26/04/2017 Equality and Non-Discrimination
Murdered British MP Jo Cox, the wife of Turkey’s second president Mevhibe Inönü, and former US first lady Michelle Obama are among role-models chosen by the members of PACE’s Equality Committee as their #InspiringWomen in a special project to mark International Women’s Day.
For the project – which takes the form of an exhibition at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg, as well as a social media campaign – some 21 members of the committee, and its associated network of parliamentarians, named a woman who has inspired them in their life or their career.
“These inspiring women are of different origins, different ages and from different times,” said the Chairperson of the Equality Committee Elena Centemero. “They are politicians, artists, activists, scientists or historians. Some had to fight terror and dictatorship; others had to impose themselves in a patriarchal or racist society. They have all demonstrated, and for some still demonstrate courage, determination and a will to engage in key issues of their time.”
Other choices by members included rights activist Malala Yousafzai, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Greek minister and singer Melina Mercouri, Turkish writer Sevgi Soysal, French Resistance leader Lucie Aubrac and Czech soprano and poet Ema Destinnová.