Gender takes center stage in Luxembourg’s Chairship of International IDEA

Luxembourg has selected gender and democracy as a thematic priority during its Chairship of International IDEA’s Council of Member States in 2024. Building on the Institute’s longstanding work on Gender and Inclusion and aligned with International IDEA’s Institutional Strategy, the focus on gender will also examine the links between gender and emerging themes including Climate Change and Democracy as well as Digitalization and Democracy. 

The unwavering commitment to gender equality is rooted in Luxembourg’s foreign policy. By fervently championing this cause and actively promoting increased representation and participation at every level of society, Luxembourg paves the way for a future characterized not only by increased inclusivity but also by a profound commitment to equity. Recognizing that gender equality is pivotal for the sustainability of democracies, Luxembourg's foreign policy underscores the importance of fostering diversity and inclusivity as an integral element in building resilient and democratic societies.

Throughout the year, Luxembourg will collaborate closely with International IDEA as well as Norway and Uruguay as the Vice Chairs of the Institute to hold a set of dedicated events and activities that emphasize the focus on gender. These events will both highlight topical gender issues and facilitate dialogue between a broad range of stakeholders about the challenges, lessons learned and best practices when it comes to promoting gender equality across democratic institutions and practices.

The activity-packed Chairship year of Luxembourg kicked off on 5 March with an event titled “Unpacking Democracy: Intersectionality of Gender and Violence Against Political Actors” where Ms Anne Goedert, Ambassador-at-large for Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg, delivered welcoming remarks. She stressed that equality and specifically gender equality are not just buzzwords, but fundamental pillars of democracy. 

Leveraging Luxembourg’s network of diplomatic missions, opportunities for collaboration have emerged globally. In New York, the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg to the UN is co-hosting an event on women’s political participation and empowerment in post-coup Myanmar together with International IDEA and the Myanmar Women Parliamentarians Network in the margins of the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. In Geneva, the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg and International IDEA are hosting a briefing on Myanmar’s post-coup human rights protection situation.

Looking beyond March, Luxembourg is also committed to leading Democracy Exchanges for Member States, which will consist of a series of conversations about gender and democracy. As part of this exchange, three interdisciplinary events focusing on accelerating progress on SDG 5 Target 5.5, gender, digitalization, and democracy, as well as gender, climate change and democracy will be organized. These events will provide a platform for discussions and exchange of experiences among experts from Gender Units and other relevant stakeholders in International IDEA’s Member States. International IDEA looks forward to supporting Luxembourg in the organization of the series.