Ladies and Gentlemen, Introduction Allow me to thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this 4th Forum on National Minorities. As a preliminary remark I would like to stress that the issue of women's rights has always been on the agenda of the Council of Europe but has received increased attention in recent years with the adoption of the "Council of Europe Convention on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings" and the "Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence ". For the Council of Europe, women's rights issues are an integral part of the international protection of human rights and as such they deserve an absolute priority in the work of the Organization. Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities with regards to the rights of women belonging to national minorities, the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities is the European standard of reference. It is a legally binding multilateral instrument applicable in 39 European countries. All rights contained in the Framework Convention apply, without discrimination, to women belonging to national minorities. However, the Framework Convention requires more than just a guarantee of non-discrimination. The text calls upon the Contracting Parties to adopt specific measures to promote full and effective equality between persons belonging to a national minority and those belonging to the national minority in all spheres of economic, social, political and cultural life of the majority, while respecting the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of these persons. The aim is to ensure that persons belonging to a national minority are able to conduct their own cultural life, use their own language, open their own schools, offer their children in the language of their choice, and practice their own religion. The Committee to Review the Implementation of the Framework Convention by States Parties is a group of 18 independent experts that regularly review the state of legislation and practice in European states and provide advice with specific recommendations to assist States in addressing identified shortcomings. In this context, the Advisory Committee has consistently taken into account the particular situation of women belonging to national minorities. Among the wide range of national situations, which have often been very diverse, were examined. Regardless of the country concerned, its level of economic development and the extent of protection afforded to national minorities, the situation of minority women is still less satisfactory than that of men belonging to an identical national minority. The reason is well known: women face multiple discrimination, including discrimination as a woman and discrimination as an ethnic minority. Consequently, the obstacles they have to overcome in order to benefit from the most elementary rights are sometimes almost impassable. Even before being heard by administrations, employers, public authorities and the judiciary, they often have to struggle in their own communities and their families. These difficulties are particularly exacerbated for women belonging to the Roma minority.