EESC declaration at the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations Commission on the status of women : a gender lens on poverty

Working towards a more equal Europe and a more equal world is a founding principle of our Union, but it is also one of the main ambitions of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), as the house of organised civil society. The EU has made a lot of progress towards gender equality, but there is still a long way to go. We are committed to helping pave that way, and to work towards global gender equality. Our commitment is also demonstrated by our first ever participation in 2024 in the annual meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW68) . As an official advisory body representing Europe's organized civil society, the EESC will actively engage in the UN CSW to advocate for policies that contribute to advancing gender equality, including regarding actions to reduce poverty among women and girls and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective, in line with the EU's priorities. Under the theme of "Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective", we will present the innovative input our Committee has developed to empower women and young girls, and to address the economic and social inequalities they struggle with still today. To that purpose, the EESC has encapsuled the years-long work on opinions, resolutions and action plans into ten action points. These actions reflect our multifaceted approach to advancing gender equality, tackling poverty, and fortifying institutions, all underpinned by a resolute dedication to fostering a gender perspective in financial frameworks. They represent European civil society's collective path towards that goal and the EESC is fully committed to this endeavour.