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Reply to Recommendation | Doc. 11847 | 16 March 2009
Empowering women in a modern, multicultural society
1. The Committee of
Ministers has carefully considered Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1838 (2008)– "Empowering women
in a modern, multicultural society" and, in this context, congratulates
the Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Equal Opportunities for
Women and Men for its resolute commitment during the ten years of
its existence. The Committee of Ministers is itself determined to
pursue, in co-operation with the Assembly, the pioneering work done
by the Council of Europe to achieve gender equality, notably through
the activities of the Steering Committee for Equality between Women
and Men (CDEG).
2. Before commenting more specifically on the questions raised
by the recommendation, the Committee of Ministers wishes to point
out that, on 5 November 2008, it held a thematic exchange of views
on the Council of Europe's action in the field of gender equality,
to which it attaches considerable importance. In the light of this
exchange, the Committee of Ministers identified a number of measures
to improve gender mainstreaming, reinforce action to promote gender
equality within its own structures and strive for greater balance
in selection processes for different bodies, entities and committees
of the Council of Europe and within the member states. In this connection,
it asked the Secretary General to prepare an annual report on the
follow-up given to the decisions taken as well as on the implementation
of the gender equality policy in the Council of Europe, including
within the Organisation's bodies, entities and committees. At the
same time, to continue advancing on the issue of de facto equality, which must be
addressed from multiple standpoints and across the board, the CDEG
is currently drawing up a declaration on this subject, which the
Committee of Ministers will shortly be examining with a view to
its adoption.
3. With regard to paragraph 3 of the recommendation concerning
the reiterated invitation of the Assembly to draw up a new protocol
to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms enshrining gender equality as a fundamental human right,
the Committee of Ministers recalls that its 1988 Declaration, recognising
gender equality as an integral part of fundamental human rights,
remains a reference document and a political landmark in the Council
of Europe's policy on gender equality. This principle was taken up
by the Conference of the United Nations on Human Rights (Vienna,
1993).
4. The Committee of Ministers shares the Assembly's concerns
about ongoing discrimination against women, as it indicated in its
reply to Recommendation
1798 (2007) on “Respect for the principle of gender equality in
civil law”, adopted at its 1030th meeting (18 June 2008). It reasserts
its position as reflected in paragraphs 3 to 6 of the said reply
regarding the proposal to draft a new protocol to the European Convention on
Human Rights.
5. As regards the proposal, in paragraph 4, to appoint a Council
of Europe Special Rapporteur on Women’s Rights including on action
against violence against women, the Committee of Ministers reiterates
that equality between women and men should be enshrined in the heart
of Council of Europe policy, in accordance with the values of the
Organisation. An essential aspect of the CDEG's terms of reference
is to “promote co-operation between member states with a view to
achieving de facto gender
equality as an integral part of human rights, a sine qua non of genuine democracy
and a factor of economic development and progress, and to stimulate actions
at both national and Council of Europe level, having regard to activities
undertaken within other international organisations”. The Committee
of Ministers also notes the major work undertaken by the Council of
Europe Commissioner for Human Rights in the field of gender equality.
6. In addition, the Committee of Ministers draws the Assembly’s
attention to the creation of an Ad hoc Committee of Experts instructed
to prepare one or more legally binding instrument(s) as appropriate,
to prevent and combat:
- domestic violence including specific forms of violence against women;
- other forms of violence against women;
to protect and support the victims of such violence and prosecute the perpetrators.
7. In paragraph 5, the Parliamentary
Assembly invites the Committee of Ministers to promote the holding of
a United Nations 5th World Conference on Women with the aim of empowering
women in a modern, multicultural society, in particular through
intercultural and inter-religious dialogue. In this connection,
the Committee of Ministers draws the Assembly's attention to the
work done by the CDEG, which has dealt with most of the objectives
set by the 4th United Nations World Conference on Women. These include
gender mainstreaming, particularly in the education and health fields,
integrating a gender perspective into budgetary processes – this
will be the theme of a Conference to be held in Athens on 5 and
6 May 2009 –, protecting women against violence, combating trafficking
in human beings and examining the role of women and men in conflict
prevention and resolution and in peace building. All these activities
aim to empower women and are based on the principle that no cultural
tradition, religion or social custom can justify denying the enjoyment
by women and girls of their human rights nor can be used as an excuse
for turning a blind eye to the violation of these rights.
8. This will also be the guiding principle of the 7th Council
of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Equality between
Women and Men to be held in Baku in 2010 on the theme “Gender equality:
bridging the gap between de jure and de facto equality”.
9. It should also be stressed that the Council of Europe has
been making major contributions to the sessions of the Commission
on the Status of Women (CSW) since the Beijing Conference in 1995,
for example when the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
were examined and assessed in March 2000
and March 2005 (Beijing + 5 and Beijing + 10). 
Side events are
organised by the Council of Europe and its member states during
the Commission's sessions with the aim of examining and assessing
the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The activities
of the CDEG have contributed in a major way to the implementation
of the Beijing Platform for Action at European level.
10. All these activities require
appropriate follow-up, and the Committee of Ministers considers
that the priority is making further headway in the fields that have
already been explored in order to issue fresh proposals and secure
solid innovative bases for achieving effective equality between
women and men before organising a 5th World Conference on Women.
11. Concerning the area of “intercultural and inter-religious
dialogue” and integration of a gender perspective in the activities
carried out in this field, the Committee of Ministers invites the
Assembly to refer to the “Report on the role of women and men in
intercultural and inter-religious dialogue for conflict prevention
and resolution, for peace building and for democratisation”, prepared
by the CDEG in 2004. This report contains a number of good practices
for encouraging women’s participation in intercultural dialogue,
including its religious dimension, as well as measures for improving
women’s participation.
12. In connection with the organisation of the Council of Europe
2008 Exchange on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue
(8 April 2008), devoted to “Teaching religious and convictional
facts”, the Committee of Ministers was careful, when selecting the
participants, to ensure appropriate respect for the principle of gender
equality. The same principle will be applied to the 2009 Exchange,
to be devoted to the same theme.
13. It should also be underlined that equality between women and
men, as a core issue in changing societies and a crucial element
of democracy, was duly taken into account in the Council of Europe
White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue, which clearly states that
“respect for women's human rights is a non-negotiable foundation
of any discussion of cultural diversity”.