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Speech by Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Madam President of PACE, dear Petra,
Madam Secretary General of PACE, dear Despina,
UN Women Deputy Executive Director Gumbonzvanda,  
Representatives of PACE,
Dear participants,
 

The backlash against women’s rights we see today is not accidental.

It is organised.

It is political.

And it is spreading.

***

It is political because women in public life are increasingly targeted with intimidation, abuse, and threats.

Over the last two days, we have heard stories of women who have left — or are considering leaving — politics, journalism, and public life because the cost has become too high.

What all these stories have in common is not politics.

It is hate against women.

And it rarely begins with violence.

It begins with words. With fear. With lies.

In one case, a president faces relentless campaigns of disinformation, insults, and threats against herself and her family.

In another, a member of parliament dares to speak out about violence against women.

In return, she received more hundreds of rape threats in a single day.

***

These are not isolated cases. Far from it.

Studies show that between 80 and 85 percent of women parliamentarians have faced some form of psychological violence during their mandate.

And 70 percent of women human rights defenders, activists, journalists and media workers report experiencing online violence in the course of their work.

***

In every story, the logic is the same.

Dehumanise.

Divide.

Destroy.

This is the logic we must break.

***

And we must act everywhere this backlash spreads, including online.

Because today, the backlash is monetised, weaponised and optimised.

Outrage generates clicks.

Clicks generate profit.

And the loudest, most divisive voices rise to the top.

***

We cannot stand still.

That is why last week the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted a new Recommendation on accountability for technology-facilitated violence against women and girls.

Its message is clear.

Violence against women online is still violence.

Justice must work in the digital world as it does offline.

Evidence must be secured.

Cooperation must cross borders.

And technology companies must design their platforms with safety, accountability and transparency in mind.

***

The backlash against women’s rights is not random.

It is organised.

Across Europe, we now see coordinated campaigns portraying gender equality as “gender ideology”, supposedly imposed by foreign actors.

One of their main targets has been the Council of Europe’s Convention on Violence Against Women.

You know it as the Istanbul Convention.

Disinformation campaigns have claimed that it would destroy families, impose a “third gender”, or undermine national sovereignty.

None of this is true.

The Convention exists for one reason: to prevent violence against women.

Especially when in Europe, nearly one in three women face still partner violence, and one in six experience sexual violence.

***

These narratives have been used to block ratification and justify withdrawal or threats to leave the Istanbul Convention.

And there is something revealing here.

Those who oppose the Convention today were often the last to embrace its principles.

The newest rights are often the most fragile.

***

Now, we still have the power to change the direction our world is taking.

We can refuse to treat the rights of women and girls as second-rate rights.

Equality is the ultimate test of democracy.

***

This CSW took place in one of the most challenging periods of geopolitical instability since the Second World War.

Yet it has shown us that inequality is not inevitable.

It is made. And it can be unmade.

Thank you.