(AGENPARL) – mer 08 marzo 2023 [Image]
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Ref. CG004(2023)
International Women’s Day: Women’s resilience essential to local and regional recovery policies
Strasbourg, 8 March 2023 – Congress Spokesperson on Gender Equality Eirini Dourou (Greece, SOC/G/PD) called for recognition of women’s courage in crisis situations and made the following statement:
Making up almost 70 per cent of healthcare workers, many women were put under enormous professional strain during the recent pandemic, whilst at the same time many were teaching their children and caring for their families, thus becoming even more important pillars of society in the public health crisis. The large majority of those fleeing war-struck Ukraine are women and children, and women are also amongst those most impacted by the recent earthquakes in Türkiye, for example the more than 200,000 pregnant women in affected regions. At the same time, many of them had to protect themselves against continuous gender-based violence, including domestic violence.
However, women are also regularly showing their outstanding resilience in the face of adversity and have proved to be adaptive and innovative when access to immediate and vital needs is lacking. Following the recent earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, female organisations are deploying enormous efforts to support the victims remaining in destroyed cities, to respond to their basic needs and health conditions.
As Congress Spokesperson on Gender Equality, I would like to stress that it is the responsibility of local leaders, mayors and councillorsto ensure that recovery and resilience-building policies are not overlooking women’s needs and rights but are developed in the most gender-sensitive and inclusive manner, based on female potential and knowledge.
Strong cities, strong regions must mean strong women’s rights. Strong cities, strong regions must mean strengthening human rights for all. Local and regional authorities have to work out comprehensive strategies for recovery and resilience policies, based on gender equality and women’s equal participation in local public life. When more women participate in public and political life, democracy, human rights and the rule of law are bound to win.”
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