European countries, including Georgia, are struggling to achieve gender balance in public decision-making, according to a new report from the Council of Europe.

The report, published by the Council of Europe’s Gender Equality Commission, looks at progress made by 46 countries towards the goal set by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers in 2003 of having at least 40% of both men and women taking part in different aspects of political and public life.

The report includes detailed data on Georgia as well. The figures, accompanied by Europe-wide comparisons, can be found below:

• 12% of women elected to lower house of parliament in 2016, compared to a Europe-wide average of 25.6%;
   
• 6.7% of women presidents of parliamentary committees in 2016, compared to a Europe-wide average of 25.6%;
   
• 10.5% of women senior and junior ministers in 2016, compared to a Europe-wide average of 22.4%;
   
• 0% of women mayors in 2016, compared to a Europe-wide average of 13.4%;
   
• 1.7% of women municipality councillors in 2016, compared to a Europe-wide average of 26%;
   
• 20% of women party leaders in 2016, compared to a Europe-wide average of 14.8%;
   
• 27.3% of women in party executives and 14.2% women members, compared to a Europe-wide average of 27.1% and 27.5%, respectively;
   
• 38.5% of women judges in High/Supreme Courts in 2016, compared to a Europe-wide average of 33%;
   
• 33.3% of women judges in the Constitutional Court in 2016, compared to a Europe-wide average of 26.3%;
   
• 15.6% of women ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary in 2016, compared to a Europe-wide average of 13 %;
   
• 25% of women envoys and ministers plenipotentiary in 2016, compared to a Europe-wide average of 27.3%;
   
• 40% of women representatives and substitutes to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in 2016, compared to a Europe-wide average of 35.7%; this represents a 20% decrease since 2005.

The data reflects the situation in member states as of January 1, 2016, except for data on the political representatives which refer to election-day results (up to July 15, 2016).