Recommendation to the Council on the EU priorities for the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women

The European Parliament adopted by 322 votes to 163, with 46 abstentions, a recommendation to the Council concerning the EU priorities for the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

Members recalled that gender equality is a fundamental and universal principle of the Union and that the Union's external action must be guided by this principle so that the Union may continue to lead by example and reinforce and respect its commitments on gender equality.

Ahead of the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York (March 2025), Parliament presented this comprehensive list outlining recommendations to advance gender equality, protect women's rights, and promote gender-sensitive policies across EU actions and external relations.

The recommendations addressed to the Council include:

- reaffirming the commitment to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, as well as the commitment to work towards women's human rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, through gender mainstreaming in all relevant cycles and policy areas;

- implementing specific and targeted actions for women's human rights and gender equality, and ensuring gender-responsive budgeting;

- firmly opposing Saudi Arabia's chairing of the annual meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women, given its poor record on women's rights;

- ensuring that gender equality and women's rights are fully implemented as a central element of the EU's external action through an approach that is adequately funded, inclusive and takes into account marginalised women and women in vulnerable situations;

- ensuring the full involvement of Parliament and its Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality in the decision-making process on the EU’s position at the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women;

- reinvigorating the EU's efforts to address remaining challenges and accelerate the full implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action;

- advocating for equal access and opportunities in all areas of life and encourage measures that promote women's participation and gender balance in all high-impact sectors, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM);

- expressing opposition to all forms of gender-based violence, including online and offline;

- advocating for equal access and opportunities in all areas of life, to enable women to fulfil their potential, including in decision-making;

- promote more women in politics and leadership positions, increase targeted investments in gender equality in services such as education and health;

- urging the remaining five Member States that have still not ratified and implemented the Istanbul Convention to do so in the shortest possible time frame, and calling on other countries to make progress towards signing and ratifying it;

- encouraging measures that promote women’s participation and gender balance in all high impact sectors, including STEM;

- emphasising the need to protect and promote the rights of groups experiencing intersectional forms of discrimination, including people with disabilities and people who are from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, racialised, from ethnic, minority or migrant backgrounds, older or LGBTIQ+, among others;

- implementing, without delay and to the fullest extent, the EU Gender Equality Action Plan III (GAP III) and ensuring that 85 % of all new actions throughout external relations contribute to gender equality and women’s empowerment by 2027 at the latest;

- addressing and monitoring the systemic and root causes of female poverty with an emphasis on those in rural areas or isolated and disadvantaged areas;

- promoting female entrepreneurship and women-led businesses through an enabling environment for their economic activities, such as support programmes in partner countries, ensuring equitable access to business opportunities and training in entrepreneurial skills;

- ensuring access to social services, including family support services, equal shares of unpaid care and social responsibilities through legislative initiatives, efforts to combat harmful gender stereotyping, patriarchal attitudes and systems and promoting women as role models;

- removing the legal, financial, social and practical barriers and restrictions on access to safe and legal abortion worldwide;

- ensuring that women and girls in all their diversity have information and access to affordable health services, including for sexual and reproductive health and rights.