12/03/2024 Equality and Non-Discrimination | Women@PACE
‘There can be no equality without an end to violence against women […] but there is another important condition for equality, which is women’s empowerment,” today said PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos, at the opening of a side-event on the sidelines of the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
“We should not be afraid to use the term ‘power’, which is the means to make oneself heard, to influence decisions, to shape laws and policies. Power means freedom to make our own choices and decide on our own destinies,” PACE President added.
He outlined the many recommendations PACE made to strengthen women's empowerment. He mentioned that PACE had introduced rules for women’s representation in its structures, and established a Parliamentary Network Women Free from Violence and an informal group of women parliamentarians. He also highlighted “the vital role of parliamentarians”, in promoting and championing women’s empowerment, and developing legislation and policies to this end.
According to Mr Rousopoulos, there is progress towards equality and empowerment, but it is much too slow, and this is partly due to short-sightedness among men who think (mistakenly) that “power-sharing” means “power-loss”. “We must see further, into a future where shared empowerment increases potential and accelerates progress,” the President concluded.
Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, Minister of Social Affairs and the Labour Market of Iceland and Maria Alexandra Kefala, Deputy Minister of Social Cohesion and Family of Greece addressed the participants.
This side-event was organised by PACE's Equality Committee, in co-operation with Greece and Iceland, on the theme “Parliamentarians as drivers for women’s empowerment”.
