Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Commend Luxembourg for Eliminating the Gender Pay Gap, Ask about Pension Payments for Women and Penalties for Traffickers
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the eighth periodic report of Luxembourg, with Committee Experts congratulating the State on eliminating the gender pay gap, and raising questions about pension payments for women and penalties for human traffickers.
Ana Peláez Narváez, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Luxembourg, congratulated Luxembourg on becoming the first country in the European Union to have eliminated the pay gap between men and women. One Expert said Luxembourg’s wage gap was the lowest in the world.
One Expert called for further efforts to achieve wage equality for women in part-time work and in the informal sector. Almost one-third of women worked part time; this affected the pension gap. How was the State party working to address this gap?
A Committee Expert said the State party’s sentences for trafficking were often lenient and judges rarely took away traffickers’ profits. How would the State party ensure that penalties for trafficking reflected the gravity of the crime? The Expert said the State party had not identified child trafficking victims for three years. Would the State party include civil society in efforts to identify child victims?
Introducing the report, Yuriko Backes, Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, Defence, Mobility and Public Transport of Luxembourg, said the Luxembourg Government remained determined to stand up for women’s and girls’ rights, safety, freedom and access to equal opportunities. The Committee could count on Luxembourg’s determination and support.
On wage equality, Marc Bichler, Permanent Representative of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said Luxembourg was the only country in the European Union to have eliminated wage inequality, but there was still a pay gap in favour of men for annual wages. More efforts were needed to address this economic inequality, particularly regarding the high proportion of part-time work among women. The role of equality officers in private companies with more than 15 employees was particularly important.
The delegation added that the gender pension gap was large; to address this, a major reform of the pension system was underway.
On trafficking, the delegation said that training had been provided to State officials and non-governmental organizations to improve the identification of and support for trafficking victims. Victims were officially identified by a specialised unit of the police, but non-governmental organizations could help identify victims.
In concluding remarks, Mr. Bichler said the dialogue had been a valuable exercise that helped the State party to make progress in implementing the Convention and upholding the rights of women and girls. There were pushbacks against women and girls’ rights globally, but Luxembourg was resolute in defending these rights.
In her concluding remarks, Corinne Dettmeijer-Vermeulen, Committee Vice-Chair and acting Chair of the meeting, said that the dialogue with Luxembourg had provided further insight into the situation of women in the State party. The Committee commended the State party for its efforts and called on it to implement the Committee’s recommendations for the benefit of all women and girls of Luxembourg.
The delegation of Luxembourg consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity; Chamber of Deputies; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees; Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade; Ministry of Education, Children and Youth; Ministry of Internal Affairs; and the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Luxembourg at the end of its ninetieth session on 21 February. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.
The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m. on Monday, 10 February to hold an informal meeting with representatives from non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions from Belize, Congo, Sri Lanka and Liechtenstein, whose reports will be considered by the Committee next week.
Report
The Committee has before it the eighth periodic report of Luxembourg (CEDAW/C/LUX/8).
Presentation of Report
YURIKO BACKES, Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, Defence, Mobility and Public Transport of Luxembourg, said women’s rights, gender equality and diversity were essential to the wellbeing and healthy functioning of society. Ms. Backes said she tried very hard to make sure that both gender and diversity aspects were considered throughout her Government portfolios. She was the first woman to hold the positions of Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance in Luxembourg. This demonstrated that there was work ahead when it came to shaping a world where equality was a reality on all levels.
Women and girls were differently and disproportionally affected by climate disasters, armed conflicts and pandemics. The only way to sustainably change this was to opt for gender-responsive policymaking across all fields. The empowerment of women and girls and Sustainable Development Goal five needed to be front and centre across all areas of action. The Luxembourg Government remained determined to stand up for women’s and girls’ rights, safety, freedom and access to equal opportunities. The Committee could count on Luxembourg’s determination and support.
MARC BICHLER, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said Luxembourg had had a Ministry in charge of equality issues for 30 years. It had adapted over time, expanding its mandate to address lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons and diversity. The 2023-2028 coalition agreement maintained the promotion of equality between women and men as a cross-cutting priority of the Government's political action. This work would be guided in the coming years by the national action plan for equality between women and men.
Luxembourg was currently placed seventh in the European Union in the Gender Equality Index. The proportion of women on the management boards of public institutions was 38.64 per cent, an increase of more than 10 points since 2015. The rate of women representing the State on these boards stood at 43.61 per cent in 2024, exceeding the initial target of 40 per cent. The private sector had only 23 per cent women on the boards of large companies, but the trend was upward and indicated improvements to come. The Government remained firmly committed to continuing its efforts to promote balanced representation. It was also working with civil society to include men as actors and beneficiaries of equality policies.
Luxembourg was the only country in the European Union to have eliminated wage inequality, but there was still a pay gap in favour of men for annual wages. More efforts were needed to address this economic inequality, particularly regarding the high proportion of part-time work among women. The role of equality officers in private companies with more than 15 employees was particularly important.
The fight against domestic violence and gender-based violence remained priorities of the Luxembourg Government. Despite political and legislative progress, this was a daily reality in Luxembourg, affecting women and girls, as well as men and boys in all their diversity. The total number of victims had increased significantly over the years, from 2,882 in 2015 to 4,793 in 2023. Women accounted for an average of 71 per cent of victims each year. In 2023, their number reached 3,218, which represented an increase of more than six per cent compared to 2022. Luxembourg adopted a strategy in November 2021 to improve the protection against domestic violence and to strengthen the national machinery. It had created an integrated national centre for victims of all forms of violence, which would facilitate their holistic care, bringing together legal aid, medical aid and psychological assistance. The centre would open in April and would provide assistance to victims 24/7.
Luxembourg was in the process of developing a national action plan on gender-based violence, which would support more comprehensive care to victims of different forms of gender-based violence. It was, in collaboration with civil society, convening several awareness raising campaigns on this topic, including the annual “Orange Week” event, which brought together many actors to stand in solidarity with women and girls who were victims of violence. A specific system had also been set up to provide consultations and therapeutic care to perpetrators to break the cycle of violence. Since ratifying the Istanbul Convention, Luxembourg had been firmly committed to monitoring its implementation in a cross-cutting manner.
A new Grand-Ducal regulation of 2023 strengthened the role of the “Prostitution Commission” to monitor prostitution and to combat pimping and trafficking in human beings. The inclusion of State experts as well as civil society would allow the commission to carry out timely and comprehensive follow-up. Luxembourg had approved a bill on the prohibition of virginity examinations and certificates, the ban on hymenoplasty, and the abolition of the reflection period for the voluntary termination of pregnancy. In addition, in 2023, an adaptation to the Penal Code introduced a new definition of rape based on the notion of consent. The State was currently finalising its second action plan on women, peace and security.
Luxembourg aimed to uphold a modern and egalitarian society in which every citizen could find their place, regardless of their gender.
MANDY MINELLA, Deputy Head of the Committee Department, Chamber of Deputies of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, said the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg was a crucial actor in combatting discrimination against women. The Chamber supported Orange Week, lighting its buildings in orange during the week. Meetings on gender equality were held regularly. A working group on gender equality had been set up to develop a strategy for promoting gender equality within the Chamber. The status of members of parliament had been reformed to recognise the status of pregnant members. The Chamber needed to represent and respect the rights and opinions of all and meet the expectations of its people.
LAURA CAROCHA, Human and Social Sciences Expert, Consultative Commission of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg on Human Rights, welcomed the efforts made by the Luxembourg State to combat discrimination against women since the last report, while noting persistent shortcomings, including a social system that kept women in a subordinate position to men. Luxembourg’s policy favoured a “neutral” approach that was not gender sensitive. Ms. Carocha urged politicians to openly acknowledge this systemic patriarchal domination and to make the deconstruction of this mechanism a priority.
It was imperative that the Government implemented the principle of gender mainstreaming in a cross-cutting manner in all its policies. Luxembourg's equality efforts lacked an intersectional approach and the Government rarely addressed multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. To implement such an intersectional approach, it was essential to have detailed data, disaggregated by gender, age, ethnicity, disability and education level. This would allow the State to identify shortcomings in policies and better understand and target the needs of women.
Questions by a Committee Expert
ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Luxembourg, said that Luxembourg ranked twentieth in the Human Development Index and was the first country in the European Union to have eliminated the pay gap between men and women. The State party had ratified the Istanbul Convention and the International Labour Organization Convention on forced labour, and introduced legislation to combat multiple forms of discrimination over the reporting period. However, the revised Constitution of 2021 drew a distinction between Luxembourg nationals and non-nationals and lacked protections against forced labour and trafficking. How did the State party justify the amendments to the Constitution? Would the State party eliminate the distinction between Luxembourg nationals and non-nationals?
Luxembourg had adopted a law creating the position of a family judge, an act on the provision of legal aid, and an act amending the Criminal Code to strengthen the response to sexual abuse of minors. The Committee was concerned about the barriers inhibiting access to justice for women. What measures were in place to overcome these barriers? Why had the Centre for Legal Treatment not been given the power to initiate legal proceedings on behalf of victims?
The Committee commended the State party’s national action plan on business and human rights. However, funds deposited in certain banks in Luxembourg may have come from the exploitation of human beings overseas, particularly women. What rules were imposed on companies domiciled in the State party? How did the State party address extraterritorial violations?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Luxembourg adopted a neutral approach in its legislation on discrimination. The State believed that women’s rights were human rights. The neutral approach was grounded on the principle of gender equality.
Each person in Luxembourg who was subject to criminal proceedings benefited from procedural guarantees, regardless of their residence status or nationality. These guarantees covered access to a lawyer, the presumption of innocence and, to an extent, legal aid.
Civil suits could be filed in Luxembourg by victims of discrimination by private enterprises. Luxembourg was transposing European Union guidelines on its supply chains, promoting due diligence for companies and organising public events related to business and human rights. Since 2017, Luxembourg had been working to implement and align with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, conducting consultations with private entities and civil society. Companies in the banking and insurance sector had provided positive feedback regarding the implementation of the Guiding Principles. The financial sector was aware of its obligations. The State was working to address its extraterritorial obligations to provide remedies to the victims of human rights violations occurring overseas.
The revised Constitution stated that people in Luxembourg were equal before the law. Non-Luxembourg nationals could not vote in legislative elections but could vote in municipal elections.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert commended Luxembourg’s commitment to gender equality, human rights, and to dismantling stereotypes. The State party had demonstrated its commitment to the women, peace and security agenda through its women, peace and security national action plan. What was the status of the second iteration of the plan? Was feminism still a part of foreign policy?
Various sources had criticised the Ministry of Gender and Equality’s neutral approach. The Committee hoped that its policies would address structural gender inequalities. There were concerns regarding the depth of the analysis of the Observatory for Gender Equality. What measures were in place to increase the depth of its analysis?
ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Luxembourg, said that the State party had established voluntary quotas in some areas, including minimum quotas of 40 per cent representation of one sex on political bodies and 30 per cent representation on the boards of State agencies. There were concerns that these measures were gender-neutral and not mandatory, and that they did not encourage the representation of vulnerable groups of women. What efforts were being taken by the State party to improve its temporary special measures and to make its quotas mandatory?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the State party was striving to eliminate gender equality with ad-hoc programmes targeted at underrepresented genders. There were programmes targeting violence against women and preparing women to defend themselves. The legal framework was neutral but the actions taken by the Government were not.
Luxembourg would work proactively on gender mainstreaming in the field of defence. The second iteration of the women, peace and security national action plan would be adopted this year in March. It would promote the role of women in peace and security initiatives.
If political parties did not meet the 40 per cent representation quota for each sex, their funding was reduced. The State party was raising the awareness of political parties and candidates on the importance of equality. A database with profiles of women who wished to become board members of associations would soon be launched to promote women’s representation.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert congratulated the State party on its plan to launch the second iteration of the women, peace and security initiative this March. No non-governmental organizations from Luxembourg had interacted with the Committee during this review process. How would the State party encourage civil society to provide alternative reports in future sessions?
Another Committee Expert said that gender stereotypes in the media had not been sufficiently addressed, and women accounted for only around one fourth of all media workers. How was the Government addressing these issues? How was the State party conducting gender impact assessments, as recommended by the Committee in 2018? How did legislation and policies address sterilisation and irreversible medical procedures against intersex children? Had the State party considered broadening the statute of limitations for rape, which was limited to 10 years? Did the State party plan to establish psychological violence as a stand-alone crime? Training on gender-based violence was not provided to judges. How would the State party improve data collection on court cases involving gender-based violence? Why had retrospective analysis of femicides not been conducted?
One Committee Expert said that the State party’s definition of trafficking in persons did not align with international standards. Would it amend this legislation? Sentences were often lenient and judges rarely took away traffickers’ profits or granted remedies to victims. How would the State party ensure that penalties for trafficking reflected the gravity of the crime and ensure that victims received adequate compensation? What was the timeline for implementation of the national action plan on trafficking in persons? How would the plan integrate gender-specific aspects of trafficking? The State party had not identified child trafficking victims for three years. Would the State party include civil society into efforts to identify child victims, and prevent the inappropriate penalisation of trafficking victims? The Committee welcomed the State party’s policies addressing prostitution. Were there plans to decriminalise prostitution?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said that the State party valued permanent collaboration with civil society. The Ministry of Equality paid 80 per cent of its budget to civil society to promote the rights of vulnerable groups, particularly women. Luxembourg hosted around 100 non-governmental organizations, despite its small population of 600,000, and these groups had contributed to various Government policies. Non-governmental organizations did not always have the resources needed to travel overseas to participate in dialogues with the Committee.
An internal assessment of the first women, peace and security national action plan had been conducted and lessons learned would be included in the second plan. The second plan would place greater emphasis on cooperation with civil society.
The Government was engaging in dialogue with the media sector to improve the representation of women. The Advertising Ethics Commission received complaints related to discrimination and sexism. Awareness raising campaigns were being carried out on sexism, discrimination and violence in the media. A working group on hate speech had been set up that cooperated with the police force and associations working with perpetrators. The digital service act strived to combat illicit content and encouraged platforms to delete such content swiftly.
The law on femicide was revised in 2023. There had yet to be any rulings handed down based on this legislation. There were plans to collect statistics on femicide. The national action plan on gender-based violence was based on the Istanbul Convention and had been developed to strengthen protections and services for victims, as well as training on gender-based violence. The State party would address psychological violence in the national action plan on all forms of gender-based violence and would consider establishing a law on this form of violence.
The Government was working to protect the gender identity of intersex persons and was following Council of Europe regulations on the prevention of irreversible medical procedures against intersex persons.
In Luxembourg, it was enough to prove that a person had the potential of exploiting an individual to hold them criminally liable for trafficking. Training had been provided to State officials and non-governmental organizations to improve the identification of and support for trafficking victims. Victims were officially identified by a specialised unit of the police, but non-governmental organizations and the labour inspectorate could help identify victims. Street walks were carried out to identify victims of trafficking and provide support to women in prostitution. Sex workers were not criminalised; clients were criminalised if they knew that the sex worker was a minor or a victim of trafficking.
Questions by Committee Experts
Another Committee Expert commended the efforts Luxembourg had made to promote gender equality, including its quota of 40 per cent representation in political bodies. Despite high representation at the national level, women’s representation in municipal governments was around 20 per cent. What measures were in place to bridge the gender gap in municipalities? The 2022 law aiming to enhance the participation of foreign nationals in elections was note-worthy. How did the State party ensure that foreigners were meaningfully included in public life? Were there targeted initiatives encouraging women to pursue careers in Luxembourg’s foreign service? Women only made up around 12 per cent of Luxembourg’s military. What measures were in place to increase their representation in security and military sectors? Women also accounted for just 23 per cent of board members of private companies. Were there plans to extend quotas to private sector boards?
One Committee Expert commended the State’s progress in advancing the rights of women and girls in education. Primary and secondary education was free for all children in Luxembourg, and compulsory education had recently been extended to 18 years. Could the State party provide disaggregated data on women working in science, technology, engineering and maths fields? How was the State party encouraging study in these subjects? The Committee welcomed that the State party had endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration. How was the State party supporting the international community in the effective implementation of the Declaration? What measures were in place to support vulnerable women in education? How was the State preventing online violence, ensuring the responsible use of digital technology, and working to close the digital gender gap?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said underrepresentation of women in decision making fora was a key challenge for the Government. Funding was reduced for political parties that did not uphold quotas. Individuals could nominate themselves to political positions in smaller municipalities; this led to greater gender imbalances. The State party aimed to achieve gender parity in Government, and better representation of women and wage equality in the private sector, and recruitment campaigns for the armed forces targeted at women. The diplomatic corps was made up of around 150 agents, 76 per cent of whom were men. In recent years, the number of female diplomats had increased and this trend was likely to continue.
The State had a service providing training for children on cyberbullying. When it identified sexual harassment material online, it referred the material to legal services. Raising awareness about online risks was a priority for the Government.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert commended the State party for eliminating the pay gap between men and women. Luxembourg’s wage gap was the lowest in the world. The Committee called for further efforts to achieve wage equality for women in part-time work and in the informal sector. Almost one-third of women worked part time; this affected the pension gap. How was the State party working to address this gap? The Committee was concerned that the act on persons with disabilities excluded persons with disabilities who did not meet requirements for support to access the labour market. Had Luxembourg criminalised workplace sexual harassment and adopted measures to implement appropriate sanctions? Would it ratify International Labour Organization Convention 190?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Luxembourg considered sexual harassment to be a serious form of violence. It would be addressed in the national action plan against gender-based violence. Victims of gender-based violence and discrimination in the workplace could seek support from a specialised service within the labour inspectorate. Measures were in place to support single parents, who were prioritised in the provision of affordable housing. The gender pension gap was large; to address this, a major reform of the pension system was underway.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert said Luxembourg had an admirable universal healthcare system. To access free services, individuals needed to prove their identity and that they had lived in Luxembourg for at least three months. How many applications were objected to and on what grounds? The Expert welcomed the national programme for the promotion of sexual and reproductive health. What progress had been made in strengthening this programme? The Committee welcomed the national action plan on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, but was concerned that involuntary surgeries continued to be imposed on intersex persons. When would the State party abolish this practice?
The high rate of tobacco use among women was a major issue in the State party, leading to various health complications. What public health measures had been taken to discourage smoking, especially for women?
One Committee Expert commended the State party’s financial support for women and support for women investors. What measures were in place to educate self-employed women on the pension regime? Were there digital tools that facilitated women’s integration in pension programmes? More than one in seven workers in Luxembourg was at risk of poverty. How was the State party addressing this? Were there measures to help unemployed women to access benefits and training? Did the State party have regulations on safeguarding women’s rights in investments? How did the State party ensure adequate reparation for human rights violations by companies? What steps had been taken to promote women-owned businesses? What strategies were planned to boost women’s access to financial services, bonds and loans? What percentage of businesses were owned by women? How was the State party helping women and girls to strengthen their digital competencies, collecting disaggregated data on access to loans and credit, and providing financial support services that reached women who lacked digital skills?
The State party was commended for promoting women’s participation in sports entrepreneurship. What measures were in place to prevent gender stereotypes in sport?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said all individuals in Luxembourg had access to the universal health coverage system. The Government worked to streamline gender in all healthcare policies. It was raising awareness amongst healthcare practitioners regarding differences in treatment between men and women.
The national action plan on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons would address the issue of involuntary sterilisations. The State party would assess legal provisions that addressed this issue in other countries. A national action plan to prevent smoking that considered the specific needs of women was being drafted.
Sport was an area in which there was inequality between men and women in terms of renumeration and presence in the media. The Government was drafting a national strategy on equality in sport. Violence against women in sport was being addressed by the National Centre for Victims of Violence.
A gender finance taskforce had been set up to support women to access the finance sector and loans. Schools were educating girls on the financial sector. The Ministry of the Family funded a project that supported women’s incorporation into business networks and entrepreneurship support programmes.
Luxembourg had around 20 observatories collecting disaggregated data on various topics. The Government was stressing the importance of collecting data disaggregated by sex. A digital gateway had been setup that promoted women’s and girls’ digital skills. An annual day of digital inclusion was also held to promote the inclusion of women and girls in the digital sphere.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert thanked the State party for its legal advocacy on behalf of Afghan women. Luxembourg was Europe’s first financial centre. Several businesses in Luxembourg continued to make investments in the fossil fuel industry. Would the State party adopt stricter environmental regulations for businesses? The State party had thus far contributed eight million euros to the Loss and Damage Fund. Investments needed to be made with a human rights approach, including investments in green bonds. The State party needed to contribute more to the Loss and Damage Fund in a way that addressed the needs of women.
Women in solitary confinement had meagre access to education and work, despite legislation enshrining the rights of such women to State services. How would the State party address this?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the financial sector was one of the biggest contributors to Luxembourg’s gross national income. It was one of the first sectors to implement the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The Government had called on the Union of Luxembourg Businesses, which included businesses from the financial sector, to implement the Guiding Principles. The European Union had adopted a directive on business and human rights that Luxembourg was transposing into law. Employers in the financial sector were aware of regulations related to women’s rights and sanctions that were implemented when those regulations were not respected.
The Government was committed to supporting climate action in developing countries; it had pledged 120 million euros toward this at a recent Conference of the Parties. Funds dedicated to climate action included a gender perspective. In 2016, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange decided to open a “green exchange”, which applied stringent criteria for green investment. This exchange today had over one trillion United States dollars’ worth of sustainable climate assets. Many sustainable assets addressed the protection of women’s rights. The Stock Exchange had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with United Nations Women in 2022 to advance projects and investments that promoted women’s empowerment.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked how many women had requested the grant provided to women divorcees. Had the State party conducted studies into the effectiveness of shared custody agreements? Same-sex couples experienced barriers to accessing adoption services. How was the State party addressing this? The practice of surrogacy was not sufficiently regulated. How did the State party protect surrogate mothers and children? How did the State party support such children to investigate their origins?
The legal distinction between “legitimate” and “natural” children created discrimination. Were there plans to remove this distinction?
ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Luxembourg, asked how many children of Luxembourg lived in institutions and foster families in the State and abroad.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said a draft bill on adoption was currently being assessed. It addressed adoptions by cohabiting couples and investigations into the lineage of children who were abandoned by their parents. There were around 1,000 children and adolescents of Luxembourg in institutions and foster families, including 76 children and adolescents who had been placed in institutions abroad. The distinction between legitimate and natural children still existed in legislation but in reality, there was little difference between these. The draft bill on the right to lineage removed the distinction. Assessments of this bill were still underway.
Concluding Remarks
MARC BICHLER, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for the interactive dialogue. This had been a valuable exercise that helped the State party to make progress in implementing the Convention and upholding the rights of women and girls. There were pushbacks against women and girls’ rights globally, but Luxembourg was resolute in defending these rights. The State party would continue to work to implement the Convention.
MARYSE FISCH, First Government Counsellor, Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, thanked the Committee for its advice, which helped the State party to improve. Luxembourg highly valued the Convention, which was mentioned in the coalition agreement and the national action plan on equality.
MANDY MINELLA, Deputy Head of the Committee Department, Chamber of Deputies of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, said the Chamber of Deputies was committed to equality and would conduct a gender audit and develop a strategy to promote gender equality, inclusive language, and gender mainstreaming. The Chamber was discussing issues, including childcare and provisions for breastfeeding women. There were plans to overhaul the Chamber’s regulations with a gender perspective. The Committee’s recommendations would be carefully reviewed in the Chamber.
CORINNE DETTMEIJER-VERMEULEN, Committee Vice-Chair and acting Chair of the meeting, said that the dialogue with Luxembourg had provided further insight into the situation of women in the State party. The Committee commended the State party for its efforts and called on it to implement the Committee’s recommendations for the benefit of all women and girls of Luxembourg.
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