Empowering women through their participation in the labour market was the central theme of the 6th UniDem Med seminar of the Venice Commission, held on 7-8 November 2017, in Algiers (Algeria).
Organised at the request of the Constitutional Council and the Directorate General of Civil Service and administrative Reform of Algeria, the seminar counted roughly hundred high-level participants from the southern Mediterranean region (Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine* and Tunisia) together with experts from Europe.
The seminar began with a reflection on international standards together with exchanges on constitutional and legal provisions related to gender equality across Europe and the Southern Mediterranean. Central to the debates of the various sessions were gender equality and women’s empowerment in the civil service and the economic sphere. Participants were able to compare their national experiences with one another while learning from existing best practices in ensuring equality and non-discrimination.
Overall, the seminar was also an opportunity to build bridges between legislators, judges of different jurisdictions, notably those in charge of the protection of constitutional rights, practitioners and other segments of society.
*This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of Council of Europe member States on this issue.
