March 8th: Council of Europe, “equal rights for women and girls, the role of men and boys”

“Today, on International Women’s Day, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to ensuring gender equality and to protecting women’s rights. Men and boys can and should play a bigger role in advancing gender equality. They must be actors of positive change, challenging sexism and speaking up when they see women being harassed or treated unfairly”. This is written in a statement issued by the highest institutions of the Council of Europe (Committee of Ministers, PACE, Secretary General). “Gender equality benefits everyone, men and women alike. No one should be tied to a specific gender role. Gender stereotypes perpetuate harmful ideas of what is considered “appropriate” behaviour – for both men and women – and constitute a barrier to real gender equality”. The statement goes on: “Gender inequality may also lead to violence. The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (known as Istanbul Convention) is the Organisation’s primary tool for combating gender-based violence and promoting gender equality. The convention calls on all members of society, especially men and boys, to contribute actively to preventing all forms of gender-based violence”.
Valentina Bombelli