Gender equality means an equal visibility, empowerment, responsibility and participation of women and men in all spheres of public and private life. It also means an equal access to and distribution of resources between women and men and valuing them equally. Gender equality aims to change the structures in society, which contribute to maintaining unequal power relationships between women and men. Achieving this aim is central to the protection of human rights, the functioning of democracy, respect for the rule of law, and economic growth and competitiveness. The realization of de facto equality between women and men has been high on the agenda of the work of the Council of Europe for decades. This has resulted in the development of a comprehensive legal and policy framework. However, despite the improvement of women’s legal status in Europe, effective equality is far from being a reality. Violence and discrimination persist in many areas, maintaining women and men in their traditional roles and preventing the full realization of women’s human rights.

Council of Europe – Conseil de l’Europe

Direct Link to Full 8-Page Publication:  https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=090000168064f51b

Извор: WUNRN – 20.10.2016