In 2024, the Council of Europe commemorated its 75th anniversary by highlighting the contributions of 75 women who shaped the organisation’s history. However, the complete absence of female leadership in its institutional hierarchy today sends a contradictory and negative message. While the past is celebrated, the present reveals a concerning regression in female representation in the highest positions of responsibility and visibility.
A Celebration Overshadowed by Inequality
The initiative to honour the 75 women who contributed to the development of the Council of Europe could be seen as a positive step toward recognising the role of women in shaping human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Europe. Yet, the facts contradict this narrative of progress: by the end of 2024, all of the organisation’s leadership positions were (and remain) occupied by men.
The absence of women in these roles is not a mere statistical coincidence. The pattern is clear: in recent appointment processes, men have replaced other men or women, but no woman has been chosen to succeed men or other women in key positions. This dynamic perpetuates a male-dominated power structure that prevents the consolidation of consistent, fair, and sustainable female leadership.
A Council of Europe Without Female Leadership
As of December 2024, the most significant positions in the organisation were held exclusively by men:
- Secretary General of the Council of Europe
- Deputy Secretary General
- Presidency of the Committee of Ministers (Luxembourg Presidency)
- Presidency of the Parliamentary Assembly
- Presidency of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
- Presidency of the European Court of Human Rights
- Commissioner for Human Rights
- Presidency of the Conference of NGOs
- Special Representative for Migration and Refugees
- Special Representative on Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Other Forms of Religious Intolerance and Hate Crimes
This male monopoly on decision-making and institutional representation is an alarming setback for an organisation whose founding principles include equality and human rights.
A Structural and Global Problem
The exclusion of women at the highest level is not unique to the Council of Europe but reflects a structural issue affecting many international, governmental, and private institutions. Across numerous multilateral organisations, national parliaments, corporations, and universities, women’s presence in leadership roles remains limited.
The reasons for this inequality are complex and multifaceted, but some commonly identified barriers include:
- Biases in selection processes: The normalised preference for men with traditional leadership profiles reinforces inequality.
- Glass ceilings: Despite their proven qualifications and experience, women face greater – sometimes insurmountable – obstacles to reaching positions of power.
- Gender prejudices: Women are often perceived as less capable of leading, even when they have equal or superior credentials compared to their male counterparts.
- Double standards: Female leaders are typically evaluated with stricter criteria and subjected to stereotypes that do not affect men in the same positions.
Strategies for Change
To achieve true gender equity, international organisations, governments, and companies—both in the public and private sectors—must adopt concrete and determined measures. One of the most effective strategies is the implementation of mandatory quotas, as applied in Spain, which have proven successful in reducing the gender gap. Additionally, it is crucial to promote mentorship programs and support networks that help develop key leadership skills.
Other necessary measures include:
- Greater transparency in selection processes to prevent discrimination and ensure equal opportunities.
- Promotion of women in key positions, ensuring that female candidates are considered in every appointment process.
- Cultural and educational change, fostering equal opportunities and participation in leadership spaces from an early age.
- Political will, as no gender equity policy will be effective without a real commitment from institutions and their leadership. The implementation of these measures must be accompanied by a determined institutional effort to dismantle deeply rooted patterns of discrimination and inequality.
Reflection and Urgent Action
The celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe in 2024 should be an opportunity to promote progress toward equal representation, not to mask a concerning reality. The history of the 75 women who contributed to the organisation cannot be reduced to a mere exercise in memory without consequences for the present. Genuine recognition means ensuring that women are not only part of history, but also part of the future of institutional leadership in Europe and worldwide.
The appointment in early 2025 of Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjord Gylfadóttir as the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe for the situation of Ukrainian children represents a small but significant step toward greater female inclusion in positions of responsibility. This decision should signal a shift in the organisation’s leadership trends, but it must be followed by broader efforts to guarantee the fair and lasting representation of women at all decision-making levels.
It is essential to remember that as early as 1992, the Council of Europe sponsored the “Aarhus Manifesto,” which posed the question: “How long can we tolerate a semi-democracy?” That document recognised that women are not a minority but more than 50% of the population, and their marginalisation represents a structural failure for democracies that consider themselves “full.” A true democracy cannot exist without the equitable participation of women in decision-making processes that affect society as a whole. The challenge remains: gender equality in leadership cannot be an abstract aspiration but a reality that institutions must enforce, with non-compliance facing not only ethical sanctions but also concrete and effective actions and measures.
