Council of Europe. Recommendation on Equality between Women and Men : The Conference of INGOs calls on member states to respect and defend this essential Human Rights acquis.Adopted by the Conference of INGOs on 30 October 2019
CONF/PLE(2019)REC3
The Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations of the Council of Europe, bringing together 400 OING, by this Recommendation adopted by the plenary session in Strasbourg:
« Recalling that equality between women and men is a universal value, enshrined in international and European treaties, which prohibit all discrimination, inequality and violence based on gender and require the promotion of real equality between women and men in all fields ;(…) Gravely concerned to note an increasingly active opposition to the international, European and national achievements in the field of the fundamental rights of women that underpin our European democratic civilisation, (…) Urgently requests the organs of the Council of Europe and the member States, in view of this very worrying situation for Women’s Rights, to take all measures to preserve the existing achievements in the field of equality between women and men, the fundamental rights of women, to act for their effective application, a condition for democracy and the rule of law on the European continent and in the world, »
This recommendation was proposed by the Vice-President of the Conference in charge of Equality with the participation of the Association of Women of Southern Europe (AFEM), University Women of Europe (UWE), and support by: European Centre of the International Council of Women (ECICW), European Network church on the Move (EN/RE), European Union of Women (EUW), Intereuropean Commission on Church and School (ICCS), International Alliance of Women (IAW), Soroptimist International Europe (SIE), Zonta International (ZI), European Buddhist Union (EBU), ANDANTE Europa, European Action of the Disabled, (AEH), Conference of European Churches (CEC)
The proposal for a recommendation comes from the European Conference celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe, organized by AFEM at the Paris Bar on 4 April 2019, bringing together 50 representatives of international, European and national feminist organizations, universities and the judicial world (see AFEM in the IAW annual report, 2019). The IAW reiterated its support for AFEM’s proposal for a recommendation at its international meeting in Geneva on 27 October 2019. AFEM warmly thanks the IAW, all the INGOs who contributed to the adoption of this text of major importance, and in particular the Vice-Presidency of the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe, Anne Nègre.
https://rm.coe.int/conf-ple-2019-rec3-gender-equality-en/1680989f57
Catherine Dimitroulias, President of the Association of Women of Southern Europe, Delegate to the Council of Europe, ex. Vice-President of the INGO’s Conference, 4th pillar of the Council of Europe.
