On a European Parliament recommendation to the Council concerning the EU priorities for the 71st session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women

having regard to the Commission communication of 7 March 2025 entitled ‘A Roadmap for Women’s Rights’ (COM(2025)0097), which reaffirms the EU’s commitment to gender equality,

having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 25 November 2020 entitled ‘EU Gender Action Plan (GAP) III – An ambitious agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment in EU external action’ (JOIN(2020)0017), which outlines the EU action plan for gender equality for the 2021-2025 period,

–having regard to Rule 121 of its Rules of Procedure,

–having regard to the report of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (A100000/2026),

A.whereas equality between women and men is a fundamental principle of the EU, and internal and external policies should, in that regard, remain consistent and coherent in order to ensure the promotion of human rights, democracy and gender equality around the world;

B.whereas women and girls worldwide are disproportionately affected by poverty, humanitarian crises, climate change, conflicts, extremism, terrorism, wars and food shortages;

C.whereas gender equality is both a distinct goal and a catalyst for the advancement of the other SDG targets;

D.whereas less than half of women in agricultural households hold ownership of, or secure rights to, agricultural land in nearly 90 % of reporting countries;

E.whereas equal access to education is fundamental for sustainable development, poverty reduction and economic prosperity;

F.whereas women and girls are disproportionately exposed to risks in conflicts and humanitarian crises;

G.whereas pre-existing gender inequalities increase women’s and girls’ exposure to climate-related risks and restrict their access to adaptation measures; whereas women are not merely victims but agents of change and leaders in disaster risk reduction and the sustainable management of natural resources;

H.whereas economic empowerment means that women and girls enjoy equal rights and access to adequate working conditions, social protection, finance and natural resources, and can participate meaningfully in economic decision-making at all levels;

I.whereas the transition to climate-neutral, resource-efficient and digital economies offers opportunities for strengthening women’s economic independence;

J.whereas the participation of women’s rights organisations is essential to ensuring that policies respond to the lived realities of women and girls;

1.Recommends that the Council:

a) reaffirm the EU’s unwavering commitment to gender equality and ensure that women’s rights are fully integrated into EU external action;

b) ensure the full involvement of Parliament and its Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality in the decision-making process regarding the EU’s position at the 71st session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women;

c) pledge its strong support for the work of UN Women;

d) reaffirm the EU’s commitment to closing the gender pay and pension gaps, including in the care economy, and to tackling horizontal and vertical occupational segregation;

e) ensure that policies and investments aimed at advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls address multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination across sectors and throughout the life cycle; place particular emphasis on the full and equal participation and empowerment of women and girls with disabilities;

f) work towards stronger policies and actions that promote access to land, credit, entrepreneurship and education;

g) call on all UN member states to integrate gender-responsive strategies into educational policies to address inequalities;

h) promote adequate and gender-responsive social protection throughout all stages of life;

i) close the gender pay, earnings, employment and pension gaps, combat horizontal and vertical occupational segregation and precarious employment, and promote equal pay for work of equal value, adequate, safe and healthy working conditions, collective bargaining and effective remedies against discrimination and harassment;

j) recognise, reduce and redistribute unpaid domestic and care work;

k) promote women’s economic independence by ensuring equal access to decent employment, entrepreneurship, labour markets, public procurement, credit, financial services, digital tools, innovation, technology and business networks, paying particular attention to women in vulnerable situations and women facing intersecting forms of discrimination;

l) call on all UN member states to eliminate discriminatory laws and practices affecting women’s rights to own, inherit, register, use and control land and housing and to ensure women’s equal participation in land governance, agricultural policy and natural-resource management;

m) develop and finance measures to support women entrepreneurs and female-run cooperatives, social enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises;

n) ensure equal access for girls and women to inclusive, equitable and quality education, vocational education and training, lifelong learning and digital connectivity, and tackle gender stereotypes and occupational segregation, including by encouraging women and girls to pursue education and careers in STEM fields, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and green jobs;

o) promote gender-responsive labour market and educational policies that facilitate women’s access to sectors and occupations linked to the green and digital transitions, while ensuring adequate working conditions;

p) increase women’s and girls’ access to climate finance, adaptation finance, disaster risk financing, clean and affordable energy, water, sanitation, food systems, land, health services, technology, insurance and information, paying particular attention to women living in poverty and those in rural, remote, fragile or conflict-affected areas;

q) ensure that the green transition is just, inclusive and gender-responsive;

r) strengthen women’s full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership in climate governance, environmental decision-making, disaster risk reduction and humanitarian action;

s) ensure the continuity of essential health services, including sexual and reproductive healthcare, during climate-related disasters, humanitarian crises and displacement;

t) integrate measures to prevent and address gender-based violence into climate, environmental, disaster risk reduction and humanitarian policies;

u) promote the systematic collection, analysis and publication of timely, comparable and disaggregated data;

v) apply gender-responsive budgeting and gender equality expenditure tracking to relevant budgets and financial instruments, and develop monitoring frameworks to assess the impact of spending on women’s poverty, economic empowerment, climate resilience and disaster risk reduction;

w) provide adequate and accessible funding for women’s rights organisations;

x) support international cooperation, technology transfer, capacity building and knowledge exchange on gender-responsive climate action and environmental protection;

y) promote accountability for commitments made at the 71st session by requesting clear implementation indicators, regular reporting and effective review mechanisms, and ensure that the EU monitors progress towards the agreed conclusions in close cooperation with UN Women, civil society and relevant international partners;

2.Instructs its President to forward this recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and, for information, to the EU Special Representative for Human Rights.