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Gender Equality: EU and International Policy
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Gender Equality
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Last updated on
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Gender Equality
Published on
Last updated on
This section gives you information on the EU and international dimension to gender equality.
Among the principle international bodies promoting gender equality are:
Equality between women and men is a founding value of the European Union, which has adopted equal treatment legislation, promoted gender mainstreaming and taken specific action for the advancement of women.
The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament are the principal decision-making institutions in the EU. Gender equality issues are addressed in the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) Council configuration which meets four times a year in formal session.
The European Commission is the main administrative organ with a right of initiative in bringing forward legislative proposals for the Union as well as having policy and oversight competences. The Commission's EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, launched in March 2020, presents policy objectives and actions to make significant progress by 2025 towards a gender-equal Europe.
The Court of Justice with its seat in Luxembourg is the main adjudicator and decider of disputes regarding the application of Union law and the Union’s competences to act under the Treaties.
The European Institute of Gender Equality (EIGE), located in Vilnius, Lithuania, was established in 2007 as an agency of the European Union to carry out research and reporting on matters of gender equality across the Union. Resources developed by EIGE include the EU Gender Equality Index, Gender Statistics Database, indicators and reports in the critical areas of concern of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and guidance to support gender mainstreaming.
The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound), which is based in Dublin, includes a gender equality focus in its research to advise policy development in regard to working conditions, industrial relations, employment and living conditions. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) also takes account of gender equality in its work on upholding rights and on non-discrimination.
Over many decades, the United Nations has made significant progress in advancing gender equality, including through landmark agreements such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Since its establishment in 1946 by a resolution of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) has been the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. The Commission convenes annually for two weeks in March to discuss progress, identify challenges, and set policies and global standards on gender equality and the rights of women and girls. UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, is the Secretariat to the Commission and supports all aspects of its work.
Gender equality issues are also raised at the UN Human Rights Council which is the principal intergovernmental body with the UN system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights, and for addressing and taking action on human rights violations around the globe.
Based on UN Security Council Resolution 1325, and 9 further related resolutions, the Women, Peace and Security Agenda is founded on the idea that due to the power dynamics of gender, conflict has different effects on women, girls, boys and men. The Department of Foreign Affairs leads the development and implementation of Ireland's National Action Plans on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.
The UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly. It defines discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination where it exists. The Optional Protocol to the Convention provides that the Committee which monitors its implementation is mandated to receive communications from individuals or groups submitting claims of violations of rights protected under the Convention and to initiate inquiries into situations of grave or systematic violations of women's rights, in States to which this applies.
Ireland acceded to CEDAW in 1985 and to its Optional Protocol in 2000. As a State party to the Convention, Ireland is obliged to submit regular reports to the Committee on how the rights of the Convention are implemented. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth oversees the preparation of these reports.
Related documents:
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted at the UN’s Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, China, 1995), at which Ireland participated, is an agenda for women’s empowerment. The international community and civil society, including non-governmental organisations and the private sector, are called upon to take strategic action in twelve critical areas of concern for women globally. Progress is reviewed periodically at the UN, in particular at the Commission for the Status of Women.
Related documents:
Ireland joined the Council of Europe in 1949 as a founder member. Gender equality is an important policy goal of the Council of Europe. Priority areas of intervention are defined by its Gender Equality Strategies and working methods include intergovernmental work, cooperation projects and gender mainstreaming.
In 2010 the OECD launched its Gender Initiative to examine existing barriers to gender equality in education, employment and entrepreneurship with the aim of improving policies and promoting gender equality in the economy in both OECD and non-OECD countries. The OECD monitors progress made by governments to promote gender equality and provides good practices based on analytical tools and reliable data.