How can parliamentary committees mainstream gender and promote the status of women? In this day and age where equal rights are far from being attained and women's rights still need to be protected, what can parliamentary committees do to move things forward?

Over 100 participants, including chairpersons and members of parliamentary committees on gender issues from over 40 countries, will exchange experiences and examine best practices to promote gender equality, from 4 to 6 December 2006, at the House of Parliaments, Headquarters of the Inter-Parliamentary Union .

Ms. Anne Marie Lizin, President of the Belgian Senate, will deliver the keynote speech to launch the debate on Monday, 4 December at 10.00 a.m. The seminar will provide a forum to debate issues relating to the functioning of these parliamentary bodies, their mandates, membership and working methods. It will examine recommendations on how parliaments and committees can effectively address gender issues at the national level. The session on Tuesday afternoon will focus on the concrete case of violence against women, with an exchange of views between experts from different organizations such as the United Nations, Amnesty International, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Relations between national committees and other partners, such as the media and civil society, will also be discussed.

---

Established in 1889 and with its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the IPU, the oldest multilateral political organisation, currently brings together 148 affiliated parliaments and seven regional assemblies as associate members. The world organisation of parliaments has an Office in New York, which acts as its Permanent Observer at the United Nations.
Other press releases	Version française de ce communiqué de presse	More information

---

Contact for additional information or interviews:

Mrs. Luisa Ballin, IPU Information Officer 5, ch. du Pommier, CH - 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex / Geneva Phone: +41 22 919 41 16 Fax: +41 22 919 41 60 E-mail: lb@mail.ipu.org or cbl@mail.ipu.org Mrs. Kareen Jabre, Programme Manager of the IPU Gender Partnership Programme. Phone: +41 22 919 41 25 E-mail: kj@mail.ipu.org or jb@mail.ipu.org