Mauritius-EU reaffirms strong commitment to Gender Equality at its 7th High-Level Policy Dialogue

The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mrs Marie Arianne Navarre-Marie, and the Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Oskar Benedikt, jointly presided the seventh Annual High-Level EU-Mauritius Policy Dialogue on Gender, this afternoon, at the Sir Harilal Vaghjee Memorial Hall in Port Louis.

The dialogue brought together representatives from various Ministries and the EU Delegation, with a shared objective of ensuring that gender equality remains central to national policy and development priorities

In her keynote address, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that entrusting the gender portfolio to her office reflects Government’s strong conviction that gender equality is a core pillar of national development. She reaffirmed Mauritius’ commitment to translating policies into tangible improvements in the lives of women, girls, and families.

She acknowledged EU’s longstanding partnership, describing it as a key driver of technical cooperation, policy dialogue, and implementation support. She also expressed appreciation for the continued contribution of EU gender experts supporting national reforms.

Highlighting progress under the National Gender Policy 2022–2030 which provides a comprehensive and rights-based framework tailored to the realities of Mauritian society, she noted that 59% of its recommendations have already been implemented. While this reflects significant progress, it also underlines the urgency of accelerating the remaining actions, she said.

Key achievements include the establishment of the National Steering Committee on Gender Mainstreaming, inter-ministerial coordination structures, and 55 Gender Cells across the public service. She also welcomed Rodrigues’ adoption of its own gender policy, extending the national framework across the Republic.

She further pointed to significant progress in capacity building, with over 4,000 public officers trained in gender mainstreaming, the introduction of a Gender Training Toolkit, and initial steps towards gender-responsive budgeting. She also highlighted initiatives engaging men and boys, including the “Men as Life Partners” programme, as well as the continued role of Women Empowerment Centres in supporting economic independence and social resilience.

On the legislative front, she referred to recent reforms aimed at strengthening protection for women and children, particularly through the Domestic Abuse Bill and the Adoption Bill. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that the next phase of action must focus on stronger accountability, better impact measurement, and more integrated responses to challenges such as gender-based violence, economic inequality, climate vulnerability, and the digital divide.

She reaffirmed that gender equality remains essential to sustainable development, democracy, and social justice, while reaffirming cooperation with the EU to accelerate progress towards a more inclusive and equitable society

For his part, Ambassador Benedikt reaffirmed EU’s strong commitment to gender equality adding that the partnership with Mauritius transcends political changes and remains firmly rooted in shared values and long-term cooperation.

He welcomed the appointment of the Deputy Prime Minister as a strong signal of women’s political leadership and highlighted the symbolic timing of the dialogue, which coincides with Europe Day. He described the meeting as a key platform for advancing the EU Gender Action Plan and Sustainable Development Goal 5, as well as for supporting policy reform, identifying gaps, and strengthening implementation.

He recalled EU’s support in key areas including legislative drafting, institutional capacity building, gender analysis, disability policy, and women’s economic empowerment, alongside ongoing funding for governance, human rights, climate action, and gender equality initiatives.

He further underscored the need for stronger engagement with civil society and coordinated action with all partners to effectively address challenges such as gender-based violence.

The Ambassador called for renewed collective efforts to advance gender equality, emphasising that it is essential for inclusive development, democracy, and sustainable progress.

07 May 2026

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Topics: Gender