Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of Lithuania *

1.The Committee considered the seventh periodic report of Lithuania (CEDAW/C/LTU/7) at its 2184th and 2185th meetings (see CEDAW/C/SR.2184 and CEDAW/C/SR.2185), held on 5 February 2026. The list of issues and questions raised by the pre-sessional working group is contained in CEDAW/C/LTU/Q/7, and the responses of Lithuania are contained in CEDAW/C/LTU/RQ/7.

A.Introduction

2.The Committee appreciates the submission by the State Party of its seventh periodic report. It also appreciates the State Party’s written replies to the list of issues and questions raised by the pre-sessional working group. It welcomes the oral presentation by the delegation and the further clarifications provided in response to the questions posed orally by the Committee during the dialogue.

3.The Committee commends the State Party on its distinguished delegation, which was headed by the Vice-Minister of Social Security and Labour, Rita Grigalienė, and included the Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Seimas and representatives of the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the National Courts Administration, the Department of National Minorities, the State Data Agency, the Police Department, the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, the Reception and Integration Agency, the State Border Guard Service and the Permanent Mission of Lithuania to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva.

B.Positive aspects

* Adopted by the Committee at its ninety-second session (2–20 February 2026).

4.The Committee welcomes the progress achieved since the consideration in 2019 of the State Party’s previous periodic report (CEDAW/C/LTU/6) in undertaking legislative reforms, in particular the adoption of the following:

(a)Amendments to the Equal Opportunities Act, introducing legal regulations regarding sexual harassment and the employer’s obligation to implement equal opportunities at work and in the civil service, in 2022;

(b)Amendments to the Labour Code, aimed at facilitating the reconciliation of work and family responsibilities and supporting the participation in the labour market of parents, individuals with health issues and those nursing or taking care of a family member or a person living with them, in 2022;

(c)Emergency Barring Order, in 2023;

(d)Revised Assistance for Victims of Domestic Violence Act, creating a national support framework through specialized comprehensive assistance centres, in 2023;

(e)Act No. XIV-123, mandating the State Social Insurance Fund Board (Sodra) to publish average wages by gender, in 2020.

5.The Committee welcomes the State Party’s efforts to improve its institutional and policy framework aimed at accelerating the elimination of discrimination against women and promoting gender equality, such as the adoption of the following:

(a)National action plans for the implementation of the women and peace and security agenda for 2020–2024 and 2025–2029;

(b)Action plan for equal opportunities for women and men for 2023–2025;

(c)Action plan for equal opportunities for 2024–2026;

(d)Action plan for the prevention of domestic violence and assistance to victims for 2024–2026;

(e)Action plan on combating trafficking in human beings for 2024–2026.

C.Sustainable Development Goals

6. The Committee welcomes the international support for the Sustainable Development Goals and calls for the realization of de jure (legal) and de facto (substantive) gender equality, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention, throughout the process of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Committee recalls the importance of Goal 5 and of mainstreaming the principles of equality and non-discrimination throughout all 17 Goals. It urges the State Party to recognize women as the driving force of the sustainable development of the State Party and to adopt relevant policies and strategies to that effect.

D.Parliament

7. The Committee stresses the crucial role of the legislative power in ensuring the full implementation of the Convention (see A/65/38 , part two, annex VI). It invites the Seimas (parliament), in line with its mandate, to take the necessary steps regarding the implementation of the present concluding observations between now and the submission of the next periodic report under the Convention.

E.Principal areas of concern and recommendations

Visibility of the Convention, the Optional Protocol thereto and the Committee’s general recommendations

8.The Committee welcomes the adoption of the action plan for 2021–2023 for the implementation of the concluding observations on the State Party’s sixth periodic report and notes the measures taken towards its implementation. However, the Committee is concerned that the action plan lacks specific, measurable indicators to effectively monitor the progress and assess its impact. The Committee further notes with concern:

(a)The limited collection of data on cases in which the Convention has been referred to by and/or directly invoked before national courts;

(b)The lack of awareness-raising activities targeting women and girls regarding their rights under the Convention and the remedies available to claim those rights;

(c)The inadequate integration of the Convention, the Optional Protocol thereto and the Committee’s general recommendations into training programmes for judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officials.

9. The Committee recommends that the State P arty:

(a) Adopt a new action plan for the implementation of the present concluding observations with clear, time-bound and measurable indicators and a robust coordination and monitoring framework;

(b) Introduce specific coding within the Lithuanian Courts Information System (LITEKO) to enable the systematic collection and publication of data on court cases in which the Convention has been referred to or directly invoked;

(c) Raise awareness among women and girls of their rights under the Convention, as well as of the legal remedies available to them to claim those rights, both domestically and under the Optional Protocol;

(d) Ensure that the Convention, the Committee’s jurisprudence under the Optional Protocol and its general recommendations are fully and systematically integrated into capacity-building programmes for judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officials, with a view to enabling them to directly apply or invoke the provisions of the Convention in judicial and administrative proceedings or to interpret national laws in conformity with the Convention.

Constitutional and legislative framework and definition of discrimination against women

10.The Committee notes the draft amendment to the Equal Opportunities Act, which introduces definitions of intersectional, associative and multifaceted discrimination to align with European Union standards. The Committee nevertheless reiterates its concern at persisting legislative gaps, in particular:

(a)The absence of laws specifically prohibiting intersecting forms of discrimination against women;

(b)The absence of laws prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of gender reassignment.

11. Recalling its previous concluding observations ( CEDAW/C/LTU/CO/6 , para. 11), the Committee recommends that the State Party amend its Constitution or legislative framework by explicitly prohibiting intersecting forms of discrimination. It also recommends that the State Party explicitly recognize discrimination against women on the basis of gender reassignment as gender-based discrimination.

Access to justice

12.The Committee notes the provision of training for judges, police officers and civil servants on women’s rights to strengthen women’s access to justice. However, the Committee remains concerned about persistent barriers to access to justice for women across sectors, especially for marginalized groups of women, in particular women and girls with disabilities and those under guardianship.

13. Recalling its general recommendation No. 33 (2015) on women’s access to justice, the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Conduct a comprehensive review of barriers to women’s access to justice with a view to removing such barriers;

(b)Amend the Civil Code to recognize the full legal capacity of persons with disabilities and strengthen supported decision-making mechanisms.

Data collection and analysis

14.The Committee acknowledges the efforts made by the State Party to strengthen its system of data collection and analysis, including the expansion of the indicators database in the official statistics portal in 2024. The Committee also notes that a new “Equal opportunities, equal opportunities for women and men” statistical survey and the forthcoming national equality data strategy are expected to provide more detailed disaggregated and intersectional indicators and data. However, the Committee remains concerned that the gender equality indicators currently available are limited in scope and do not adequately cover key areas under the Convention, and a systematic intersectional approach to data collection and analysis is still lacking.

15. The Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Expand the gender equality indicators available in the official statistics portal to ensure comprehensive coverage of all areas under the Convention, including unpaid care and domestic work, women’s access to justice and women’s economic participation;

(b) Adopt a systematic intersectional approach to data collection and analysis, ensuring that data are disaggregated by sex, age, disability, ethnicity, migration status and other relevant factors.

National machinery for the advancement of women

16.The Committee welcomes the State Party’s commitment to promoting gender equality, including its plan to adopt an action plan for equal opportunities for women and men for 2026–2028, and notes the measures taken to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson in the field of equal opportunities. However, the Committee notes with concern:

(a)The insufficient assessment of the impact of national action plans on gender equality, as monitoring is limited to annual reporting without measurable indicators and targets;

(b)The broad mandate of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, which might dilute its focus on and divert resources from gender equality and women’s rights;

(c)The limited implementation of gender mainstreaming across ministries and at the national, regional and local levels;

(d)The absence of comprehensive gender-based budgeting;

(e)The lack of sustainable funding for civil society organizations promoting women’s rights and gender equality, as financial support remains largely project-based.

17. The Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Strengthen the monitoring and evaluation framework for national action plans on gender equality by introducing clear, measurable and time-bound indicators, baselines and targets, and establish effective review mechanisms;

(b) Strengthen the women’s rights and gender equality mandate of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson and ensure the provision of adequate human, technical and financial resources;

(c) Enhance gender mainstreaming across all ministries and at the national, regional and local levels, including through accountability mechanisms and capacity-building for public officials;

(d) Adopt comprehensive gender-based budgeting strategies that provide for budgetary allocations for the implementation of policies, strategies and programmes on gender equality and the advancement of women across sectors;

(e) Establish sustainable and predictable funding mechanisms for civil society organizations promoting women’s rights and gender equality.

National human rights institution

18.The Committee notes the recommendations made by the Subcommittee on Accreditation of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions with regard to the Seimas Ombudsperson’s Office, in particular the recommendations on adequate funding, procedures for selection, appointment and dismissal, and the role of the Office in encouraging the ratification of international and regional human rights treaties. However, the Committee notes with concern the limited progress in implementing those recommendations. It is also concerned that the mandate of the Seimas Ombudsperson has not been extended to receive and consider complaints by women, as recommended by the Committee in its previous concluding observations.

19.Recalling its previous concluding observations (ibid., para. 17), the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Implement the recommendations of the Subcommittee on Accreditation of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions to ensure the effective and independent fulfilment of the mandate of the Seimas Ombudsperson, in full compliance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles);

(b) Extend the mandate of the Seimas Ombudsperson to receive and make authoritative findings and recommendations on complaints brought by women, including about violations in the private sphere.

Temporary special measures

20.The Committee commends the efforts made by the State Party to apply temporary special measures in economic life, including through the incorporation into national law of the Directive of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on improving the gender balance among directors of listed companies and related measures in 2024, whereby relevant provisions were extended beyond listed companies to include other large companies. The Committee notes the explanation by the State Party that temporary special measures have been included in draft amendments to the Equal Opportunities Act with a view to facilitating the use of such measures. However, the Committee is concerned about the reluctance of the State Party to introduce temporary special measures, including parity quotas, to accelerate the achievement of substantive equality of women and men in political life, despite the persistent underrepresentation of women.

21. In line with article 4 (1) of the Convention and the Committee’s general recommendation No. 25 (2004) on temporary special measures, the Committee recommends that the State P arty:

(a) Expedite the draft amendments to the Equal Opportunities Act and ensure that they explicitly provide for temporary special measures in all areas under the Convention where women are underrepresented or disadvantaged;

(b) Promote understanding among State officials, political parties and the general public of the non-discriminatory nature and transformative value of temporary special measures as a tool to advance the substantive equality of women and men, and adopt a 50/50 gender parity quota to ensure the equal and inclusive representation of women in political life, in line with the Committee’s general recommendation No. 40 (2024) on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems.

Stereotypes

22.The Committee welcomes the State Party’s investments and initiatives aimed at addressing gender stereotypes, including a communications project on strengthening the political participation of women and reducing stereotypes. However, the Committee remains concerned that:

(a)Gender stereotypes persist within the State Party and deeply entrenched patriarchal norms continue to shape expectations regarding the roles and responsibilities of women in the family and within society;

(b)Women with disabilities, migrant women and lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex women are facing intersecting forms of discrimination based on gender stereotypes;

(c)Planned measures to address gender stereotypes perpetuated in the media, including training for journalists and other media professionals, have not been implemented in a systematic and continuous manner;

(d)Men and boys are not sufficiently engaged as active participants in efforts to eliminate gender stereotypes.

23. The Committee recommends that the State P arty:

(a) Adopt a comprehensive strategy with proactive and sustained measures targeting women and girls, as well as men and boys, at all levels of society, aimed at eliminating patriarchal attitudes and gender stereotypes concerning the roles and responsibilities of women and men in the family and in society, and allocate sufficient resources to, and regularly monitor and evaluate, the implementation of the strategy;

(b) Ensure an intersectional approach in all policies and programmes aimed at combating gender stereotypes, with specific measures addressing the situation of women with disabilities, migrant women and lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex women;

(c) Ensure the systematic and sustained implementation of measures to address gender stereotypes in the media, including through gender-sensitive training for journalists, editors and other media professionals, strengthened cooperation with media regulatory and oversight bodies, and the development of clear guidelines to prevent sexist and stereotypical portrayals of women and girls.

Gender-based violence against women and girls

24.The Committee notes the measures taken by the State Party to address gender-based violence against women and girls, including the provision of State-guaranteed legal aid, and the implementation of training programmes for judges, prosecutors and police officers. However, the Committee remains concerned that:

(a)The ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), signed by the State Party in 2012, is still pending before the Seimas;

(b)Gender-based violence against women and girls remains highly underreported, insufficiently addressed and structurally invisible, undermining prevention, protection and accountability efforts;

(c)Technology-facilitated gender-based violence, including online harassment and cyberviolence against women and girls, is increasing while responses remain fragmented;

(d)The definition of sexual violence, including rape, continues to be based on the use of force and resistance rather than the absence of freely given consent;

(e)Despite various training initiatives, gender stereotypes, victim-blaming attitudes and a limited understanding of trauma and consent continue to influence criminal justice and police responses;

(f)Breaches of emergency barring orders are increasing, raising concerns about their effectiveness as preventive measures and the effectiveness of enforcement mechanisms;

(g)The accreditation system for specialized comprehensive assistance centres is reportedly ineffective, undermining the accessibility of specialized support for victims of gender-based violence.

25. Recalling its general recommendation No. 35 (2017) on gender-based violence against women, updating general recommendation No. 19, and target 5.2 of the Sustainable Developments Goals, on eliminating all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Ratify the Istanbul Convention without delay and ensure its incorporation into national law and its full and effective implementation in law and in practice;

(b) Strengthen prevention, reporting and data-collection mechanisms to address underreporting and the structural invisibility of gender-based violence, including through accessible, survivor-centred reporting procedures;

(c) Adopt comprehensive legislative and policy measures to prevent, investigate and punish technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and ensure effective remedies and protection for victims;

(d) Amend the Criminal Code to define sexual violence, including rape, based on the absence of freely given consent, in line with international and European human rights standards;

(e) Provide mandatory, continuous and gender-sensitive training for judges, prosecutors and police officers on gender-based violence, including the elimination of victim-blaming practices, and regularly assess its impact;

(f) Strengthen the enforcement of emergency barring orders, including through effective monitoring, risk assessments and prompt sanctions for breaches, and consider adopting complementary long-term measures to prevent and protect women and girls from gender-based violence;

(g) Review and reform the accreditation system for specialized comprehensive assistance centres to ensure transparency, effectiveness and a survivor-centred approach, remove undue administrative barriers to accreditation for organizations with proven expertise and ensure regular monitoring and sufficient coverage across the State Party.

Trafficking in women and girls and exploitation of prostitution

26.The Committee notes the efforts made by the State Party to combat trafficking in persons, including the adoption of the action plan on combating trafficking in human beings for 2024–2026 and Joint Order No. I-327/1V-1015/A1-758, aimed at strengthening the protection of trafficking victims. However, the Committee notes with concern that:

(a)Women and girls, including migrant women and girls from other countries, continue to face an increased risk of trafficking, and that trafficking to the State Party for the purposes of labour exploitation is on the rise;

(b)The regulation of cybertrafficking in law and in practice is limited in the State Party;

(c)Early identification and screening mechanisms for victims of trafficking, particularly asylum-seeking and migrant women and other marginalized groups of women, remain inadequate;

(d)The enforcement of administrative sanctions for prostitution disproportionately targets women and girls in prostitution compared with persons who purchase sex, predominantly men, despite the provision in article 487 of the Code of Administrative Offences for liability for both engagement in prostitution and the purchase of sexual services;

(e)Information on exit programmes and reintegration support for women wishing to leave prostitution is lacking.

27. Recalling its general recommendation No. 38 (2020) on trafficking in women and girls in the context of global migration, the Committee recommends that the State P arty:

(a) Allocate sufficient human, technical and financial resources for the implementation of the national action plan on combating trafficking, and strengthen measures to prevent and combat trafficking in women and girls, giving particular attention to labour exploitation and to asylum-seeking and migrant women and other marginalized groups of women;

(b) Adopt and implement a comprehensive legal and policy framework to address cybertrafficking , and ensure the effective investigation and prosecution of such offences;

(c) Establish and apply systematic, gender-sensitive identification and screening procedures for potential victims of trafficking at all relevant stages, including migration, asylum procedures, employment and law enforcement;

(d) Strengthen awareness-raising campaigns on the risks of trafficking for the purposes of labour and sexual exploitation, targeting the general public, employers and women at risk, including migrant women and women in prostitution;

(e) Ensure that women and girls in prostitution are not subject to administrative sanctions, and ensure that the enforcement of the prohibition of prostitution is focused on buyers and exploiters of sexual services;

(f) Develop exit programmes and long-term reintegration support for women wishing to leave prostitution, encompassing access to housing, education, vocational training, alternative income-generating opportunities and psychosocial support.

Participation in political and public life

28.The Committee acknowledges the State Party’s history of women leaders at the highest political level, including the former President, as well as the former and current women Prime Ministers. It commends the action plan for equal opportunities for women and men for 2023–2025, aimed at promoting the empowerment of marginalized groups of women and girls, including women with disabilities and women from migrant backgrounds, and engagement with civil society organizations to encourage the participation of young men and girls in political life. However, the Committee notes with concern:

(a)The underrepresentation of women in elected and senior decision-making offices, including the Seimas, the Government, municipal councils and the diplomatic service;

(b)The absence of binding temporary special measures, such as mandatory electoral gender quotas or incentives and sanctions linked to public funding of political parties;

(c)The significant underrepresentation of women belonging to ethnic minorities, including Roma women, rural women, women with disabilities and migrant women, in political and public life.

29. In line with its general recommendations No. 40 and No. 23 (1997) on women in political and public life, as well as target 5.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals, on ensuring women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life, the Committee recommends that the State P arty:

(a) Adopt specific and targeted measures, such as parity quotas and preferential appointment of women to public office at the national and municipal levels, with a view to achieving gender parity at all levels of political and public life;

(b) Amend the Electoral Code to require political parties to ensure equal numbers of women and men at equal ranks on their candidate lists, using the so ‑ called zipper system, for national and local elections, and introduce fines for non-compliance;

(c) Promote diverse representation and political participation of women facing intersecting forms of discrimination, including Roma women, rural women, women with disabilities and migrant women;

(d) Adopt temporary special measures for the boards and executives of listed companies and State-owned enterprises.

Nationality

30.The Committee welcomes the amendments to article 15 of the Citizenship Act, which provide protection for children of stateless parents residing in the State Party. However, the Committee remains concerned that the State Party has not established a separate administrative procedure for the determination of statelessness and that statelessness determination is instead integrated into the asylum procedure, which may result in gaps in identification and protection.

31. The Committee recommends that the State Party establish a dedicated, accessible and gender-sensitive statelessness determination procedure, separate from the asylum procedure, to ensure the timely identification and protection of stateless women and girls. It further recommends that the State Party strengthen the collection, analysis and public dissemination of data on statelessness, disaggregated by sex, age, migration status and other relevant factors, in order to monitor the situation of stateless women and girls and inform evidence-based policymaking.

Education

32.The Committee notes the awareness-raising and dissemination measures implemented by the Lithuanian Informal Education Agency to combat gender stereotypes that influence the choice of non-traditional fields of study or career paths, and the inclusion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics initiatives for girls in the action plan for equal opportunities for women and men for 2023–2025. It also commends the State Party for ranking second in the She Figures index of the European Commission. It notes the introduction in 2023 of a life skills programme that includes basic education on sexual and reproductive health. However, the Committee notes with concern:

(a)The lack of comprehensive and systematic integration of age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health education across the education system, and the lack of clarity regarding coverage of adolescents’ needs, including the prevention of early pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections;

(b)The lack of education on the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence, and on healthy and respectful relationships and consent;

(c)The lack of information on the systematic integration of gender equality principles into school curricula at all levels of education.

33. Recalling its general recommendation No. 36 (2017) on the rights of girls and women to education, the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Continue addressing discriminatory gender stereotypes and structural barriers that may deter girls from choosing non-traditional fields of study or career paths at all levels of education;

(b) Ensure the comprehensive, systematic and age-appropriate integration of sexual and reproductive health education at all levels of education, including specific content addressing the prevention of early pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections;

(c) Integrate education on gender equality, healthy and respectful relationships, consent and the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence, into school curricula at all levels;

(d) Review and reform school curricula to ensure the systematic mainstreaming of gender equality.

Employment

34.The Committee notes the State Party’s efforts to promote a more balanced sharing of care responsibilities between women and men, including through the project entitled “Free care work: whose responsibility is it?”, increased access to early childhood education and care, and the introduction of non-transferable parental leave for both parents. It also notes the progress made in narrowing the gender pension gap and increasing women’s employment rates. However, the Committee notes with concern:

(a)That women continue to bear a disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work;

(b)The persistent gender pay gap, which continues to compound women’s lifetime income inequalities, while gender disparities in pension outcomes remain, reflecting women’s interrupted and part-time employment due to caregiving responsibilities;

(c)Horizontal and vertical occupational segregation and the underrepresentation of women in management and leadership positions, especially among marginalized groups of women, such as older women, women with disabilities, Roma women and migrant women.

35. In accordance with target 8.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals, on achieving full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Strengthen measures to promote equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, including through incentives for men to avail themselves of parental leave, the expansion of affordable and accessible childcare facilities and care services for older persons, and awareness-raising campaigns challenging gender stereotypes concerning women’s traditional roles ;

(b) Address the structural causes of the gender pay and pension gaps, including by regularly reviewing wages in sectors where women are concentrated, strictly enforcing the principle of equal pay for work of equal value and introducing measures to compensate for career interruptions related to caregiving responsibilities;

(c) Adopt legislative and other targeted measures to eliminate horizontal and vertical occupational segregation and ensure that the specific barriers faced by marginalized groups of women are effectively addressed in labour market policies.

Health

36.The Committee notes the progress made by the State Party in strengthening its public health system since the previous review. In particular, it notes the approval of the basic model for the provision of public healthcare services by Minister of Health Order No. V-363 of 24 March 2023, the increased investment in municipal public health offices, with an allocation of 30 million euros in 2025, and the adoption of Order No. V-1765 of 30 July 2021, establishing standards for the provision of personal healthcare services to female survivors of sexual violence. However, the Committee notes with concern:

(a)The lack of disaggregated data on access to health services, hampering the effective assessment of women’s and girls’ access to health services, including sexual and reproductive health services, and the identification of disparities affecting women in rural areas, women with disabilities, Roma women and other marginalized groups of women;

(b)That, despite recent regulatory reforms introducing the possibility of medical abortion, access to abortion remains legally and financially restricted, as medical abortion is limited to the first eight weeks of pregnancy and surgical abortion to the first 12 weeks, abortion up to 22 weeks is permitted only for medical indications and only medically indicated abortion services are reimbursed under the compulsory health insurance scheme;

(c)Reports of forced or non-consensual sterilizations of women with disabilities;

(d)The lack of a gender perspective in mental health policies, including those relating to persons with psychosocial disabilities.

37. In accordance with its general recommendation No. 24 (1999) on women and health and target 3.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals, on ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Strengthen the collection, analysis and public dissemination of data on access to health services, disaggregated by age, disability, migration status and place of residence;

(b) Review abortion legislation with a view to legalizing abortion at least in cases of rape, incest, threats to the life or health of the pregnant woman and severe fetal impairment, decriminalizing it in all other cases and ensuring affordable, safe and non-discriminatory access to abortion services;

(c) Adopt explicit legislative provisions prohibiting forced sterilization, require free and informed consent in all cases of sterilization and ensure effective monitoring of and access to remedies and reparation for victims;

(d) Integrate a gender perspective into policies, strategies and services relating to mental health and persons with psychosocial disabilities;

(e) Ensure easy and independent access to contraceptives for girls under 18 years of age, including by removing barriers such as the requirement for legal guardian consent.

Economic empowerment of women and social benefits

38.The Committee notes the progressive efforts by the State Party to promote women’s economic empowerment and social benefits. However, the Committee notes with concern:

(a)The persistent structural gender inequalities in economic life, including the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions and high-paying sectors such as finance, information and communications technology, digital technology manufacturing, energy and infrastructure;

(b)That women’s unpaid care work is not adequately recognized or valued in economic, fiscal and pension frameworks;

(c)The lack of disaggregated data on women’s entrepreneurship, their participation and leadership in economic life, and their participation in sports.

39. The Committee recommends that the State P arty:

(a) Adopt targeted and time-bound measures, including temporary special measures, to increase the representation of women in leadership positions and in high-income economic sectors, particularly finance, digital technology manufacturing, energy and infrastructure;

(b) Consider integrating the value of unpaid care work into pension reforms and economic and social policy planning, including by bridging the gender pay and pension gaps and adopting a gender tax code to redress the tax wedge disproportionately affecting women;

(c) Collect and publish disaggregated data on women’s entrepreneurship, their participation and leadership in economic life, and their participation in sports .

Women facing intersecting forms of discrimination

40.The Committee notes that the information on accommodation conditions for asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant women and the conditions themselves have been improved. However, it remains concerned about the lack of information on the legal basis for and the specific duration of the administrative detention of asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant women and girls, on the location of administrative detention centres and on the number of women and girls who have been denied international protection and/or temporary protection under emergency provisions.

41. The Committee recommends that the State Party ensure transparency and accountability in asylum and migration procedures by systematically collecting, analysing and publishing disaggregated data, including on the administrative detention of asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant women and girls, and on decisions to deny them international and/or temporary protection.

Marriage and family relations

42.The Committee notes the State Party’s amendment to the Protection of Minors Act to abolish restrictions on the dissemination of public information that portrays same-sex relationships as essentially equivalent to opposite-sex relationships. It also notes recent court decisions affirming the equal right to family and family life regardless of sex or gender, including the decision of the Constitutional Court of 17 April 2025 to declare article 3.229 of the Civil Code, according to which recognized partnerships were limited to opposite-sex couples, to be unconstitutional. The Committee further notes that the exemption from compulsory mediation has been expanded in cases involving emergency protection orders for domestic violence. However, the Committee notes with concern:

(a)The lack of a comprehensive legislative framework guaranteeing equal recognition of the right to family and family life regardless of sex orientation and gender identity, including recognition of same-sex civil partnerships and marriages lawfully concluded abroad, access to fertility treatment and adoption for same-sex couples and single women, and abolition of the requirement of divorce as a condition for gender transition;

(b)The lack of systematic collection of data on voluntary mediation involving survivors of domestic violence, notwithstanding the expansion of exemptions from compulsory mediation in cases involving emergency protection orders for domestic violence, and of an assessment of the impact of domestic violence on child custody and mediation outcomes;

(c)The limited economic protection for women following divorce, particularly due to their disproportionate role as primary caregivers, and the lack of data on poverty risks among divorced women compared with divorced men and on the effectiveness of alimony and child-support enforcement mechanisms;

(d)That marriage under the age of 18 years remains legally permissible with court authorization, and the lack of publicly available data on the number of such authorizations and on unregistered or informal child marriages.

43. The Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Adopt a comprehensive legislative framework guaranteeing full equality in the right to family and family life for all women;

(b) Systematically collect and analyse data on mediation in family disputes involving survivors of domestic violence, and ensure that incidents of domestic violence are taken into account and the safety of women and children are prioritized in custody and visitation decisions;

(c) Strengthen measures to ensure the economic protection of women following divorce, including through the effective enforcement of alimony and child-support obligations, access to legal aid and the collection and publication of disaggregated data on poverty risks among divorced women and men;

(d) Repeal any exceptions to the legal minimum age of marriage of 18 years for women and men, ensure the systematic collection and public dissemination of data on court-approved marriages involving minors, and investigate, prosecute and declare void any unregistered or informal child marriages.

Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

44. Following the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Committee calls upon the State Party to reaffirm its implementation and to re-evaluate the realization of the rights enshrined in the Convention in order to achieve substantive equality between women and men.

Dissemination

45. The Committee requests the State Party to ensure the timely dissemination of the present concluding observations, in the official languages of the State Party, to the relevant State institutions at all levels (national, regional and local), in particular to the Government, the ministries, the parliament and the judiciary, to enable their full implementation, as well as to civil society, including non ‑ governmental organizations, in particular women’s organizations, to raise full awareness within the State Party.

Ratification of other treaties

46. The Committee notes that the adherence of the State Party to the nine major international human rights instruments and relevant regional instruments would enhance the enjoyment by women of their human rights and fundamental freedoms in all aspects of life. The Committee therefore encourages the State P arty to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

Follow-up to the concluding observations

47. The Committee requests the State P arty to provide, within two years, written information on the steps taken to implement the recommendations contained in paragraphs 15 (b), 21 (b), 25 (a) and 43 (d) above.

Preparation of the next report

48. The Committee will establish and communicate the due date of the eighth periodic report of the State Party in line with a future clear and regularized schedule for reporting by States Parties (General Assembly resolution 79/165 , para. 6) and following the adoption of a list of issues and questions prior to reporting, if applicable, for the State Party. The report should cover the entire period up to the time of its submission.

49. The Committee requests the State Party to follow the harmonized guidelines on reporting under the international human rights treaties, including guidelines on a common core document and treaty-specific documents ( HRI/GEN/2/Rev.6 , chap. I).