Development cooperation: promoting gender equality

2003/0176(COD)
PURPOSE : to promote gender equality in development co-operation. CONTENT : the co-operation and development policy, referred to in Article 179 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, highlights the need for the Council, acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 251, to adopt the measures necessary to further the objectives referred to in Article 177 of the Treaty. Community policy in this area shall focus on the fight against poverty, foster the sustainable development of developing countries, and the integration of developing countries into the world economy. The purpose of this Regulation is to implement measures to promote gender equality in Community development co-operation policies, strategies and interventions. To this end, the Community shall provide financial assistance and appropriate expertise aimed at promoting gender equality into all its development co-operation policies and interventions in developing countries. The Community support shall be aimed at complementing and reinforcing the policies and capacities of developing countries as well as the assistance provided through other instruments of development co-operation. The objectives to be pursued by this Regulation, in accordance with the goal of promoting gender equality and empower women as specified by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, are the following: - to support the mainstreaming of gender in all areas of development co-operation, combined with specific measures in favour of women, with the goal to promote gender equality as an important contribution to poverty reduction; - to support endogenous public and private capacities in developing countries which can take the responsibility and initiative for promoting gender equality. Activities in the field of promoting gender equality eligible for financing include, in particular: - supporting specific measures related to access to and control of resources and services for women, e.g. in areas of education, employment opportunities, and political decision making; - supporting the analysis and improvement of statistics disaggregated by sex and age, development and dissemination of methodologies, guidelines, gender impact assessments, thematic studies, indicators, and other operational instruments; - supporting awareness raising and advocacy work; - supporting activities aiming at strengthening institutional and operational capacities of key players in the development process, such as the provision of gender specialist, training and technical assistance. The instruments to be financed in the course of the activities may take the form of: - methodological and organisational studies on gender mainstreaming relevant to all age-groups; - technical assistance including gender impact assessment, training or other services; - supplies, audits, evaluation and monitoring missions. Community financing may cover: a) investment projects, with the exception of the purchase of real estate, and; b) operating expenditure of a beneficiary body including recurring administrative and maintenance costs. Operating grants shall be awarded on a gradually decreasing basis. The sustained improvement of gender equality and the empowerment of women in developing countries are important outcomes of development and significantly contributions to poverty reduction. Since the Declaration and the Beijing Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 global improvement has been made in terms of promoting gender equality in developing countries. In 1998, the Council adopted Regulation 2836/98/EC on integrating of gender issues in development co-operation, due to expire on 31 December 2003. The Regulation aims at mainstreaming gender perspectives into all of the Communities development co-operation policies and interventions and supporting the implementation of national plans designed to implement major elements of the Beijing Platform for Action. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS : - budgetary line : B7-622 (on promoting gender equality in development cooperation); - total allocation for action : EUR 9 million - period of validity : from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006.�