The renewal of the EU Plan of Action on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Development (GAP)

23.9.2015

Question for oral answer O-000109/2015
to the Council
Rule 128
Linda McAvan, on behalf of the Committee on Development

The EU Plan of Action on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Development (2010-2015) (GAP) has played a significant role in stepping up and better coordinating efforts of the EU and its Member States in the area of gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE). Evaluations of the GAP conclude that, while a number of important results have been achieved, there are weaknesses in implementation. The new GAP 2016-2020 is intended to address these shortcomings so as to provide a solid basis for action in three proposed priority areas: ensuring women’s and girls’ physical and psychological integrity; promoting women’s economic rights; and strengthening women’s and girl’s voice and participation.

1. Does the Council share concerns expressed in evaluations of the current GAP regarding insufficient implementation and, if so, what are the main obstacles and what are the lessons learned to improve implementation of the new GAP?

2. Does the Council agree with the priority areas in the new GAP and what are the biggest challenges inside those priority areas?

3. What is the position of the Council on ensuring external policy coherence by applying GAP to all external policies, including political dialogues with third countries and trade?

4. In view of the identified shortcomings in implementation of the first GAP, will the Council monitor the implementation of the second GAP by the Member States and urge them to ensure sufficient human and financial resources for such implementation both at home and in embassies? What are the best practices to strengthen transparency and accountability in ensuring that programming is gender-sensitive and addresses the root causes of inequalities?

5. Is the Council committed to using the 2017 DCI mid-term review and the performance review of the 11th EDF to assess the impact of DCI- and EDF-financed programmes on women and girls and to make the necessary reallocations so as to address GAP implementation shortcomings and post-2015 SDGs?

6. In the Council’s view, to what extent and how has the Commission fostered complementarity and coordination between its actions for GEWE and those of the Member States?