NGOs as advocates for gender equality and women’s rights

Terms of reference approved by the General Assembly on 6 October 2021

Co- chair - Bettina Hahne (Soroptimist International of Europe) and Anita Schnetzer-Spranger (Zonta International)

Bettina Hahne (SIE), co-chair: Contact

Anita Schnetzer-Spranger (ZI), co-chair: Contact

Sara Pilia (Eurodoc), secretary: Contact

PRESENTATION OF THE COMMITTEE

Based on the Committee of Ministers’ decision in Helsinki and the Secretary General’s follow up proposal to strengthen the role of civil society organizations and their meaningful participation within the Council of Europe, the Conference of INGOs adopted a declaration on its commitment in December 2020.

It highlights amongst others the dissemination of the Council of Europe’s legal instruments and tools “to inform the citizens about their rights, granted by their country’s commitment to the Council of Europe treaties and conventions”.

To fulfil this commitment the Committee "NGOs as advocates of gender equality and women's rights" seeks to enable NGOs to promote the Council of Europe’s ground-breaking conventions and recommendations concerning women’s rights and gender equality in their respective NGO and in civil society. The objective is to explore and develop concrete strategies, advocacy activities and tools to make the conventions better known and implemented in member states’ civil society. The Committee encompasses a broad variety of NGOs with focus on women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women.

COMMUNICATIONS