Brussels, 25 May 2018
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the decision-making body of the organisation, adopted its Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023, which is built upon the results of the Gender Equality Strategy 2014-2017. The new strategy, unlike the preceding one, gives attention to some family aspects. The Strategy sets up the objectives and priorities of the Council regarding gender equality for the period of 2018 to 2023, identifying the working methods, main partners and the measures necessary for further improvement of the situation within the organisation and in the Member States Especially the Strategy “addresses the implications of equality between women and men as regards dignity and rights, in public, private and family life. The social significance of maternity and paternity leave and the role of both parents in the upbringing of children and as carers of adult dependents must be taken into consideration to ensure that both women’s and men’s human rights are fully and equally respected. The equal sharing of unpaid household and care work should be promoted to break down gender stereotypes, ensure women’s and men’s work/life balance, and get closer to real gender equality”.
The strategy’s goals are focusing on different issues such as “the eradication of prejudices, customs, traditions based on stereotyped gender roles (…) in the education system, the labour market, family life – including equal sharing of household and care responsibilities between women and men – leave schemes and all areas in which women and men are underrepresented”; “curb violent and degrading internet pornography, given its negative influence on gender relations, harmful sexual practices and coercion”.
FAFCE fully supports all measures combatting discrimination against women in accessing the job market. At the same time, maternity should never be a barrier to career development, but – on the contrary – it should be valued as a precious gift. Also, FAFCE welcomes prohibitive measures on all sexual violence and pornography degrading relations between men and women. FAFCE highlights the need of protection of minors in accessing pornography, as the latter affects considerably minors’ physical, mental and moral development.
