Participants attending a Council of Europe conference on Roma and Travellers are pledging to promote gender equality for Roma and Traveller women in politics.
The Council of Europe pledge takes into account that electoral quotas are often an effective means of achieving significant, rapid progress, provided that they are correctly designed and consistently implemented.
It invites political parties to promote gender equality and the participation of women from minority groups, in particular Roma and Traveller women, in decision-making bodies and in political representation in future European, national, regional and local elections.
A Council of Europe report last month determined that too few member states meet minimum quotas of female participation in public decision making.
- Read full press release – Council of Europe pledge to promote gender equality for Roma and Traveller women in politics
- Opening speech by Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland