Gender equality
Gender equality is essential for growth and poverty reduction, and it is key to reaching the Millennium Development Goals. However, gender inequalities are still entrenched in many cultural, social and political systems. In the developing world, women suffer disproportionately from poverty and its related ills, such as malnutrition, poor health and illiteracy.
Story from the field
What's On
The Memorandum of Understanding between the EU and UN Women, signed on 16 April 2012
, reaffirms the partnership between the two organisations to support gender equality and women’s empowerment around the world and ensures closer collaboration; sharing information, expertise and analysis in order to effectively advance women’s rights. Cooperation will primarily focus on ensuring women’s representation in decision-making in the fields of economics, politics and justice worldwide, as well as better access for women to work and social opportunities. Crucially, the partnership will see the two organisations coming together to take action on combating sexual and gender-based violence. This includes a commitment to provide more support and protection to survivors of violence and increasing access to support and services for those women affected.
Winners gender drawing competition 2011
International Women's Day 2011
The 8th March marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. The EU is working to improve the lives of women and girls throughout the world. Here you can find concrete examples of how we help.
Financial support
For the period 2007 - 2013, the EU external co-operation in the field of gender equality and women empowerment is financed through:
- geographical instruments (EDF, DCI and ENPI) at national and regional level;
- thematic instruments: Investing in People and Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights. The focus is put on improving literacy among adult women and addressing inequalities in countries where women's lives are shaped by customary laws; empowerment of women in conflict situations and ensuring greater coordination between donors and national governments to support progress towards gender equality.
Background information
Gender equality is enshrined in the EU Treaty and the Charter of
Fundamental Rights. The
EU Roadmap for Equality between Women and Men identifies the promotion
of gender equality in external and development policies as one of the six
priority areas for five years between 2006 and 2010. The European Consensus
on Development 
highlights the importance of gender equality in the
development process as an essential factor in strengthening the impact and
sustainability of EU development cooperation.
The EU's strategy
Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in Development Cooperation aims
to help promote equal political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights
for women and men. The Toolkit on
mainstraiming Gender equality provides concrete operational guidelines on
how to mainstream gender equality in country programming and the different
modalities of aid implementation.