Highlight 33/2025: Are States Doing Enough to Implement UPR Gender Equality Recommendations in the 4th Cycle?

Irini Papandreou, 16 July 2025

The 4th cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is especially important for tracking progress on gender equality. Despite the broad scope of countries reviewed in the UPR’s 49th session, this analysis focuses on Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Grenada, and Sweden. But when it comes to turning recommendations into real change, how much have these states actually done?

Looking at Kenya’s national report, there are some positive developments. Kenya highlights its efforts to combat gender-based violence through new policies and recovery centers. However, previous recommendations — such as improving access to justice for survivors, especially in rural areas — remain only partially implemented. Deep-rooted challenges like underfunding and a shortage of trained officers are slowing down real progress.

Kyrgyzstan, also under review, had been strongly urged in earlier cycles to fight domestic violence and promote women’s participation in politics. In its latest national report, the government points to legal amendments and awareness campaigns. Still, according to the civil society submission coordinated by UPR Info, domestic violence remains widespread, and enforcement of protection laws is still weak.

Turning to Türkiye, gender equality has been a sensitive and heavily discussed issue. In past UPR cycles, Türkiye received recommendations to strengthen protections against violence towards women and to improve gender representation in public life. While the national report mentions programs like the “Strategy Document on Women’s Empowerment,” Türkiye’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention in 2021 has raised serious international concern. Civil society reports submitted for the UPR highlight ongoing issues such as high rates of femicide and a growing gap between legal standards and the actual protection of women.

Sweden offers a different perspective. Long praised for its gender policies, Sweden’s national report emphasizes its action plans to tackle men’s violence against women and efforts to promote gender equality in all sectors. Nevertheless, migrant women and those from minority groups still face higher rates of discrimination and violence — a problem that stakeholders urge the government to address more directly.

Finally, Grenada, a small island state under review, had previously been encouraged to ratify the Optional Protocol to CEDAW and to strengthen its responses to gender-based violence. According to stakeholder submissions, Grenada has improved some legal frameworks but faces challenges in ensuring that rural and marginalized women actually benefit from these protections.

Overall, what the 49th session of the UPR shows is that while many states accept gender-related recommendations, implementation remains inconsistent. Whether due to political resistance, societal attitudes, or resource limitations, the gap between commitments and real change is still too wide. To close this gap, it is crucial that states not only commit on paper but also invest in enforcement mechanisms, involve civil society in monitoring, and prioritize gender equality in national budgets.

States must move beyond formal acceptance of UPR gender-related recommendations and ensure measurable, budget-backed implementation through inclusive, participatory mechanisms.

Irini Papandreou, Highlight 33/2025: Are States Doing Enough to Implement UPR Gender Equality Recommendations in the 4th Cycle?, 16 July 2025, available at www.meig.ch

The views expressed in the MEIG Highlights are personal to the authors and neither reflect the positions of the MEIG Programme nor those of the University of Geneva.