The Council of Ministers approved Wednesday a bill on the integration of the gender dimension in the preparation of legislative initiatives and other actions. In statements to the Press after the Cabinet’s meeting, Commissioner for Gender Equality, Josie Christodoulou said that the approval was ‘an important step towards substantive equality between women and men’.
Christodoulou noted that the bill aims to include the obligation to integrate the gender perspective in the preparation of legislative initiatives, the preparation of the state budget, the public procurement process and the implementation of actions included in the National Strategy for Gender Equality. She added that the bill provides that each Ministry, Deputy Ministry, service, authority and the broader public sector should, when planning policies and actions, consider the different needs and realities of men and women.
‘Such a legislative regulation ensures that public policies will now respond more fully and effectively to the needs and demands of society, while accelerating progress towards substantive gender equality,’ she said.