Why are gender equality action plans important for parliaments?

A gender equality action plan demonstrates the parliament’s dedication to gender equality and gender mainstreaming. It signals to members, stakeholders, citizens, and other institutions that the parliament is a role model for promoting gender equality and is committed to fairness and social justice.

  • Gender equality action plans help parliaments to better deliver on national gender equality commitments.

In some EU Member States, parliaments, among other public and private institutions and companies, are required by national laws to develop gender equality action plans for their parliamentary administration.

Examples of national requirements for establishing a gender equality action plan

In Austria, the National Council (lower house of the Austrian Parliament) and other public institutions are required by the Federal Equal Treatment Act to establish continuous plans for the advancement of women[1]. In 2009, the National Council adopted a 6-year plan for the Parliamentary Directorate (the administrative body of the parliament that oversees the facilitation of parliamentary events and operations)[2]. Replacement plans have since been adopted in 2014 (covering 2015–2020)[3] and 2021 (2021–2026)[4] aiming to ensure equal opportunities for women and men employed by the Parliamentary Directorate.

In Spain, Article 64 of Organic Law 3/2007 requires that the central government and its subordinate bodies establish equality plans[5]. In 2020, the National Parliament of Spain adopted its gender equality plan (2020–2024), which aims to improve gender equality among staff of the parliamentary administration[6].

  • As gender mainstreaming tools, gender equality action plans are embedded within the EU’s commitment to gender equality and gender mainstreaming.

This commitment is reaffirmed in several EU treaties, in the gender mainstreaming resolutions of the European Parliament[7], and the EU’s Gender Equality Strategy (2020–2025)[8], which includes a goal to achieve gender balance in decision-making and politics[9].

The European Parliament’s gender mainstreaming resolutions and gender equality action plan

Since 1997, the European Parliament has adopted seven resolutions on gender mainstreaming that describe the commitments of the European Parliament to integrate a gender perspective into all areas and activities of the institution[10] and to develop the necessary support structures to facilitate gender mainstreaming (i.e. a High-level Group on Gender Equality and Diversity, and a Gender Mainstreaming Network (GMN)[11]. As part of its commitment to gender equality and gender mainstreaming, in 2020 the European Parliament adopted a gender action plan[12]. In 2021, the European Parliament adopted a roadmap for the implementation of the gender action plan, covering 2021–2022[13]. The Parliament’s gender action plan and roadmap for the first time cover both the administrative and ‘political side’ of Parliament[14]. The roadmap includes measures to increase the representation of women in management positions, to increase the use of gender mainstreaming tools (gender budgeting and impact assessments) and to ensure gender balance in committees and delegations. The plan also fosters cooperation between the Parliament’s political bodies responsible for gender mainstreaming[15].

  • Gender equality action plans can also satisfy international commitments to advance gender equality and achieve gender-sensitive parliaments.

These include the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women[16], the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action[17], and the UN’s sustainable development goals[18].

International commitments for gender-balanced representation in political decision-making and achieving gender-sensitive parliaments

In 2003, the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers adopted a recommendation on balanced participation of women and men in political and public decision-making. It urges governments of Member States to commit themselves to: promoting gender-balanced representation; protecting and promoting the equal political rights of women and men; promoting measures to support women’s will to participate in political decision-making; and monitoring and evaluating progress in achieving balanced participation of women and men in political and public life[19]. The Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly and Congress of Local and Regional Authorities have also adopted several recommendations and resolutions urging Member States to promote women’s participation in political life[20].

In 2012, the 127th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) unanimously adopted a plan of action for gender-sensitive parliaments[21]. In 2022, Member Parliaments of the IPU adopted the Kigali Declaration ‘Gender equality and gender-sensitive parliaments as drivers of change for a more resilient and peaceful world’ at the 145th IPU Assembly[22]. Parliaments that endorsed the Kigali Declaration committed to five key measures which focus on: 

  • achieving parity in political decision-making; 
  • ensuring parliamentary law-making, law-enforcement, and budgeting are gender-responsive; 
  • putting vulnerable populations at the centre of their parliamentary functions of legislation, oversight, resource allocation and representation; 
  • ending gender-discrimination, violence and other harmful practices; and 
  • advancing equality in caring responsibilities among men and women.