Ireland is very supportive of the Commission Work Programme 2021 and we will be working closely with our European partners to implement the measures outlined, including in respect of gender-based violence.
Violence against women and girls constitutes a serious human rights abuse, a form of discrimination against women, and a major obstacle to the achievement of gender equality. Achieving gender equality, including the elimination of violence against women and girls and domestic violence, is a foreign policy priority for the Government.
While the Department of Justice will have responsibility for examining the detail of the proposal when published, I very much welcome the commitment in the European Commission’s 2021 Work Programme to develop a legislative proposal to prevent and combat gender-based violence, violence against women and domestic violence.