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Reply to Recommendation | Doc. 13063 | 05 November 2012
Equality between women and men: a condition for the success of the Arab Spring
1. The Committee of Ministers has taken
note of Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1996 (2012) on “Equality
between women and men: a condition for the success of the Arab Spring”.
It has brought it to the attention of the member States’ governments
and transmitted it to the relevant steering committees, 
as
well as to the Executive Committee of the North-South Centre for
information and comments. It also transmitted the recommendation
to the Conference of INGOs for information.
as
well as to the Executive Committee of the North-South Centre for
information and comments. It also transmitted the recommendation
to the Conference of INGOs for information.2. The Committee of Ministers is determined to pursue the development
of the Council of Europe policy towards neighbouring regions on
the basis of the Organisation’s values. Equality between women and
men is an integral part of human rights and constitutes a fundamental
criterion of democracy. Advancement of women’s rights, of their
participation in public and political life, combating inequalities
and combating violence against women consequently feature among
the priorities of the co-operation programmes agreed on, in particular
with Morocco and Tunisia, for the period 2012‑2014. In this context,
a regional conference on the prevention and combat of violence against
women was held in Rabat (Morocco) on 24 and 25 September 2012, which
was very successful. The objectives set also concern the independence
and effectiveness of justice, for example by disseminating the international
standards applicable in this field and by building the capacity
of members of the justice professions.
3. In the fields mentioned by the Assembly, the Committee of
Ministers relies on the expertise and the competences of the Council
of Europe bodies active in those fields. Accordingly, the Steering
Committee for Human Rights (CDDH), through the Gender Equality Committee
(GEC), assists in removing institutional and legal obstacles to
equal participation by women in all spheres of life and in promoting
the signature and ratification of the Council of Europe Convention
on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic
Violence in the member States and beyond (ETCS no. 210).
4. Co-operation with the neighbourhood is specified in the terms
of reference of the Steering Committee on Media and Information
Society (CDMSI). In this context, the focus of its action is to
develop information to the media, and their awareness, regarding
gender equality and to exchange good practices concerning ways to
avoid the stereotyping of women. The CDMSI will draw up a recommendation
on the media and gender equality and will examine the place assigned
to women in the media coverage of election campaigns.
5. The Programme of Activities of the North-South Centre for
2012 emphasises the continuation of the activities coming under
the “North-South Process for the Empowerment of Women”. In this
context, the North-South Centre has developed the “Euro-Med Women
Network” and its website, bringing together over 400 participants
from governmental and parliamentary dimensions as well as local
government and civil society. Several events have been organised,
particularly in Morocco, on the theme of equality between women
and men in the Southern Mediterranean, and the annual high-level
conference of the “North-South Process for the Empowerment of Women”
will be held in Istanbul (Turkey) from 3 to 6 November 2012.
6. In the field of equality between women and men, as in other
Council of Europe areas of excellence, the Committee of Ministers
recognises the importance of placing at the service of the countries
in the neighbourhood the assistance and expertise required to help
build a zone of democratic stability beyond Europe’s boundaries.