Chrysttala Ellina - Promoting Womens Rights: Politics of Gender in the European Union

STUDIES IN INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS

Edited by
Charles G. MacDonald
Florida International University

A ROUTLEDGE SERIES

STUDIES IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

CHARLES G. MACDONALD, General Editor

PROMOTING WOMEN'S RIGHTS

The Politics of Gender in the
European Union
Chrystalla A. Ellina

PROMOTING WOMEN'S RIGHTS

THE POLITICS OF GENDER IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Chrystalla A. Ellina

Routledge
New York & London

Published in 2003 by
Routledge
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Published in Great Britain by
Routledge
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Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper.

Copyright 2003 by Taylor & Francis Books, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ellina, Chrystalla.

Promoting women's rights : the politics of gender in the European Union / by
Chrystalla Ellina.
p. cm. (Studies in international relations)

Originally presented as the author's thesis (Ph. D.)University of Missouri-St. Louis, 1999.

Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-415-9443 5-X (alk. paper)

1. Women's rightsEuropean Union countries. 2. WomenGovernment policy European Union countries. 3. Women's rightsInternational cooperation. 4. International organization. I. Title. II. Studies in international relations

(Routledge (Firm))

HQ1236.5.E97 E45 2003
305.42'094dc21 2002036779

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK A NUMBER OF PERSONS AND ORGANIZATIONS FOR their help in completing this book. An international fellowship awarded by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation in 199899 made possible the fieldwork in Brussels. A graduate assistantship at the Department of Political Science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis enabled me to conduct preliminary research. I am grateful to my dissertation committee, Martin J. Rochester, Joyce Mushaben, Kenny Thomas and Frances Hoffman who read and commented on the draft, as originally presented in the form of a dissertation. I am indebted to all the interviewees who provided the primary material for this research in Brussels, at the European Commission, Barbara Helfferich then at the European Women's Lobby and Suzanne Seeland at EUROPS. I also thank Routledge for their initiative in reviewing this book, Charles MacDonald, the editor of the series Studies in International Relations, Farideh Kamali and John Shea for the smooth process their professionalism ensured. I am deeply indebted to Boyd Anderson who has proofread the entire manuscript and supported me throughout the process.

I NTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS PLAY AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ROLE in policy arenas once considered strictly within the realm of national politics. National level policymaking is no longer sufficient for analyzing such diverse policy sectors as environmental, fiscal and monetary policies. Social policy often considered as a core area of national sovereignty (Pierson 1996, 148) and zealously guarded by states eager to protect and proclaim their national identity, is not immune from these developments.