WRITTEN QUESTION E-0583/02

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(5 March 2002)

Subject: Gender mainstreaming

What progress has the Commission made in the implementation of the 2001 Programme of Action for the Mainstreaming of Gender Equality in Community Development Cooperation?

In particular, what progress has been made on the following issues, which were identified in the Commission's workplan and which were scheduled to be completed in 2001:

- a review of the policy guidelines according to the situation of women and men in each of the EC's priority areas;

- the integration of a gender dimension in the preparation and evaluation of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, Country Strategy Papers, the Commission's annual work programme and all performance reviews;

- an improvement in the attention which is given to gender during the entire project cycle in order to identify problems, define target groups and beneficiaries, set objectives, formulate indicators and improve monitoring?

Would the Commission give precise details of the resources both human and financial which have been made available in order to implement the remaining goals and activities of the Programme of Action on Gender Mainstreaming?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(26 April 2002)

In regard to the implementation of the Programme of Action for the mainstreaming of gender equality in Community Development Co-operation, the following activities have been completed:

The budget line B7-6220 for 2001 was programmed including budgets for training and capacity building for the Commission staff in 2001 and 2002 of EUR 2,2 million.

A review of 40 country strategy papers (CSPs) was undertaken in order to assess to which extent mainstreaming of gender equality in development co-operation has been taken into account in the programming process. The 40 CSPs were selected randomly, the majority however from the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)-partner countries.

The manual for the Project Cycle Management has been revised notably taking account of mainstreaming gender equality. Stakeholder analysis has been introduced and gender equality is now considered a quality criteria throughout the project cycle.

The thematic evaluation of gender requested by the Board of EuropeAid has just been launched. The Evaluation is designed primarily to provide Commission staff with tools to improve the integration of gender in the Commission's external programmes and policies. The request for the Evaluation is based on Council Regulation (EC) No 2836/98 of 22 December 1998 on integrating gender issues in development co-operation(1) (article 11) and covers the years 1995-2001.

The Commission participated last year in the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) working group on gender and actively profited from the possibilities it offers for networking.

The Commission interacts regularly with Brussels based civil society groups dealing with trade and gender and gender policy development.

The Commission is aware of the need to allocate adequate human resources in terms of quantity, capacity and continuity to achieve timely and effective implementation of the Programme of Action. One measure, that is already decided upon, is building internal capacity and establish tools and methods for mainstreaming of gender equality in the six priority areas of the Community Development Policy.

(1) OJ L 354, 30.12.1998.