In a recent communication to the European Parliament and Council, the European Commission put forward the issue of gender equality as one of five main goals in European development cooperation. The result of this prioritization of gender equality is twofold within the European community: 1) Gender equality has been mainstreamed as an objective by most Member States and by the European Commission, thus making gender issues a focus in all policies and actions; 2) Financing is now available for projects dealing directly with gender equality and women's empowerment.
By adapting this new approach, the EU has opened doors for new discussions on how to eliminate gender inequality. The communication report outlines the current progress and challenges in the mainstreaming implementation, most importantly questioning in what ways the EU can advocate for gender equality in development procedures, how to make gender equality part of individual national projects, and how to create a sustainable project of women's empowerment and equality. In conclusion, the EU commits itself to systematically removing the barriers to gender equality that exist both in developing countries and the EU's development procedures.
Compiled from: "Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council: Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in Development Cooperation," Commission of the European Communities, 3 August 2007.