill shortages and an ageing workforce have combined with a more acute awareness of social justice and climate of political correctness to put women's skill and training needs higher on the political agenda than ever before. As a consequence, the Commission of the European Communities (CEC), which arguably has a good track record in acting as a catalyst in the promotion of equal opportunities (EO) more generally, is now in a unique position to challenge the rigidities of segregation through its funding programmes for training.