European Economic and Social Committee reaffirms commitment to gender equality
UN Women and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) have signed a declaration reaffirming their commitment to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls around the world.
UN Women executive director Sima Sami Bahous and EESC president Oliver Röpke signed the declaration on 23 July.
In doing so, the leaders of both institutions commit to deepening their collaboration on a range of issues including mainstreaming gender across governance and policymaking; promoting women’s leadership and management; and combatting gender-based violence and discriminatory norms.
They also agreed to address the unpaid care burden and structural barriers in labour and financial markets, and to support access to education, digital tools, and economic empowerment for women and girls, particularly those facing intersecting forms of discrimination.
“Our joint declaration is a pledge to a world where every woman and girl lives free from violence, fear, and inequality, fully able to lead and thrive,” Bahous said.
Röpke said the declaration was “not just a symbol of shared values. It is a call to action. The EESC and UN Women are sending a clear message that gender equality must be at the core of global policy and democratic resilience”.
A statement from UN Women on the signing of the declaration said it and the EESC “call on governments, institutions, and civil society to join in turning these commitments into concrete outcomes that leave no woman or girl behind”.
Read more: Additional $420bn a year needed to achieve gender equality, UN says
Placing gender equality at the heart of global development
The declaration was signed on the last day of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2025 – the UN’s central platform for reviewing progress on the Sustainable Development Goals – which took place in New York between 14-23 July.
Gender equality is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by UN member states in 2015 under the 2030 Agenda.
A new ministerial declaration was also signed at the event by world leaders, reaffirming their commitment to place gender equality at the centre of global development.
In it, governments pledged to eliminate all forms of gender-based violence, including child marriage and female genital mutilation, and to ensure universal access to inclusive education and to sexual and reproductive health and rights, as agreed in international frameworks.
The declaration also calls for investment in care systems, gender-responsive social protection, equal pay, women’s access to decent work, and support for entrepreneurship and digital inclusion.
The UN said it aims to drive action towards enabling “women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in public life, leadership, peacebuilding, and crisis response”.
With only five years to implement the 2030 Agenda, the UN added that the ministerial declaration “sends a clear and important signal: Gender equality is still high on the global agenda – and without investment in the rights and empowerment of all women and girls through concrete actions, we won’t be able to achieve the SDGs”.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – a comprehensive plan to achieve the equal rights of all women and girls endorsed by 189 governments in 1995.
“As the world approaches the Beijing+30 anniversary in September, this renewed commitment must translate into real change – backed by resources, accountability, and the meaningful participation of women and girls in shaping the future,” the UN said.
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