Belgium’s EU commissioner Hadja Lahbib has called for more to be done to close the gender gap.
She was speaking in New York to represent the European Union at the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
Commissioner Lahbib said she wanted to reaffirm the EU’s “unwavering commitment to gender equality.”
It was also a chance, she said, to “press for urgent action to be taken to tackle the remaining inequalities faced by women and girls.”
This includes things such as the threat of violence against women, harmful online content and narratives, and barriers to equal pay and gender-sensitive healthcare, she said.
The Commissioner also discussed the EU’s new gender equality strategy, presented last week, and underlined the vital importance of the United Nations for advancing women’s rights globally.
On Tuesday, the Commissioner also took part in a meeting of EU Ministers on empowering girls in the digital age. The Commissioner then attended the UN meeting.
This year’s priority theme is: ‘Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and addressing structural barriers’.
On Wednesday, Commissioner Lahbib was due to deliver opening remarks at the side event organised by the EU on preventing and combatting all forms of cyberviolence against girls.
She will also participate in a side event on humanitarian aid, considering what more can be done for women who give their life to save others.
The Commissioner will also meet with Alexander De Croo, UN Development Programme Administrator, with Citlali Hernádez, Mexican Minister of Women, and will exchange with representatives from civil society and EU Youth Delegates.
On Thursday, the Commissioner will deliver opening remarks at an event dedicated to eliminating violence against women and girls. She will also meet with other senior members of the UN.
