Sexism and discriminatory stereotypes remain widespread, and affect women’s education and participation in the economy and in public life.

0n 27th March 2019, the Committee of Ministers adopted Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)1 on preventing and combating sexism. It comprises a comprehensive catalogue of measures both to prevent and to condemn sexism, and it calls for specific action in such areas as: language and communications; internet and social media; media, advertising and other communication methods; workplace; public sector ; justice sector ; education institutions ; culture and sport; private sphere. Countries are encouraged to pass legislation that condemns sexism and criminalises sexist hate speech. It also requires that countries monitor the implementation of anti-sexist policies at national level and report back periodically to the Council of Europe. The Campaign Sexism : See it. Name it. Stop it!, with tools available in different languages aims at raising awareness about the phenomenon and at eliminating it.

Standards

Text of the Recommendation

Translations in other languages

Albanian; Azerbaijani;Bulgarian;Catalan(Andorra);Czech;Croatian;Georgian;German;Greek;Italian;
Latvian; Macedonian;Montenegrin;Norwegian;Portuguese;Russian;Serbian;Slovenian;Spanish;
Ukrainian

Tools of the Campaign: Sexism: See it. Name it. Stop it.


Action page on preventing and combating sexism

English; French;
Albanian; Armenian; Catalan; Croatian; Dutch; Georgian; German;Greek; Serbian; Spanish; Swedish;Turkish; Ukrainian

Council of Europe video on preventing and combating sexism

English; French;
Albanian; Georgian; Greek; Russian; Serbian; Spanish; Ukrainian

Subtitled version of the video on preventing and combating sexism

English; French;
Albanian; Catalan; Dutch; Georgian; German;Greek; Russian; Serbian; Spanish; Swedish;Turkish; Ukrainian

Publications and Resources

Preventing and Combatting sexism at the local level in Ukraine: A Guide for Women and Men in Local Politics, Congress of Local and Regional authorities, 2020

Tackling Social Norms: A game changer for gender inequalities, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 2020

State of play of sexism in France in 2019 ( French only), Annual Report, Haut Conseil à l'Egalité entre les femmes et les hommes (France), 2020

Toolkit on Gender Sensitive Communication, European Institute for Gender Equality, 2019

First state of play of sexism in France: combating a persisting social acceptance, Haut Conseil à l'Egalité entre les femmes et les hommes (France), 2019 (French only)

Let’s speak gender – 10 principles on gender-sensitive communication, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 2018

Gender-Neutral language in the European Parliament, European Parliament, 2018

Sexism in the public space , Analysis of survey, Vie féminine, (Belgium), 2017 (French only)

Sexism in schools in the UK "It's just everywhere!, Study, UK Feminsta (UK), 2017

Where do we stand on sexism?, Study, JUMP, 2016

Practical guide for public communication without sexist stereotypes, Haut Conseil à l'Egalité entre les femmes et les hommes (France), 2015 (French only)

Sexism at work, Conseil supérieur de l’égalité professionnelle entre les femmes et les hommes (France), 2015 (French only)

Work of the Drafting Committee to prepare the Recommendation to prevent and combat sexism (GEC-DC Sexism) (2017-2019)

More information about Committee meetings

Press

English

“How to fight sexism in the #MeToo era? Council of Europe starts with defining it”, Euronews, 28/3/2019

"Women face daily violence online", Times of Malta, 3/9/2019

Council of Europe: launch of anti-sexism campaign “See it. Name it. Stop it.”, Agensir (Italy), 16/9/2019

"An official ban on sexist jokes? The Council of Europe's Recommendation on preventing and combating sexism", Gendering European Studies, 24/9/2019

French

“Le Conseil de l'Europe adopte la "première définition internationale" du sexisme“, Le Figaro, 28/3/2019

"La première définition internationale du sexisme" adoptée par le Conseil de l'Europe", RTS, 29/3/2019

German

“Europarat erste internationale definiton-von-sexismus”, Deutschland Funk

"Europarat präsentiert "erste Definition auf internationalem Niveau von Sexismus", Ziet Online, 28/3/2019

"Europarat präsentiert Sexismus-Definition auf internationalem Niveau", Tyroler Tageszeitung , 28/3/2019

Greek

"The Council of Europe replies to the question: what is sexism?", Protagon.gr, 28/3/2019

"This is what we mean by sexism as the Council of Europe states", Proto Thema, 28/3/2019

Polish

"Rada Europy przyjęła pierwszą międzynarodową definicję seksizmu", Gazeta Prawna, 30/03/2019

Portuguese

"Conselho da Europa define "sexismo" pela primeira vez para acabar com fenómeno" , RTP

"Para acabar com a desigualdade, Conselho da Europa define “sexismo”", Publico, 28/03/2019

Russian

"Совет Европы дал первое «международное определение сексизма»", RFI, 28/03/2019

Spanish

"El Consejo de Europa define por primera vez sexismo y propone erradicarlo", Yahoo noticias, 28/3/2019

"El Consejo de Europa define por primera vez sexismo y propone que el discurso de odio sexista sea delito", El diario, 28/3/2019

“El Consejo de Ministros estudiará mañana el informe del Consejo de Europa para luchar contra el sexismo”, Europapress, 6/6/2019