At the 70th session of the Commission on the status of women (CSW70) at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset will stress that gender equality is a democratic security imperative.
At a time of growing backlash against women’s rights and rising violence against women and girls, the Secretary General will stress that gender equality is fundamental to human rights, democracy and the rule of law. During his visit from 10-12 March he will highlight the Council of Europe’s wider work to advance gender equality, including efforts to counter violence against women and girls in situations of conflict and war and emerging threats to women’s rights.
In a statement to mark International Women’s Day, he commemorated the progress of women’s rights, celebrating the determination, achievement and resilience of women in Europe and beyond. But he also noted how women’s rights are increasingly under attack and that violence against women is rising worldwide, with a growing number of women and girls being killed because they are women.
At the CSW70, the Secretary General will stress how women and girls face heightened risks of violence, exploitation and discrimination in times of war and crisis. He will outline Council of Europe efforts to protect women and girls in Ukraine affected by Russia’s war of aggression and a project promoting gender equality in the country.
He will underline the global relevance of the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, which requires countries to develop laws, policies and support services to end violence against women and domestic violence. Under the treaty, these efforts are monitored.
Alain Berset will moreover emphasise recent Council of Europe efforts to address emerging threats to women’s rights in the digital/AI environment, including how technology-facilitated violence affects women, particularly those in visible positions such as lawyers, journalists, activists and scientists. Last week, for example, the Committee of Ministers adopted two new recommendations addressing discrimination and violence against women and girls linked to new technologies.
“All those able to play a part in ending such violence must do so,” the Secretary General said. “Now more than ever, we need women to speak and lead without fear.”
During CSW70, the Secretary General will deliver a speech at the Nordic-Baltic side event “Protect democracy, defend gender equality” on 11 March and join the side event “Countering Backlash and Safeguarding Women’s Rights” on 12 March, which is organised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He will also contribute to several discussions and meetings with other senior leaders, including holding bilateral meetings with, among others, Annalena Baerbock, President of the UN General Assembly, and Susana Elisa Pavlou, President of the Women against violence Europe (WAVE) network.
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