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Your Royal Highness

Dear Ministers

Dear participants,

It is a great pleasure to be here in Copenhagen for the launch of our new Gender Equality Strategy.

The Minister gave an even-handed account of the progress and challenges faced by her country in this regard.

But it is fair to say that the degree of gender equality achieved in this country is positive and that Denmark’s overall trajectory is heading in the right direction.

This is true for many other European countries too.

The political power and representation of women have increased.

Access to education and the jobs market have improved.

And both the law and culture have evolved to combat violence and discrimination against women and ensure their equal access to justice.

Issues that you rightly highlighted in your speech, your Royal Highness.

But there is a need for vigilance in Europe today.

Where pockets of extreme nationalism and populist politics have emerged, support for gender equality has too easily suffered, as stereotyping, sexism and opposition to progressive thinking too easily take hold.

Women can ill afford this outcome.

Because, for all the welcome progress that has been made towards gender equality, there is plainly a long way to go.

The MeToo movement has raised consciousness over the continuing mistreatment of both genders, but with a heavy emphasis on women and girls.

It has shone a light on the everyday acts of sexism that millions face every single day.

Discrimination, harassment – and humiliation too.

And the horrifying truth is that 1 in 3 women in Europe has experienced some sort of physical or sexual assault since the age of 15.

1 in 20 has been raped.

Added to this, we can see that women are still on unequal terms with men when it comes to political representation, professional status, and economic empowerment.

Among Council of Europe member states, only around a quarter of parliamentarians and government ministers are women.

Just a third of high and supreme court judges are female.

And the gender pay gap stubbornly persists.

These facts provide just a snapshot of the inequality that remains – of the challenge waiting to be grasped.

So in the clash between the groundswell for change and the rhetoric of populist backlash, it is the former that must win out.

We must harness the energy released by MeToo to bring about further change, in the interest not just of women but of society as a whole.

The Council of Europe is ready to provide the initiatives, standards and laws that will give structure to that energy.

After all, we have a strong record in this area.

The European Convention on Human Rights is Europe’s core human rights treaty, in force in every one of our 47 member states.

Article 14 and Protocol 12 of that Convention guarantee the principle of non-discrimination on the basis of gender.

And every European has the right of appeal to the European Court of Human Rights to ensure that these are upheld.

Separately, the European Social Charter provides social and economic rights for those in member states that have ratified it.

With Article 20 providing equality between men and women in education, work and family life, including the right to equal pay.

Our more recent instruments include:

The Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence – the Istanbul Convention – which supports states both in prosecuting the perpetrator and protecting the victim.

Ratified by 30 member states – most recently by Iceland, just last week - and signed by 16 more plus the EU, this is described as the “gold standard” by the UN.

We also have our Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, which aims to end this appalling practice in which women and girls suffer most.

And our first multi-year Gender Equality Strategy has provided valuable advice to member states on implementing change.

Together, these measures and more have allowed Europe to take certain steps towards gender equality.

So our credentials are clear – as is our determination to pave the way for further steps still.

Anyone who doubts it should read the text of this, our second Gender Equality Strategy.

Running from this year until 2023, it outlines a pragmatic, all-around approach.

It looks to build on our current measures combatting gender-based violence and discrimination.

It aims to ensure that women have proper access to justice: fair trials, effective remedies, and legal aid and representation too.

And it guides us to set new standards on tackling sexism, whether in education and the workplace, or on the internet and social media which have of course opened up new – and often anonymous avenues – for all-too-familiar insults, abuse and intimidation.

Added to this is a new and crucial element.

For the first time, our Gender Equality Strategy will place a specific priority on protecting the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls.

Recognising not only that these are some of the most vulnerable people on our continent but that recent events in Europe have greatly increased their numbers.

From these principles, proposals will grow.

And the Council of Europe will work with our member states to build knowledge of the issues, find solutions to the problems, and implement change for the benefit of all.

So I am happy that members from across our bodies – the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress, the Venice Commission, GREVIO and, of course, the Gender Equality Commission – are present here today, given the vital role that we, together, will play.

Because, and let us be clear, gender equality is in the interests of everyone - male and female alike.

Women suffer most greatly, but men too are boxed in by gender stereotypes.

When we free people from those stereotypes, when we remove the social, economic and political impediments to equality, people will be truly free and empowered to make their own choices and shape their own future.

And what a future that could be.

So I hope that this Conference allows you all to find and to share new ideas about how we get there.

I wish you all every success.