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Its members have put questions to their government, supported NGOs activities, participated in visibility events – such as human rights film festivals, and initiated legislation.
Finally, let me tell you very briefly that Network members are organising parliamentary events in four member states to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. These will take place in the parliaments of Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy and Portugal, starting from next week and will be aimed at accelerating the ratification of the Istanbul Convention.
Let me say that the organisation of this seminars has been possible thanks to a voluntary contribution by Germany. We are pleased that Germany has understood the key role that parliamentarians can play in promoting the Convention and trusted the Network to be able to accomplish this task. 7. Future co-operation between the Assembly and GEC In January 2013, the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination will hold a discussion on its priorities for the year to come. I am sure that violence against women and women’s empowerment in politics shall continue to feature high up on our agenda.
In particular, as regards the latter topic, as a follow up to its Resolution 1898 on Political parties and women’s political representation, the Assembly is planning to organise parliamentary seminars on gender equality in those Council of Europe member states in which women’s representation in parliament is below 10 percent. Once again, this is a proposal of our Committee based on the conviction that good recommendations must be implemented and that parliamentarians can do it.

8. Conclusion Dear Chairperson, dear colleagues, the Gender Equality Commission and the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination have many features in common: - they are young; - they are confronted with many challenges; - they are composed by very committed members.

We may have different means, styles, and potential to reach our objective. But our priorities greatly overlap.
And our objective is the same: No more violence against women AND equality between women and men, in all aspects of life.
I hope that our two institutions can work together, hand in hand, to meet this common challenge, this common objective, this common aspiration – which cannot be only a dream.

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Relatório elaborado pelo Deputado Mendes Bota, do PSD, relativo à sua participação na Conferência sobre “25 de November – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women” (organizada pela Comissão da Igualdade de Género da Assembleia Parlamentar da Bósnia & Herzegovina, em conjunto com a Rede Parlamentar “Women Free From Violence” e com a Missão da OSCE naquele país), da Assembleia Parlamentar do Conselho da Europa (APCE), que decorreu em Serajevo, no dia 21 de novembro de 2012

Relatório n.º 66

OBJECTIVO: Participação numa conferência sobre “25 November – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women”, organizada pela Comissão da Igualdade de Género da