On the occasion of International Lesbian Visibility Day, which is celebrated on 26 April, a series of activities are organised under the Icelandic Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, jointly with the Council of Europe’s SOGI Unit, the Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination and the Eurocentralasian Lesbian* Community (EL*C). The events will bring together policymakers, as well as over 40 activists and artists from all over the region, to raise awareness on the lived realities of LBQ women in Europe, but also to celebrate lesbian* culture.
On 25 April at 19:00 (Phare Citadelle) a reception is hosted by the Icelandic Presidency and EL*C, with the participation of Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, Foreign Affairs Minister, Iceland, and Hannah Bardell, MP, SNP, UK, Member of PACE, as well as prominent lesbian* human rights defenders, but also local and European artists for a diverse cultural programme (flamenco concert, drag king performances, DJ sets, art exhibition and documentary).
On 26 April, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is organising a side event co-sponsored by Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo, First Vice-Chairperson and rapporteur on violence and discrimination against LBQ women, Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination (PACE) and the Icelandic Presidency, to advance the conversation on the realities of intersectional discrimination and violence against LBQ women, in the context of the preparation of the PACE resolution about violence and discrimination against LBQ women.
The Council of Europe is also supporting the EL*C’s 3-day study visit in Strasbourg, which strives to increase the awareness and provide training for activists interested in improving their advocacy efforts. The training programme aims to familiarise the participants with the Council of Europe's processes and bodies, improve their knowledge of policy-making activities at the European and national levels, clarify CoE's role in protecting human rights in Europe, explain its monitoring and standard-setting processes, and provide insights on how grassroots activists can participate in them. In addition, the study visit will provide the opportunity to meet key players in the area of protecting human rights for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, including the Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretariat of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO), the Gender Equality Commission (GEC), and the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), to improve the inclusion of an intersectional lens that takes into account the perspective of LBQ women in the work of these bodies.
