(AGENPARL) – ven 25 novembre 2022 [Image]
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Ref. CG065(2022)
“There is no place for violence against women in democratic cities and regions”, says Council of Europe Congress Spokesperson on Gender Equality
« Inclusive societies start with inclusivity at decision-making levels. However, women still remain under-represented in politics. All too often, sexist attitudes and violence against women discourage them from making their voices heard and participating in political life. The Congress is therefore convinced that ending violence against women is key for the fulfillment of women rights and for promoting women’s involvement in local and regional public life.
The Congress has developed the instruments needed to help local and regional authorities, the governance level closest to the citizens, combat sexist violence and facilitate women’s participation in public life. We were also the first body of the Council of Europe to put in place quotas for balanced representation amongst our members.
We now need to make sure local and regional authorities take action, for example by setting up complaint mechanisms within their administrations, developing confidential counselling mechanisms and introducing codes of conduct prohibiting sexist speech or harassment in local and regional councils.
The local level is the first level of entry for many women in politics and it is unacceptable that many of them decide to leave because of sexism or violence. Day after day, we have to work towards systematically eliminating violence against women in local governance. Today’s International Day is just a reminder of the road ahead and of the urgency to do so.
As Congress Spokesperson on Gender Equality, today, I want to remind all mayors, city councilors and regional representatives that there is no just society without strong women rights, because women rights are human rights.
So today, let’s hold up a mirror to all local and regional authorities and ask ourselves: “What more can I do to make my city or region a place where women can safely stand for office ?”
The Congress has long been committed to preventing and combating sexist violence against women in politics at local and regional levels and has worked on women’s political participation, on gender equality in politics and on fighting sexist violence against women in politics at local and regional level. It has also developed practical tools in the context of its cooperation activities, such as its guides on Preventing and Combatting Sexism at the local level in Georgia and in Ukraine, in line with the Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023 of the Council of Europe.
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
Institutional Communication Unit
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is an institution of the Council of Europe, responsible for strengthening local and regional democracy in its 46 member states. Composed of two chambers – the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions – and three committees, it brings together 612 elected officials representing more than 130 000 local and regional authorities.
President of the Congress: Leendert Verbeek (Netherlands, SOC/G/PD), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities: Bernd Vöhringer (Germany, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Regions: Harald Sonderegger (Austria, EPP/CCE).
Political groups: Group of Socialists, Greens and Progressive Democrats (SOC/G/PD), Group of the European Peoples Party (EPP/CCE), Independent Liberal and Democratic Group (ILDG), European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR).
Council of Europe/Conseil de l’Europe, Avenue de l’Europe, Strasbourg, . 67000 France