Minister for Women, Bogner-Strauß: gender equality is on the agenda of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union - Hoofdinhoud

Meeting of the High Level Group on Gender Mainstreaming i

“I am delighted to welcome the High Level Group on Gender Mainstreaming to Vienna during the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The High Level Group is an important information platform and a driving force in the efforts to realise gender equality in Europe,” said Federal Minister Juliane Bogner-Strauß at the meeting of the High Level Group on Gender Mainstreaming on 23 and 24 July in Vienna. The group is comprised of representatives of the EU member states responsible for gender equality and gender mainstreaming at national level. The European Commission is also represented and chairs the group.

“Alongside the European Commission’s political support and strategic engagement, learning from each other and sharing good examples also play a key role in successful gender equality policies. This is actively promoted by a regular exchange of best practices in the field of gender equality between the member states, which provides the impetus for debates and the sharing of experiences between government representatives, independent experts and other stakeholders,” the Minister for Women, Families and Youth said at the opening session of the meeting.

The High Level Group on Gender Mainstreaming is dedicated to key issues relating to gender equality, such as income disparities between women and men in EU member states and policies to prevent violence towards women. It also deals with future-oriented issues, such as digitalisation and its gender impact. The High Level Group is in a constant dialogue with the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) i, which supports the member states in their efforts in matters of gender equality. The group meets twice a year, at the beginning of each new presidency of the Council of the European Union. Its aim is to support the Council presidency in identifying relevant political areas and issues to be addressed in the meetings of the European Council.

“The High Level Group is of vital importance for the EU’s gender equality agenda. It plays a key role in the design, planning and implementation of the Trio Presidency programme for gender equality,” said Bogner-Strauß. The Minister for Women also made reference to the informal meeting of Gender Equality Ministers from the EU member states, which is due to take place on 12 October, the agenda for which is being drawn up by the Austrian Presidency of the Council. The informal meeting of ministers is linked to the “Gender Equality and YOU” conference, which will be held in the Austria Center Vienna on 11 and 12 October 2018.

Official photos of this event will be published on the official Flickr channel.