Reply to Recommendation | Doc. 12878 | 21 February 2012

More women in economic and social decision-making bodies

Author(s): Committee of Ministers

Origin - Adopted at the 1134th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (15 February 2012). 2012 - March Standing Committee

Reply to Recommendation: Recommendation 1977 (2011)

1. The Committee of Ministers has taken due note of Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1977 (2011) on “More women in economic and social decision-making bodies”.

2. It has decided to take account of the Action Plan “Taking up the challenge of the achievement of de jure and de facto gender equality” in the Council of Europe’s work in this field. In this context, it also refers to the Declaration: “Making gender equality a reality”, adopted at the 119th Ministerial Session in Madrid in May 2009.

3. The Committee of Ministers considers that the European Social Charter has a major contribution to make in the efforts to improve women's economic and social situation as several Charter provisions have a direct and crucial bearing on the position of women in employment. The full implementation of these provisions by the member States would help to achieve equality between women and men in employment, thereby also creating better conditions for the increased representation of women in decision-making positions.

4. Recommendation Rec(2003)3 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on balanced participation of women and men in political and public decision making advocates a series of principles and measures which also cover the specific question raised by the Assembly. The Steering Committee for Equality between Women and Men (CDEG) has regularly monitored the implementation of this recommendation and has just recently incorporated the issue of women’s participation in economic decision making into the process together with collecting examples of good practice. The Gender Equality Commission will continue to review the implementation of the relevant recommendations, as well as of the 2009 Madrid Declaration and the 2010 Baku Action Plan.

5. The Assembly proposes that two recommendations by the Committee of Ministers to the member States should be prepared, one on equal opportunities for women and men in access to employment and promotions, and the other on equal opportunities and the reconciliation of private and professional life. The Committee of Ministers considers it more advisable, before beginning to draw up new guidelines, to assess the follow-up on the implementation of existing instruments – particularly Recommendation Rec(96)5 on reconciling work and family life, which already proposes a number of measures for equal opportunities and balance between private and professional life – in order to draw the necessary conclusions and consider ways of improving their implementation.