On a European Parliament recommendation to the Council concerning the EU priorities for the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women
A-10-2026-0010
Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality · Rapporteur: Lina Gálvez
- Voted on · Adopted 340–141–68 · See the decision →
- Full procedure 2025/2240
Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.
Parliament recommends that the Council reaffirm the EU's commitment to gender equality and women's rights in external action, with an inclusive, intersectional and adequately funded approach.¶ It calls for full involvement of Parliament in shaping the EU position at the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and for monitoring frameworks to track commitments.¶¶ The recommendation urges action to ensure access to justice for women and girls, including legal aid, specialised courts, and gender-sensitive training, and to combat all forms of gender-based violence.¶¶¶ It advocates for women's equal representation in decision-making, including in the judiciary and peace processes, and for the recognition of gender apartheid and consent-based rape laws.¶¶¶ It stresses the need for sustainable funding for women's rights organisations and for the EU to adopt a feminist foreign policy, while defending the UN CSW mandate.¶¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality recommends that the Council adopt the priorities set out in the draft recommendation, covering gender equality, access to justice, and women's participation.¶
Key points
- Recommends the Council reaffirm the EU's commitment to gender equality and implement women's rights in all external action, including development, trade and foreign policy.¶
- Calls for Parliament's full involvement in defining the EU position at the UN CSW session and for improved interinstitutional cooperation.¶
- Urges the EU to lead the fight against the backlash against gender equality and to condemn attacks by anti-gender movements.¶
- Calls for monitoring frameworks to track implementation of CSW commitments across member states and UN partners.¶
- Stresses the need for legal aid, specialised courts for gender-based violence, and measures to ensure access to justice for women with disabilities.¶
- Emphasises the importance of eliminating obstacles to justice, ensuring victim-centred support, and enhancing cross-border mechanisms for victims of violence.¶
- Calls for recognition of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute.¶
- Urges the integration of a gender perspective in judicial decision-making and the provision of gender-sensitive training for officials.¶
- Calls for accessible information, legal empowerment programmes, and support services for victims, including helplines.¶
- Advocates for legal aid based on women's own financial means and for gender-disaggregated data on access to justice.¶
- Promotes women's leadership and equal representation in the judiciary and in decision-making in public life, including foreign policy and conflict resolution.¶¶¶
- Calls for sustainable funding for women's rights and LGBTIQ+ organisations, and for the EU to adopt a feminist foreign policy.¶¶
Who is affected
- Women and girls worldwide, particularly those facing intersecting discrimination, benefit from improved access to justice and protection from violence.¶¶
- Women's rights organisations and feminist and LGBTIQ+ groups receive support for their work, including funding and legal protection.¶
- UN Women and other UN bodies are supported and adequately funded to advance women's rights.¶
- Very large online platforms and search engines are urged to allow public scrutiny of risk assessments related to gender-based violence.¶
- Countries that have not ratified the Istanbul Convention are called on to do so.¶