Print
See related documents
Resolution 1780 (2010) Final version
Promoting the most favourable gender equality laws in Europe
1. The Parliamentary Assembly considers
that equality between women and men is an essential precondition
of all democratic societies. However, despite the progress achieved
in Europe in this area, women’s rights vary considerably between
member states. Moreover, with the current economic crisis there
is a danger of a backlash leading to a reduction in women’s rights.
2. The Assembly is convinced that women should be entitled to
greater rights to safeguard their personal dignity, integrity and
autonomy and that the exercise of these fundamental rights should
not differ according to their place of residence. Currently, however,
women not only suffer from gender-based inequalities within their countries
but are also subject to “territorial” discrimination.
3. The political will, in particular the one expressed by national
parliaments, is fundamental to actively promoting equality between
women and men, adopting and then implementing progressive legislation
that guarantees, de jure and de facto, women’s fundamental rights
and strengthens their autonomy.
4. The Assembly therefore welcomes the decision of the French
voluntary association “Choisir la cause des femmes” (“Choose the
women’s cause”) to encourage a “most favoured European woman clause”,
which would entitle all women living in the European Union to benefit
from whichever provisions of member states’ legislation were most
favourable to them.
5. Considering that one of the Council of Europe’s goals is to
establish a common legal area, based on respect for human rights,
the Assembly wishes to support this initiative and extend it to
all the Council of Europe member states, with a view to promoting
a high level of fundamental rights, including equality between women and
men.
6. In particular, drawing on the “most favoured European woman
clause”, the Assembly intends to encourage the adoption of a “legislative
bouquet to foster equality between women and men” in five priority areas,
namely combating violence against women in Europe; combating trafficking
in human beings; women’s participation in political and public life
and combating sexist stereotypes; reproductive health (including
sexual and reproductive rights); and women and economic life.
7. The Assembly invites the national parliaments of the Council
of Europe member states to:
7.1. draw
inspiration from the most progressive laws on equality between women
and men in Europe to enact legislation that is the most favourable
to women;
7.2. support the “most favoured European woman clause” initiative;
7.3. include in their work priorities and their political agendas
the areas identified as priorities in this resolution;
7.4. draw inspiration from the most progressive laws identified
in Europe in the priority areas, and in particular:
7.4.1. the
Spanish and Austrian laws on violence against women;
7.4.2. the Swedish, British, Belgian and Bulgarian laws on trafficking
in human beings;
7.4.3. the Belgian and Portuguese laws on women’s participation
in political and public life;
7.4.4. the Dutch, Danish, Swedish and British laws on reproductive
health, including sexual and reproductive rights;
7.4.5. the Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish laws on parental leave,
in so far as they affect women and economic life;
7.5. use International Women’s Day (8 March) as an opportunity
to promote the “bouquet of the most advanced legislations on equality
between women and men”, particularly by holding parliamentary hearings
and exchanges of experiences, and assessing the progress of women’s
rights in their own country.
8. The Assembly decides to prepare a handbook for parliamentarians
on the promotion of equality between women and men, which would
make it possible to identify the strategies required within parliaments
and good legislative practices for promoting the “legislative bouquet”
identified in the present resolution.
9. The Assembly intends to promote the “bouquet of the most advanced
legislation on equality between women and men” in its relations
with other parliamentary assemblies and international organisations.