A Council of Europe report which suggested that the word mother was a negative “stereotype” has been amended to remove the reference.

The report, which deals with the portrayal of women in the media, claims that the media portray women as “as passive and lesser beings, mothers or sexual objects”.

The report continues: “These sexist stereotypes in the media perpetuate a simplistic, immutable and caricatured image of women and men, legitimising everyday sexism and discriminatory practices and establishing a barrier to gender equality.”

Written by Ms Doris Stump, a Swiss member of the Socialist group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), it also contains a proposed resolution which calls on the Assembly to urge member states to undertake awareness campaigns, set up think tanks and include measures in gender equality legislation to combat sexist stereotypes.

A vote on the resolution is set to take place on Friday. However, Christian Democrat politicians, who were informed by CARE Europe, a pro-family group who work on a Europe-wide basis, objected to the linking of the word ‘mother’ with sexism

Christian Democratic politicians in the Assembly were able to negotiate an agreed amendment with the Rapporteur (a Swiss Socialist MP) removing the reference to mothers which was passed on Monday in plenary session.

Meanwhile, a public hearing on the appeal of the “Italian Crucifix Case,” Lautsi v. Italy, took place today in Strasbourg where the Council of Europe and its court, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), is based.

The hearing concerns a ruling by the ECHR in Strasbourg which held that the presence of crucifixes in Italian state schools ‘violated’ the right to education and the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion under the European Convention of Human Rights.

The case was taken by a Finnish woman living in Italy, Ms. Lautsi, who argued that the presence of crucifixes in the public school classrooms where her children attended is contrary to the principle of secularism by which she wishes to raise her children.

The case caused huge controversy throughout Europe, and Italy has appealed the ruling to the Grand Chamber of the Court.

A record 10 States, not including Ireland, have joined the case against the ruling.

Armenia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, Monaco, San-Marino, Romania and the Russian Federation have all formally asked the Court to be officially “third party” into the procedure before the Grand Chamber of the Court.

No State, nor any important NGO, has intervened in support of the Court ruling banning the crucifix.

In addition to the 10 member states, a number of other States, including Austria and Poland took positions against the November 3, 2009 decision. Twelve NGOs, including the European Centre for Law and Justice, have also been admitted as third parties in support of the Italian case.

Dr. Gregor Puppinck, Director of the European Centre for Law and Justice, said that the number of countries supporting the Italian case was “an important precedent in the practice of the Court”.

Usually, member states abstained from intervening, or intervene only when the case affects a national of their State, Dr Puppinck said.

He added: “The Lautsi case is unique and unprecedented. 10 States are in fact explaining to the Court what is the limit of its jurisdiction; what is the limit of its ability to create new “rights” against the will of the member States. This can bee seen as a kind of counter balancing of power.”