Promoting gender equality in EU development aidThe European Commission combines specific funds for women's empowerment with gender mainstreaming in its twin-track approach to gender equality in development aid policies. The strategy is successful in terms of budgets and formal appearance but it is implemented in a limited, interest-guided and expertbureaucratic manner. Furthermore by privileging EU interests the strategy fails to address the needs of the poorest developing countries and it ignores civil society concerns. In practice, the twin-track strategy severely limits the transformative potential of gender equality policies.
Gender equality is an essential component of the ambitious agenda of the new President of the European Commission. After years of stagnation, this policy field shall see a revival; the vision is a “Union of Equality”. As part of the working programme for the first 100 days in office, the Commission published its “Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025” in March 2020. This contribution elucidates the significance of gender equality for the Commission and relates these new ambitions to the general development of the policy field. The Gender Equality Strategy and its six main goals are then introduced and the likelihood of actual implementation is discussed against the background of increasing fragmentation and polarisation in the Council and in the European Parliament. The German Council Presidency will play an important role for its realisation.
Promoting Gender Equality in EU Development Aid: From Transformative Policy to Transformative Practice?
