Good practice

Verein für Menschenrechte (VMR): el defensor independiente de la igualdad de género de Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein · Schaan · See the Liechtenstein profile

En 2017, Liechtenstein trasladó la supervisión de la igualdad de género de una oficina gubernamental a la ONG independiente VMR, que ahora vigila el cumplimiento de la CEDAW y convoca una Mesa Redonda anual sobre Igualdad; la representación femenina en el parlamento pasó del 8% (1993) a un récord del 32% en 2025.

8 %

Escaños femeninos en el Landtag (1993)

28 (7 of 25) %

Escaños femeninos en el Landtag (2021)

32 (8 of 25) %

Escaños femeninos en el Landtag (2025)

57 consultations

Consultas individuales en materia de derechos humanos (2024)

16.5 %

Brecha salarial de género (n.d.)

13 places vs 32 cases count

Plazas en centros de acogida para violencia doméstica frente a casos denunciados contra mujeres (2019)

Verein für Menschenrechte (VMR): el defensor independiente de la igualdad de género de Liechtenstein

Details

Maturity: Established
Promoter: Verein für Menschenrechte in Liechtenstein (VMR)
Period: 2017–present
Keywords: human rights, gender equality, ombudsman, civil society

Context

En 2016, el Landtag de Liechtenstein aprobó la ley VMRG, que transfirió el mandato nacional de defensoría de la igualdad y de supervisión de una oficina gubernamental a la ONG independiente de nueva creación Verein für Menschenrechte in Liechtenstein (VMR), operativa desde el 1 de enero de 2017.

Objectives

Garantizar la supervisión independiente del cumplimiento de la CEDAW, la defensa de la igualdad y la organización de foros públicos sobre igualdad salarial, permiso parental, violencia de género y representación política.

Activities

Desde 2022, la VMR organiza anualmente la Runder Tisch Gleichstellung (mesa redonda sobre la igualdad), que incluyó en 2024 una campaña pública sobre el trabajo de cuidados no remunerado, y lleva a cabo consultas individuales en materia de derechos humanos e informes alternativos (shadow reports) para la CEDAW.

Results

La representación de mujeres en el Landtag pasó del 8% (1993) al 28% (2021) hasta alcanzar un máximo histórico del 32% (2025); Brigitte Haas se convirtió en la primera mujer jefa de Gobierno de Liechtenstein en abril de 2025. El informe anual de 2024 de la VMR registra 57 consultas individuales en materia de derechos humanos ese año.

Conclusions

Persisten carencias importantes, entre ellas una brecha salarial de género del 16,5% y, según una cifra de 2019, tan solo 13 plazas en centros de acogida para víctimas de violencia doméstica frente a 32 casos denunciados contra mujeres; estas cifras, procedentes de fuentes secundarias, no pudieron verificarse de forma independiente con la propia oficina de estadística de Liechtenstein.

Implementation

Implementation detail (cost, timeline, staffing, conditions for success) is not yet available for this practice.

Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

C-NAPSE web research — accessed 2026-07-11
Verein für Menschenrechte in Liechtenstein (VMR) — accessed 2026-07-11
VMR official site — accessed 2026-07-11
Liechtenstein VMRG law (Landesgesetzblatt) — accessed 2026-07-11
1999 Equality Act (GLG) — accessed 2026-07-11
Liechtenstein Historical Lexicon: VMR — accessed 2026-07-11
Euronews: Liechtenstein's first female PM — accessed 2026-07-11
US Library of Congress: 1984 women's suffrage — accessed 2026-07-11
Borgen Project: Women's rights in Liechtenstein — accessed 2026-07-11

Attachments

Source image

Quality score: 70/100

How is this calculated?

Evidence: Observational / pre–post

Top 43% in this catalogue (719 scored practices)

Scores cluster high, so position within the catalogue is often more telling than the number alone.

Evaluation

Evaluated by C-NAPSE

Score profile — the dimensions behind the score — how it's computed

Transferability / replicability1/3

The independent-ombudsman model (shifting equality oversight from a government office to a statutory NGO) is structurally replicable in other small European states, but no other jurisdiction's adoption of this exact model is documented.

Impact on gender equality1/1

Women's Landtag representation rose from 8% (1993) to a record 32% (Feb 2025), with the country's first female PM sworn in April 2025, coinciding with VMR's tenure, though other societal factors also contributed.

Effectiveness0/1

A persistent 16.5% gender pay gap and only 13 domestic-violence shelter places against 32 reported cases against women (2019) show effectiveness on core equality gaps remains limited despite the institutional reform.

Efficiency0/1

No cost, budget, or cost-per-outcome data is publicly disclosed for VMR's equality mandate.

Evaluated outcomes1/1

VMR's 2024 annual report quantifies 57 individual consultations, and parliamentary representation has been tracked in a clear multi-year series (1993, 2021, 2025).

Sustainability1/1

The mandate is enshrined in the 2016 VMRG law and has operated continuously since 1 January 2017, with an annual Round Table institutionalised since 2022.

Achievement / evidence1/1

Liechtenstein reached record 32% female parliamentary representation and its first female prime minister in 2025, milestones that coincide with VMR's advocacy and monitoring work.

Gender-mainstreaming embedding1/1

Equality oversight is embedded in statutory law (VMRG, 1999 Gleichstellungsgesetz) and CEDAW shadow-reporting, institutionalising gender considerations into national governance rather than a one-off project.

Curator validation1/1

Verified across government legal databases, an NGO portrait, a historical lexicon, and international news; uncertain secondary-sourced figures (pay gap, shelter data) are explicitly flagged rather than treated as fully verified.

Cite this

Evidoria. Verein für Menschenrechte (VMR): el defensor independiente de la igualdad de género de Liechtenstein. Persistent ID: 84dcf82c-2066-445d-9f52-3546c2e55d51.

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