Brussels has today announced that the EU Common Agricultural Policy is to require all member states ratify gender equality laws for agricultural livestock before April 2013. Legislation is to enforce equal opportunities and equal treatment irrespective of gender.
Announcing the new policies a EU spokesman explained, “Imagine you are a young bull born to a dairy herd. Is it fair that your prospects in your herd are limited by the fact that you were born male ? Just look at your typical flock of sheep. How many males around ? Is it fair that not only your prospects but even your life expectancy become determined by your gender ? In line with other gender equality legislation, we are giving the industry a wake-up call and if things don’t change, we may have to start using quota systems requiring equal gender representation in agricultural flocks and herds.”
