In the light of these considerations, the Assembly reiterates
the recommendations directed at the countries of the region both
collectively and individually in
“Equality between women and men: a condition for the
success of the Arab Spring”. Furthermore, it calls on the countries
of the region to:
8.1 apply the
principle of equality enshrined in their constitutions coherently
and in depth, including through specific policies and programmes;
8.2 make sure that the law on the family and inheritance is
in keeping with the principle of equality, particularly as regards
the role of the head of family, parental authority, divorce, custody
of children and inheritance;
8.3 combat violence against women by means of a legal framework
founded on prevention of violence, protection of victims and punishment
of perpetrators, which addresses all forms of violence against women
in the ambit of criminal law, including domestic violence, female
genital mutilation, neglect of daughters, so-called “honour” crimes
and sexual violence; this legislation should be coherently implemented
and regularly evaluated;
8.4 eliminate all barriers impeding women’s effective access
to justice and guarantee their access to and participation in the
mechanisms of transitional justice;
8.5 support civil society, including women’s organisations,
and involve it in preparing and implementing laws and policies likely
to have an impact on the status of women;
8.6 promote the full participation of women and of women’s
organisations in public and political life, in particular by introducing
provisions into electoral legislation aimed at promoting the representation
of elected women in public bodies. Within these bodies and, as appropriate,
political parties, information and training activities should be
organised to improve the aptitudes of all elected representatives
without distinction as to gender;
8.7 promote women’s representation in the judicial system
and the legal professions, as well as in the police force;
8.8 involve the media in promoting equality, both by combating
gender stereotyping and by increased representation of women on
the staff of the various information agencies, particularly radio
and television;
8.9 guarantee equal access to education at all levels without
gender-based discrimination and intensify the fight against illiteracy,
including that of adults and especially women;
8.10 intensify co-operation with the Council of Europe, in
particular by acceding to the relevant conventions and enlarged
partial agreements, notably the European Commission for Democracy through
Law (Venice Commission), if they have not already done so;
8.11 consider accession to the Council of Europe Convention
on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (CETS No. 197) and
to the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating
Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (CETS No. 210, “Istanbul
Convention”);
8.12 strengthen interparliamentary co-operation with the Council
of Europe by using available tools such as the partner for democracy
status and through co-operation under the Strengthening Democratic Reform
in the Southern Neighbourhood programme (South Programme);
8.13 strengthen co-operation within the region in order to
exchange good practices for improving the status of women.
