Statement by Mr. Dan Juvan, State Secretary of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities at the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women: General Discussion

Mr. Chairperson, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I’m honored to address the Commission. The review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and an assessment of the challenges hindering its full implementation, are critical at this historic moment.

Slovenia is firmly committed to the principles of gender equality. Since 1995, we have taken significant steps to progress toward equal rights and opportunities for all. To address persistent challenges, our Parliament adopted in 2023 a new strategic document for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men.

Mr. Chairperson,

Slovenia prioritizes efforts to combat all forms of violence against women through legislative advancements and comprehensive support systems. A recent achievement is five days of paid leave for victims of domestic violence under the Employment Relationship Act, alongside stricter Criminal Code penalties for gender-based violence. The National Programme for the Prevention of Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, adopted in 2024, strengthens legal definitions, professional training for police, the judiciary, and social services, survivor support, responsible media reporting, and public awareness.

Women and girls face higher rates of intimate partner violence due to lack of economic autonomy, which restricts their options for escape.

The root causes of economic inequality are gender discrimination and the historically unequal distribution of wealth. This limits women’s economic mobility, reinforces their exclusion, and burdens them with a disproportionate amount of unpaid care work.

In the Global South, high borrowing costs and unsustainable debt obligations restrict fiscal space to address poverty and gender inequality. Enforced fiscal consolidation leads to cuts in social services, turning women’s unpaid care work into a subsidy for private capital.

We urge the international community to tackle poverty among women and girls in the Global South by scaling up development finance through the reform of multilateral development banks.

Progressive tax reform is essential to increase investments in the social state globally, strengthening safety nets, improving access to public services, and addressing women’s needs through targeted programs.

Mr. Chairperson,

A fundamental component of gender equality is a public healthcare system that safeguards women’s health and reproductive rights. Slovenia led the way by enshrining the right to abortion in its constitution—first in 1974 as a socialist republic, and again in 1991 as an independent state. As reproductive rights face increasing attacks, we reaffirm our commitment to this fundamental freedom – reproductive rights are non-negotiable. It is a woman’s body, a woman’s choice.

Mr. Chairperson,

We fully support the focus on care work in Commission’s future deliberations. With demographic trends in mind, it is urgent that we prioritize care systems for achieving gender equality.

In Slovenia, we are improving care policies to help parents balance the dual responsibility of working and caring. This includes high-quality, affordable childcare, with kindergartens subsidized up to 100%. We offer generous parental leave: mothers can take up to one year of fully paid leave, and fathers up to 275 days.

We are reducing the caregiving burden for older persons by introducing a stable source of financing for various long-term public care services.

Mr. Chairperson,

Despite progress, the goal of achieving gender equality remains elusive. Women’s rights globally are under attack, with alarming rollbacks in bodily autonomy, reproductive freedom, and protection from gender-based violence. We must strongly reaffirm that women’s rights are human rights.

Feminism is a force for equality, justice, and a better future for all. Gender equality is essential for progress, and Slovenia continues to champion it through action.

Thank you.

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