UWE President Anne Nègre attended the 24th plenary meeting of the Gender Equality Commission (GEC)  held on 14-16 November in Strasbourg.  The meeting was focused on discussing and finalising the draft Gender Equality Strategy 2024-2029, which was voted and it has to be approved by the Committee of Ministers. 

This new Strategy will follow on from the current Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023 and provides the framework for the work of the Council of Europe and its member States in the field of gender equality for the coming years, to further support the implementation of existing standards and meet new emerging challenges through the development of new standards.

Exchanges of views with the President of the European Court of Human Rights, Síofra O’Leary, first woman chairing it and the President of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO), Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou, were the highlights of this meeting. They noted that despite numerous policies in favor of women, there has been no reduction in gender-based violence. States must be more efficient from the first report of difficulties, facilitate access to justice, better train judicial personnel. They are aware of the very heavy burden that rests on women who have cases brought before their jurisdiction.

We salute the Human Rights Channel of the CoE and the page about sexism where can be found an useful questionnaire.

The GEC steers the Council of Europe’s intergovernmental work in the field of gender equality. It is composed of representatives of the 46 member States. Other states and organisations, including civil society organisations, are invited as participants or observers. Established to help mainstream gender equality into all Council of Europe policies and to bridge the gap between international commitments and women’s lived realities in Europe, the GEC oversees and supports the implementation of the Council of Europe’s Gender Equality Strategy.