TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN

Office of the Clerk of the Assembly

Synopsis No. 2000/005

19 January 2000

The Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, meeting in Paris on 17 January 2000, with Ms Roudy (France, SOC) in the chair, as regards:

• the Sub-Committee on violence towards women: heard a statement by Mr Neuwirth (France, EDG), Vice-Chairman of the Sub-Committee, on the meeting held in the morning and decided to transmit the minutes of the Seminar on violence towards women (Bari, 4-6 November 1999) to all the participants, to the relevant committees of the National Parliaments and to the international organisations and NGOs involved in this matter;

• violence against women in Europe (Rapporteur: Mrs Vermot-Mangold, Switzerland, SOC): considered a preliminary draft report;

• follow-up action to the United Nations 4^th World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) (Rapporteur: Mrs Roudy, France, SOC): considered a preliminary draft report, and decided to propose to the Bureau of the Assembly that this report be included on the May 2000 Standing Committee agenda;

• Situation of women in South-Eastern Europe: held an exchange of views and decided to ask the Bureau of the Assembly to be seized for opinion when the Assembly debates on the report on the Stability Pact;

• appointment of rapporteurs:

* Female genital mutilation : Mrs Vermot-Mangold (Switzerland, SOC)

* Parental leave: Mrs Zwerver (Netherlands, NR)

* Mothers and babies in prison (for opinion): Mrs Pulgar (Spain, EPP/CD)

• Participation in meetings organised by other committees: heard statements by:

* Mrs G�lek (Turkey, SOC) on the Seminar "Men and violence against women" organised by the Steering Committee for Equality between women and men which was held in Strasbourg, 7-8 October 1999;

* Mr Etherington (United Kingdom, SOC) on the Hearing on the situation of lesbians and gays in Council of Europe member countries which was held in Paris, 14 October 1999;

* Mr Connor (Ireland, EPP/CD) on the Inter-parliamentary Conference on demographic change and sustainable development organised by the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography which was held in Bucharest, 21-23 October 1999;

* Mrs Pulgar (Spain, EPP/CD) on the III^rd Conference of Parliamentary Committees responsible for Equality between women and men in the Member States of the European Union and of the European Parliament (CEEO) which was held in Madrid, 18-19 November 1999 and on the Meeting of the Network of Parliamentary Committees on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men of the European Union Member States and the European Parliament which was held in Madrid, 26-27 November 1999;

• the appointment of representatives to meetings organised by other bodies:

* Preparatory Regional Meeting of the 2000 review on the implementation of the Beijing Platform for action (Geneva, 19-21 January 2000): Mrs Vermot-Mangold (Switzerland, SOC);

• its next meetings:

* Strasbourg, during the first part-session of the Assembly: on 24 January 2000 at 7.30 pm (room 7) and on 27 January 2000 at 2 pm (room 11);

* Paris, Tuesday 29 February 2000 at 10 am (Council of Europe Office);

* Strasbourg, during the second part-session of the Assembly (3-7 April 2000).

The Sub-Committee on violence towards women (of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men) meeting in Paris on 17 January 2000 with Mr Neuwirth (Vice-Chairman, France, EDG) in the Chair, as regards:

• the Seminar on violence towards women which was held in Bari (4-6 November 1999): held an exchange of views on the conclusions of the seminar and decided to report to the plenary committee;

• its next meeting: decided to leave it to the chairperson to convene the next meeting.

 

Agn�s Nollinger