On 25 June 2025, the Parliamentary Assembly adopted a resolution based on a report prepared by Maryna Bardina (Ukraine, ALDE) on promoting inclusive participation in parliamentary life. The resolution outlines concrete measures to enhance gender equality, improve the accessibility of parliaments, and foster more inclusive parliamentary policies.
Concluding her report, Maryna Bardina emphasized the purpose of her work, as follows :
“My report aims to raise awareness of the need to make parliaments in our member States fully accessible and inclusive as regards their premises, their composition, and their internal policies and working practices, so that they can best fulfil their role as key democratic institutions and duly reflect the societies they represent – which is unfortunately not yet the case. This includes allowing women parliamentarians to enter political life, to stay in politics and to reach decision-making positions and leading roles in parliaments, free from violence, while combining it with their family obligations on the same basis as male parliamentarians.
Our national parliaments, like our Assembly and the European Parliament, should be inclusive workplaces free from sexism, racism, ageism, ableism, and all other forms of discrimination. Their internal rules and regulations should reflect this and provide adequate mechanisms and tools to prevent discrimination, and to address it through adequate reporting procedures and sanctions.
My focus on making parliaments fully accessible to members, staff and visitors with disabilities, persons with reduced mobility and children should also be a priority in our member States, as accessibility and inclusiveness are democratic imperatives in the 21st century.”
The resolution places particular emphasis on the responsibilities of political parties in leading the change The political parties and the Assembly itself are encouraged to adopt strategies that promote diversity and inclusion, with a particular focus on combating sexism, harassment, and discrimination.
Speaking on behalf of the ALDE group during the plenary debate, our Vice-President Stephanie Krisper praised the resolution:
“It is not about modernising rules and procedures. It’s about making democracy real, to make it accessible, fair and equal for everyone. It’s about recognising that political participation must reflect the people we serve, not just the privileged group that can afford it.”
She continued by saying:
“While inclusive representation in political parties can take some time, because of the power dynamics in political parties being difficult to reach this aim, other issues raised in the report are simply simple to fix. And that takes me to the issue of accessibility.”
Importantly, the resolution also addressed accessibility within the Council of Europe. It also invited the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to organise training for staff to improve awareness of accessibility needs—particularly for members, experts, and visitors with disabilities.
