“The pandemic and isolation brought to the surface thousands of incidents of domestic violence against women. We need to adopt policies to support them in the workplace and, even more so, as the heads of single-parent families,” Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the Committee of Minister of the Council of Europe Miltiadis Varvitsiotis stressed in his address during the online event on “Advancing gender equality: the role and situation for gender equality mechanisms in the context of COVID-19.”
Mr. Varvitsiotis pointed out that the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of the resilience and contribution of women in society, as they were on the front line both at work and at home. He noted, however, that the pandemic also highlighted inequalities against women in many sectors of society and the economy. The social marginalization imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus brought to the surface thousands of incidents of domestic violence against women in Greece and in Europe more generally. For this reason, the Alternate Minister underscored the need to adopt policies for supporting women and the heads of single-parent families – the majority of whom are women – who are on the verge of poverty and social marginalization. Subsequently, Mr. Varvitsiotis, as Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, criticized the intention expressed by Poland and Turkey to withdraw from the European Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
The Alternate Minister also reiterated that the Greek Chairmanship is focused on the protection of human rights, Democracy and Rule of Law in times of pandemic, emphasizing that access to healthcare is a right that no one should be deprived of. This is to be set down in the Athens Declaration, which will be signed on 4 November in Athens and will be the first international document on protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in times of emergency.
The event was held in the context of the Greek Chairmanship of the Council of Europe and was co-organized by the Council of Europe, the Greek Chairmanship and the General Secretariat for Family Policy & Gender Equality. The event was also addressed by the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović-Burić, and the Secretary General for Family Policy & Gender Equality, Maria Syrengela.
October 22, 2020