Example - Area 4

Area 4: The parliament produces gender-sensitive LEGISLATION

Domain 1: The general legal framework for gender equality in the country

Measures that can be adopted in this domain

Initiate parliamentary proceedings to:

  • enact laws enhancing gender equality in the country. For example,, to ratify the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention);
  • assess the need for review and update of existing gender equality laws.

Organise meetings with women members of regional/local parliaments to discuss the implementation of regional/local policies and plans on gender equality.

Relevant groups that can lead these measures

The permanent gender equality office (in the administration) can work alongside women’s caucuses to organise meetings with women members of regional/local parliaments.

In Spain, the gender equality plan of the Parliament of Catalonia (2020–2023) includes a measure to update the regional, Catalan law (Law 5/2008, dated 24 April 2008, on the right of women to eradicate violence against women) and to review this law at least once every 10 years, following the guidance of the Istanbul Convention[1].

Domain 2: Gender mainstreaming in legislation

Measures that can be adopted in this domain
  1. Enact laws or adopt rules that require the use of ex ante gender impact assessments for all legislative initiatives (with sanctions for non-compliance).
  2. Provide MPs and their staff access to dedicated tools/guidelines to conduct gender analysis, gender budgeting and gender impact assessments.
  3. Ensure the use of sex-disaggregated data and gender statistics in data collection and conducted studies.
  4. Ensure that gender-equality-relevant stakeholders are considered in stakeholders’ consultation processes and parliamentary research. This includes women members of relevant stakeholder groups, such as trade unions.
  5. Regularly monitor and report on the use of gender mainstreaming methods and tools.
Relevant groups that can lead these measures
  • The parliamentary bureau can facilitate the development and adoption of guidelines on the use of ex ante gender impact assessments for all legislative initiatives.
  • The gender equality office can work alongside external gender experts to develop tools and guidelines on gender analysis, gender budgeting and gender impact assessments.

In the European Parliament, the action plan on gender mainstreaming of the Committee on Petitions (PETI Committee) aims to provide members and parliamentary staff with tools to integrate a gender perspective into the Committee’s opinions and resolutions, in addition to its reports and studies[2]. This includes producing and disseminating written materials that include information related to gender in the policy areas relevant to Committee work.

Domain 3: Oversight of gender equality

Measures that can be adopted in this domain
  1. Ensure that the gender equality committee can oversee gender equality in government action.
  2. Regularly monitor implementation of and compliance with international conventions/agreements (CEDAW, Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Istanbul Convention, UN sustainable development goals, etc.)
  3. Regularly monitor national gender equality laws and issue recommendations for the enactment of gender equality laws.
  4. Hold consultations with stakeholders to support the parliament’s oversight of gender equality.
  5. Host annual forums to discuss the state of gender equality in the country in collaboration with government bodies (e.g. the Ministry of Equality) and relevant CSOs.
  6. Support government bodies (e.g. by creating guidance materials) to develop systems to regularly reporting on their work to promote gender equality to the parliament (i.e. on an annual basis).
Relevant groups that can lead these measures
  • The parliamentary bureau can establish a gender equality committee (if one does not already exist).
  • The gender equality committee can work with the research services of the parliamentary administration to monitor gender equality laws and international conventions/agreements on gender equality.
  • The permanent gender equality office (in the administration), women’s caucuses and CSOs can support the gender equality committee to hold consultations with stakeholders to support gender equality oversight and hold annual forums to discuss the state of gender equality in the country.

In the European Parliament, the Budgetary Control Committee’s (CONT Committee) action plan on gender mainstreaming intends to integrate gender mainstreaming into the committee’s oversight function. It describes measures to include an assessment of gender impact in committee draft publications and provide gender budget assessments in all mission reports[3].