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

Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly

Synopsis No. 2000/110

4 July 2000

The Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, meeting in Strasbourg on 29 June 2000 with Mrs Roudy (France, SOC) in the Chair:

as regards:

- Mothers and babies in prison : appointed Mrs Vermot-Mangold (Switzerland, SOC) rapporteur for opinion and approved the oral opinion of the Committee;

- Situation of lesbians and gays in the member States of the Council  of Europe (Rapporteur for  opinion: Mr Etherington, United Kingdom, SOC): approved the oral opinion of the Committee;

- Campaign against trafficking in women (Rapporteur: Mrs Err, Luxembourg, SOC): considered an outline report, decided to write a joint report with the one on a campaign against prostitution (Rapporteur: Mrs Vermot-Mangold, Switzerland, SOC) and decided to hold a hearing on this subject (date to be determined);

- work of the committee:

* considered the work programme of the committee;

* appointed Ms Herczog (Hungary, SOC) rapporteur on Equal treatment of men and women running their own businesses or helping their spouses in family businesses;

- the appointment of representatives to meetings organised by other committee, appointed:

�        Mrs Stanoiu (Romania, SOC) to attend the International conference “Equal opportunities for women and men” (Prague, 30 August -3 September 2000);

�        Mrs Roudy (France, SOC) to attend the Colloquy “the women: victims of integrism and domestic violence” organised by International Women’s Rights (Strasbourg, 12-13 September 2000);

�        Mrs Roudy (France, SOC) to attend the Conference of AFEM (Association des Femmes de l’Europe M�ridionale) on “Equality between women and men : a fundamental right" (Paris, 21-23 September 2000);

�        Mrs Err (Luxembourg, SOC) to attend the Conference of Parliamentary Committees responsible for Equality between women and men in the Member States of the European Union and of the European Parliament (Berlin, 17-18 November 2000);

- the participation in meetings organised by other bodies:

-         20^th meeting of the Steering Committee for Equality between women and men: (Strasbourg, 9-12 May 2000): heard a statement by Mrs Poptodorova (Bulgaria, SOC);

-         Preparation of the high level plenary review of the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2000 on the progress made since the Conferences of Nairobi and Beijing (New York, 5-9 June 2000): heard a statement by Mrs Roudy (France, SOC);

-          International conference “the woman: human rights and the media” (Bratislava, 8 June 2000) : heard a statement by Mrs Keltosova (Slovak Republic, EDG)

-         Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly (Dublin, 16-17 May 2000): heard a statement by Mrs Roudy (France, SOC)

- its next meetings: decided to meet :

.    in Paris, on Monday 18 September 2000 at 10.30 am, at the Council of Europe Office followed at 2 pm by a hearing on domestic slavery;

.    in Strasbourg, during the 2000 fourth part-session of the Assembly (25-29 September);

.    in Helsinki, 13-14 November 2000.