Print
See related documents
Recommendation 1996 (2012) Final version
Equality between women and men: a condition for the success of the Arab Spring
1. Referring to its Resolution 1873 (2012) on
equality between women and men: a condition for the success of the
Arab Spring, the Parliamentary Assembly reiterates its conviction
that no State can be called truly democratic unless it relies on
the balanced participation of women and men in public life and recognises
that women and men have equal dignity and should enjoy the same
human rights.
2. The Assembly believes that the Council of Europe has both
an interest and the instruments to contribute to building an area
of democratic stability in its neighbourhood, sharing the same values
and the same commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule
of law. It therefore welcomes the timely initiatives taken by the
Secretary General and a number of Council of Europe bodies to establish
closer dialogue with the countries of the region, especially Morocco
and Tunisia.
3. The Assembly calls on the Committee of Ministers to pursue
this course of action through political dialogue, country-specific
action plans and co-operation programmes, drawn up in consultation
with the authorities of the countries concerned and other stakeholders.
It asks the Committee of Ministers to ensure that, in this context,
gender equality and the enhancement of the status of women are included
as high priorities.
4. Recalling that both Morocco and Tunisia are members of the
European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission),
the Assembly recalls that it attaches great importance to the role
that this body can play in providing advice on the new Tunisian
Constitution, on legislation which will be adopted to implement
the constitutions in Morocco and Tunisia, as well as on the reforms
which are necessary to bring the national legislation of these countries
into line with international human rights standards. It therefore encourages
the Committee of Ministers to support the Venice Commission in these
tasks.
5. The Assembly is of the opinion that, in addition to a process
of legislative reform, the citizens of Morocco and Tunisia, in particular
women, would benefit from a more consistent and efficient implementation
of the law. To this end, the Assembly recommends that the Committee
of Ministers propose to the authorities of Morocco and Tunisia that
its relevant bodies:
5.1. organise
and/or deliver training to members of the judiciary in the area
of human rights law;
5.2. provide advice and exchange of good practice on the removal
of practical and legal barriers to women’s effective access to justice.
6. Considering that violence against women is a widespread problem,
the Assembly proposes that the Committee of Ministers offer the
countries of the region, in particular Morocco and Tunisia, extensive
co-operation in this area, in particular as regards:
6.1. the organisation of awareness-raising
campaigns and activities, addressed to the general public;
6.2. exchange of best practice and advice on legislative reform
in order to effectively prevent violence against women, protect
its victims and prosecute the perpetrators;
6.3. information and training on the Council of Europe Convention
on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic
Violence (CETS No. 210).
7. With a view to promoting an evolution of mentalities among
the general public, the Assembly encourages the Committee of Ministers
to propose to the countries of the region the organisation of activities
aimed at:
7.1. training civil servants
in gender equality and human rights;
7.2. teaching gender equality and human rights education in
schools;
7.3. training and raising awareness of the media on gender
equality, and sharing good practice on how to avoid the stereotyping
of women;
7.4. enhancing the capacity for action of civil society and
non-governmental organisations.
8. The Assembly believes that the consolidated experience of
the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity (North-South
Centre) is an important asset in the elaboration, implementation and
evaluation of action plans with Morocco and Tunisia, as well as
in the establishment of co-operation with other countries in the
region. It therefore calls on the Committee of Ministers to confirm
its support to the North-South Centre and to its specific activities
aimed at:
8.1. developing further
the network of the North-South women’s empowerment process, which
was set up in the framework of the follow-up to the conference “Women
as Agents of Change in the South of the Mediterranean”, organised
by the North-South Centre in co-operation with the Italian Parliament (Rome,
24-25 October 2011);
8.2. strengthening relations with civil society and non-governmental
organisations and contributing to capacity building, in particular
for youth.