Today, a regular meeting of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), chaired by the Ukrainian representative, took place. The committee members considered 25 items on the agenda and worked on the texts of resolutions aimed at ensuring equality and protecting human rights. This was reported by MP Maria Mezentseva, UNN reports.
Details
Among the key issues discussed were:
- “Promoting inclusive participation in parliamentary and political life”
Tools for achieving gender equality in parliaments were presented, including gender audits for political parties. The Ukrainian experience was presented as an example to follow.
- “Preventing and Combating Gender Discrimination in Healthcare”
The meeting drew attention to the fact that women spend 25% more time in poor health compared to men. Improving this indicator can not only improve women's health, but also bring the global economy up to USD 1 trillion annually by 2040.
- “The situation in Iran and the protection of Iranian human rights defenders in the Council of Europe member states”
The Committee considered the issue of women's rights in Iran, which will be submitted to the PACE fall session. The Ukrainian side was responsible for this issue in the Committee.
- “Global rules on the elimination of all forms of religious oppression”
They discussed the oppression of non-Russian Orthodox churches in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Particular attention was paid to the release of two Greek Catholic priests, which was Ukraine's success in this area.
The meeting confirmed the importance of the active work of the PACE Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination in the fight for human rights and combating discrimination in all its manifestations.