Monaco’s National Council has voted in a government bill to amend outdated provisions in the law that favour men over women.
A majority of 18 elected officials, with one abstention by Thomas Brezzo and no votes against, on Thursday 5th May supported a government bill which aims to strengthen the protection of women’s rights in the Principality of Monaco.
Government Services spent three years analysing nearly 12,000 legal and legislative texts to identify expressions that have become, over time, obsolete for legal, semantic or scientific reasons. In total, 85 provisions and texts are subject to modification or deletion.
“This updating of the legal provisions contributes to the construction of the edifice of women’s rights and to bringing the Principality into line with the evolution of society and, at the international level, in accordance with the recommendations of the United Nations,” said Pierre Dartout, Minister of State. “I would like to salute the Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights, which has made a dynamic contribution to updating the texts of Monegasque law.”
The amendments include things like changing the need for female elected officials to take on the masculine word for councillor, conseillers.
“While this text represents an essentially symbolic progress – it is certainly not the most fundamental text in the history of the evolution of women’s rights in our country – it is another step in the right direction,” said National Council President Stéphane Valeri in his speech to the assembly.
According to Councillor Nathalie Blanc-Amoratti, the amendments are an important step towards changing perceptions about women in society.
“The main objective is of course to change mentalities, and this requires education, awareness and pedagogy from an early age,” said Nathalie Blanc-Amoratti. “In our position as elected officials, we are working with determination to modernise and develop our legislation in accordance with changes in society. And when it comes to women’s rights, there is a lot to be done.”
Other major steps that the Principality has taken recently towards equal rights for women include the extension of maternity leave in 2019, the decriminalisation of abortion that same year, a reform in 2021 of the legal provisions that constitute sexual assault, and a resolution adopted in November 2020 aimed at increasing the representation of women on the boards of directors of public, associative and private entities.
The latest move by the National Council and the Government, under the leadership of Prince Albert II, was welcomed by Céline Cottalorda, Interministerial Delegate for Women’s Rights, who said, “I am very satisfied to see this text come to fruition because it constitutes additional progress for greater equality between the sexes and less discrimination against women.”
Photo source: National Council of Monaco