The promotion of gender equality is a task for the Union, in all its activities, required by the Treaties. Gender equality is a core value of the European Union (EU), a fundamental right and key principle of the European Pillar of Social Rights. The EU is a global leader in gender equality. However, no Member State has achieved full gender equality and challenges are remaining .

The need to improve gender equality has also been highlighted in several Member States’ Country Specific Recommendations. Against this backdrop, the “Gender Mainstreaming in Public Policy and Budgeting” Project is designed in response to several Member States’ requests for technical support.

The Project implemented by Expertise France, the French government technical cooperation agency, supports nine beneficiary authorities in seven EU Member States including administrations in charge of gender equality policies, sectorial policies or in charge of budgetary processes. In spring 2024, it is expected that four more beneficiary authorities from two new EU Member States will join the project, thereby raising the overall number of beneficiaries from nine to thirteen.

Expertise France’s technical assistance is dedicated to improving the integration of gender considerations into public initiatives. This entails the implementation of gender mainstreaming (GM), tools such as Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB), Gender Action Plan (GAP), and Gender Impact Assessment (GIA).

The project is structured in three components:

Component 1: Analysing the practices and confirming specific needs of each beneficiary authority in order to strengthen gender mainstreaming, through the application of GM tools such as GRB, GAP or GIA

Expertise France conducts a thorough analysis of the integration of gender in public policies and budgeting. This analysis is conducted in response to requests submitted by beneficiary authorities to the Technical Support Initiative (TSI) of the Directorate General for Structural Reform Support of the European Commission. The objective is to gain a comprehensive understanding of current practices or procedures and identify the areas where the integration of Gender Mainstreaming (GM) and the application of tools such as Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) and Gender Impact Assessment (GIA) can be strengthened. This process takes into account the specificities of each beneficiary authority.

Activities within Component 1 allow Expertise France to identify and establish communication with all relevant public servants or officials whose participation is essential for the project. This includes individuals from sectorial departments, departments focusing on gender issues, or those involved in budget management. The aim is to designate a focal point within each beneficiary administration for effective coordination.

Expertise France has enlisted the services of several local experts to collaborate closely with beneficiary administrations in drafting the analysis report. The report is structured around the priority areas of intervention identified by each beneficiary authority. It provides a detailed presentation of the current gender mainstreaming practices, previous efforts to apply Gender Mainstreaming tools like GRB, GAP, or GIA in administrative processes. The report includes information on the rationale behind these initiatives, gender-related gaps, opportunities, and recommendations for future progress. Subsequently, a customized Gender Action Plan is reviewed and mutually agreed upon with beneficiary administrations as the foundation for intervention in the Component 2.

Component 2: Operationalization: Capacity building and implementation of GRB, GIA or GAP tools;

Several missions are organized to provide specific support to each beneficiary authority. The focus and content will follow the previously agreed Gender Action Plan that is adapted to the national context and the specificity of the administration. In Component 2, local experts work directly with the public servants in order to address the obstacles or need for capacity building identified in the in-depth analysis and confirmed with each beneficiary authority in the Gender Action Plan.

Moreover, there is a pool of short-term experts ready to offer specialized technical expertise based on the specific needs expressed by beneficiary authorities. If indicated in the initial request, the Action Plan could encompass assistance for implementing a pilot project aimed at reinforcing the application of Gender Mainstreaming into policy or service.

Component 3: Capitalisation: Embedding the new practices and enabling their duplication across institutions.

To ensure that the project's outcomes, including capacity building and pilot interventions, extend beyond individual levels and permeate institutional frameworks, the team of experts from Expertise France will focus on integrating new practices into the procedures of the beneficiary authorities. This involves guiding the beneficiary authorities in incorporating the project's results regarding the application of Gender Mainstreaming tools such as GRB, GIA, or GAP.

The materials generated through this process will serve to showcase emerging practices or policies resulting from the project at both national and international levels. Additionally, a plan will be collaboratively developed with the beneficiary authorities to ensure the continuity of their efforts in integrating GM into public policies and/or budgeting even after the conclusion of the project.