Doc. 10800
24 January 2006

In favour of a Parliamentary Assembly “Equality Prize”

Motion for a resolution
presented by Mrs Cliveti and others

1.       In its study of “Mechanisms to ensure women’s participation in decision-making” (Document 10743), the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men found that women’s participation in elected assemblies in Europe remains low. Women form an active base in political parties and a committed electorate, but remain under-represented in the top ranks of political parties and have difficulty in asserting themselves enough to gain their party’s support and be able to stand for election.

2.       Political parties are of great importance in effectively promoting balanced participation by women and men in politics. They therefore have a responsibility to promote equal access by women and men to nomination as candidates and to elective posts, especially in uninominal votes.

3.       Women’s low level of participation in politics in the Council of Europe member countries is also reflected in the working structures of the Parliamentary Assembly, whose membership included only 22.4% of women in June 2005. At that date women held only two posts of vice-president out of 19 (ie 11%) and chaired only one committee out of ten.

4.       Clearly, existing institutional mechanisms are not sufficient to overcome stereotypes and help attitudes change. Political parties – a basic and indeed vital factor in ensuring participation by women and men in politics in the Council of Europe member countries – have the capacity to develop measures and good practices to promote women’s access to elective office.

5.       Considering that balanced participation by women and men in politics is a prerequisite for improving the functioning of democracy and society, the Parliamentary Assembly decides to introduce an “Equality Prize” to reward good practices by political parties in Europe which have actively promoted women’s participation in politics. The prize would showcase measures that have really helped to improve women’s representation in elected assemblies. Holding a competition for the award of the “Equality Prize” would help to promote the exchange of good practices in Europe and to encourage political parties to develop effective practical mechanisms for promoting women’s participation in politics.

Signed ¹:

CLIVETI, Minodora, Romania, SOC
ANTUNOVIC, Željka, Croatia, SOC
ATANASOVA, Aneliya, Bulgaria, ALDE
AUSTIN, John, United Kingdom, SOC
BILGEHAN, G�ls�n, Turkey, SOC
DAMANAKI, Maria, Greece, SOC
FAUTRIER, Catherine, Monaco, EPP/CD
GULIYEVA, Aynur, Azerbaijan, ALDE
PEHLIVAN, Fatma, Belgium, SOC
STANTCHEVA, Darinka, Bulgaria, ALDE
ZAPFL-HELBLING, Rosmarie, Switzerland, EPP/CD

¹        SOC: Socialist Group
       EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
       ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
       EDG: European Democratic Group
       UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
       NR: not registered in a group