Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13574 | 04 July 2014

Promoting gender education in the member States of the Council of Europe

Signatories: Ms Guguli MAGRADZE, Georgia, SOC ; Ms Maryvonne BLONDIN, France, SOC ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET PEROT, Andorra, SOC ; Ms Bernadette BOURZAI, France, SOC ; Ms Béatrice FRESKO-ROLFO, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Ms Maria GIANNAKAKI, Greece, SOC ; Mr Igor KOLMAN, Croatia, ALDE ; Ms Elena KOUNTOURA, Greece, EDG ; Ms Elvira KOVÁCS, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Ms Athina KYRIAKIDOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Ms Marit MAIJ, Netherlands, SOC ; Ms Pirkko MATTILA, Finland, NR ; Ms Liliane MAURY PASQUIER, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Rubén MORENO PALANQUES, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Sandra OSBORNE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Linda RIORDAN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Maria Edera SPADONI, Italy, NR ; Mr Konstantinos TRIANTAFYLLOS, Greece, SOC ; Ms Ester TUIKSOO, Estonia, ALDE

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

After the entry into force of the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, parliamentarians can make a major contribution to promote the ratification of the convention by the member States and subsequently to its implementation at national level.

In the member States, one of the major components for a successful implementation of the Istanbul Convention is to raise awareness on gender equality, which may have a significant role in reducing cases of violence against women. Gender education plays an important role in raising awareness on gender equality.

In this context, the Council of Europe, with the support of relevant organisations, provides trainings and seminars at the members States’ request. However, these activities are not sufficient for raising public awareness on gender equality. Gender education must be an essential part of education in every country, in order to efficiently combat violence against women.

Every member State needs and has developed more or less successful courses and programs for gender education. The Parliamentary Assembly should study the situation of gender education in the different member States and determine whether gender education is incorporated in the system of general education, in order to have in-depth knowledge of the best practices of gender education and make recommendations for improving gender education in the member States of the Council of Europe.