ECE governments should:
Put in place strong mechanisms for accountability at the national and regional level concerning commitments made towards the realization of gender equality and women’s human rights.
- a) Economy
Collect and publish systematic gender sensitive analyses of the impact of the economic crisis and responses thereof, prior to their implementation.
Upvalue work in the caring sector, reduce and redistribute unpaid care.
Promote decent work for women and reduce their disproportional representation in informal work which is generally precarious, poorly paid and not covered by labour legislation. Identify and change the structural factors that contribute to the rise of this type of employment.
Close the gender pay gap by 2025
Redesign and rethink budgeting to ensure that women’s rights and needs are met at national and community levels.
Promote women’s equal representation in decision making in particular in the economic field.
- Stereotyping
Act against the stereotyping of women in all fields of life i.a. by sensitizing men and boys.
- Violence
Combat all forms of violence against women including by financing of support services and protection for women victims as well as non sexist education. This approach must include the role of men and boys in addressing the root causes of male violence. Ratify the Istanbul Convention.
- Access to justice
Facilitate access to meaningful, affordable and human rights based justice systems for all individuals, particularly for women and marginalized groups
- Health
Ensure access to family planning for all women including girls in all countries in order to reduce preventable mortality and morbidity.
Countries with restrictive abortion legislation should lift the ban, or at least allow for exceptions including on social grounds. Women who resort to unsafe abortion should receive post-abortion medical care as needed. Emergency contraception should be available and affordable.
- f) Peace and security, the effects of armed or other kinds of conflict on women
Implement UNSCR 1325 and subsequent resolutions of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and report thereof through national reporting under CEDAW.
Establish effective protection of women and girls against sexual and gender-based violence as a political weapon in conflicts.
Ratify and implement the Arms Trade Treaty.
- g) Women and Climate change
Commit to gender transformative policies and objectives, protecting and promoting women’s human rights in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 2015 Paris Agreement.
Recognize that climate change crisis has a negative impact on gender equality and women’s human rights, challenging implementation of BDPfA and threatening all development outcomes.
Include women in decision making, because women are on the front lines and often have a greater stake in leading climate change solutions.
