Luxembourg Announces Plans for National Strategy to Combat Gender-Based Violence

Luxembourg's Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, Yuriko Backes, represented the Grand Duchy at the 68th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, from Sunday 10 to Wednesday 13 March 2024.

During the general debate, under the priority theme of the fight against poverty, strengthening institutions and financing from a perspective of equality between women and men, Minister Backes stressed that "the gender perspective is not not a luxury, but a necessity. It is essential in all areas, particularly in the fight against poverty. As women are often the most affected by extreme poverty, it is crucial to guarantee them access to education, a life free of violence and discrimination, as well as economic independence. Furthermore, their active participation in decision-making is essential to progress towards gender equality."

During a Security Council Open Debate on "Peacebuilding and maintenance: promoting conflict prevention - empowering all actors including women and youth", organised by Japan, the minister spoke on behalf of the BeNeLux. She emphasised: "Conflict prevention can only succeed if we recognise the importance of the influence of gender norms and gender inequalities on all of our societies. We need to integrate gender as a category of analysis and use early warning and conflict resolution strategies led or informed by women."

Within the CSW, Minister Backes took part in various events and meetings, including discussion forums, thematic sessions and bilateral meetings with several of her counterparts. The aim was to promote discussions on gender equality and diversity, while strengthening partnerships and encouraging new collaborative initiatives.

Minister Backes spoke with the Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, Kirsi Madi. As reported by Luxembourg's Ministry for Gender Equality and Diversity, their exchange focused on the challenges linked to the fight against all gender-based violence, the links between women, peace and security and the importance of gender equality for sustainable economic development. They also discussed the active role of Luxembourg in the promotion of gender-focused finance, notably highlighting the collaboration of UN Women with the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) in the context of developing standards for "gender-focused bonds".

The importance of the financial sector and gender-focused financing were also discussed during a ministerial roundtable focused on good practices aimed at strengthening institutions and maximising financing to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

As part of a ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends for the elimination of violence against women and girls, Minister Backes announced that, for the first time, Luxembourg will develop a national action plan on the fight against all gender-based violence. This national strategy is expected to make it possible to combat this scourge of violence in a more systemic and sustainable manner, in particular by increasing prevention efforts. In addition, it is expected to offer the opportunity to exchange with other countries to share experiences and good practices, thus promoting effective international collaboration in the fight against violence.

The minister also delivered the opening speech at a seminar co-organised by Luxembourg, Colombia, Canada and the Center for Reproductive Rights, addressing the impact of the criminalisation of abortion access on poverty. During this roundtable, Minister Backes underlined the need for access to affordable and safe abortions for women. She highlighted the increased risks of precariousness for women deprived of this access, highlighting the negative repercussions on their access to education, their integration into the labour market and their economic independence.

Lastly, Minister Backes attended a UNAIDS event on the "Education Plus Initiative", co-financed by Luxembourg and focused on the education of girls with the aim of eradicating HIV. The speakers reiterated the crucial role played by education in the empowerment of girls and women.

The CSW is an intergovernmental body dedicated exclusively to promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. The 68th session was chaired by the Philippines.