Luxembourg Equality Ministry Marks International Women’s Day

Luxembourg’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity has outlined details of the various events Minister Yuriko Backes attended to mark International Women’s Day, which took place on Saturday 8 March 2025.

In a press release, the ministry confirmed that Minister Backes followed a programme reflecting the various components of society, from education to health, economy and finance, defence and transport. The programme aimed in particular to highlight this year’s theme, defined by UN Women: “For all women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”

The ministry confirmed that on Monday 3 March 2025, Minister Backes signed an agreement with Kinoshi sàrl and Samsa Film on the film Hors d’Haleine, which was set to be screened in different municipalities across Luxembourg, followed by round tables on gender-based violence. The film, directed by Eric Lamhène, was reported as being a great success in Luxembourg cinemas and deals with the vicious cycle of domestic violence.

On the same day, Minister Backes attended a lunch with Women in Business during which she discussed the current challenges surrounding gender equality in Luxembourg and internationally.

On Wednesday 5 March 2025, Minister Backes participated in the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group Forum and delivered the opening speech on the panel “Ringing the Bell: How Capital Markets Can Support Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment.” According to the press release, Minister Backes highlighted that: “Women around the world continue to face barriers to economic participation, ranging from unequal pay to limited access to capital. However, the evidence is clear: when women thrive, economies thrive. Finance has the power to drive meaningful societal change and capital markets are uniquely positioned to lead this transformation.” 

On Thursday 6 March 2025, Maria Ruiz and Babul Hossain from the Luxembourg Institute for Health presented the study “Gender matters in health: describing gender health gaps in Luxembourg” to Minister Backes and Luxembourg’s Minister of Health and Social Security, Martine Deprez. The study was commissioned by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity after the publication of the health indicators on the Gender Equality Observatory, in 2023.

According to the ministry, while health inequalities are often viewed from the perspective of biological sex, this study goes further by analysing the socio-economic factors and contexts that can also impact these inequalities. Minister Backes thanked the researchers for their quality work and stressed the importance of the next step, which will be to use the results to define future policies.

On Friday 7 March 2025, the Government Council (Cabinet) approved the adaptation of the National Action Plan for Equality between Women and Men. According to the ministry, this plan adopts a gender mainstreaming approach and aims to identify and eliminate the specific obstacles that women and men may face in various areas of society. For example, it focuses on reducing disparities in employment, education, health, sports, culture, transport, artificial intelligence, defence and participation in decision-making. 55 measures and more than 100 actions are planned to eliminate existing inequalities and promote a more equitable society.

The ministry recalled that on Friday, Yuriko Backes, as Minister of Defence, also organised a public event, together with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity and CID Fraen an Gender, to launch and present the new National Action Plan “Women, Peace and Security”.

Minister Backes also attended a workshop, as part of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity Catalogue, “Alexa, why are you a woman”, on the subject of artificial intelligence and data bias, at Lycée Michel Lucius in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg.

Also on Friday, Minister Backes delivered the opening remarks at a panel discussion roundtable on “Intergenerational Conversations for Change”, co-organised with LUX WMN and the BCEE (Spuerkeess). In her speech, the minister said that “a major step towards transformation is to listen to the younger generations and to make the voices of women and girls, young people and marginalised people heard, in order to ensure inclusion and empowerment.”

On Saturday 8 March, International Women’s Day, Yuriko Backes, in her capacity as Minister of Mobility and Public Works, organised a coffee meeting with cyclist Christine Majerus and women living in Luxembourg who cycle, whether as a sport or in their daily lives. Minister Backes was reported to be keen to hear women’s priorities regarding cycling infrastructure, among other things. She assured the participants that she took their concerns seriously and that building safe and continuous cycle paths across the country was one of her top priorities.

The press release added that Minister Backes ended her week by joining the feminist march in Luxembourg City. Organised by the JIF (Journée Internationale de la Femme) platform, the demonstration on Saturday afternoon attracted an estimated several thousand people. For details on the platform’s demands, see https://chronicle.lu/category/things-to-see-do/53769-international-womens-day-march-planned-for-luxembourg-city

Several other events took place on or around International Women’s Day.

Minister Backes is also set to attend the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which will be held in New York from Monday 10 to Wednesday 12 March 2025.

HOM