Women and the euro

The transition to the euro is not just an economic challenge that women will be facing, but a social one too. Women have to be ready and confident to use the euro; hence it is necessary that information is available in a timely manner and that all women have access to information on the euro.

Access to information results in better understanding; therefore it is imperative that during this process women do not get left behind.

Surveys conducted among Eurozone citizens have shown that women were not only less familiar with what was happening in relation to the introduction of the euro but that they also appeared to be more negative about this change than men.

This negativity might have been fuelled by the lack of familiarity. Likewise, surveys carried out last year in the ten new member states indicate that women (14%) answer more often than men (8%) that they do not know, and men feel more informed than women.

Women should be familiar with what the changeover to the euro entails, both from a personal and economic perspective. Recent European statistics suggest that women manage 75 per cent of the household budget. Women run businesses and contribute significantly to the economy through paid and unpaid work.

It would be very useful for them to become acquainted with all the aspects of the changeover and should be involved more in euro-related issues, whether in a business or personal environment. The National Council of Women (NCW), with the assistance of the National Euro Changeover Committee (NECC), aims to inform and prepare women for the introduction to the euro.

Once the information requirements of women, in relation to the new currency, are identified, both the NCW and the NECC will make every effort to provide the information in a clear manner for the benefit of all women.

For those women who would wish to get information, Linja Ewro 154, our national euro helpline has been launched.