Implementation of the Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy
The Council of Europe published the 2016 annual report on the implementation of its 2014-2017 Gender Equality Strategy. The report looks at activities related to the five objectives of the Strategy including combating violence against women, addressing sexism and gender stereotypes, moving towards gender balance in decision-making, improving women’s access to justice and engagement with gender mainstreaming.
Persistent glass ceiling prevents women from reaching top positions as judges and prosecutors
A new assessment report on 45 European judicial systems, prepared by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) of the Council of Europe, finds that although there is parity on average, between male and female judges in all jurisdictions, an equal representation of women and men is still not achieved as we move up in the judicial hierarchy.
New regional study on women in political life in Eastern Partnership countries
The Council of Europe Division of Electoral Assistance published a regional study showing that, in all the countries surveyed (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine), women are less likely to run for political office and to be elected both to the national parliaments and to local government bodies. Stereotypical views and assumptions about the role of women in society are among the major barriers to women’s political representation in all the countries examined.
Video and report of regional conference on improving women’s access to justice
The video and report of the October 2016 regional conference organised as part of the Council of Europe project Improving women’s access to justice in five Eastern Partnership Countries give information about the efficiency of the implementation of relevant international standards at country level in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine and allow for a better understanding of the way in which different barriers and gender stereotypes prevent women from accessing justice.
Sex-based discrimination remains widespread in States Parties to European Social Charter
The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) published its annual conclusions for 2016 (Social Charter and Revised Charter) showing 166 violations of the European Social Charter on the articles of the Charter relating to “employment, training and equal opportunities » across 34 Council of Europe member states. The conclusions point notably at insufficient protection against discrimination based on sex in employment, in particular as regards equal pay.
A number of international organisations (EIGE, the Inter-Parliamentary Forum, UN Women and the World Economic Forum) have published interesting reports notably on violence against parliamentarians and on economic participation.
