Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Implementation of gender mainstreaming in the Structural Funds programming documents 2000-2006
Date: 2002-12-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Employment Strategy, Structural Funds, female work, gender equality, multiannual financial framework

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 20.12.2002
COM(2002) 748 final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Implementation of gender mainstreaming in the Structural Funds programming
documents 2000-2006

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Implementation of gender mainstreaming in the Structural Funds programming
documents 2000-2006

1.

PURPOSE OF THE COMMUNICATION

This Communication provides an overview of the extent to which the gender mainstreaming
dimension  has  been  taken  into  account  in  the  Structural  Funds  programming  2000-2006.  It
gives  an  inventory  of  progress  and  includes  examples  of  good  practice,  and  also  identifies
areas where progress is slow.

The  Communication  covers  all  four  Funds1  and  the  programmes  of  Objectives  1,  2  and  3.
Information  has  been  sourced  mainly  from  the  "Review  of  the  proposed  implementation  of
the ESF regulation across the EU", the study "Integration of equal opportunities in Objective
1 and Objective 2 Structural Fund programme documents", and other documents2.

Findings in these documents were confirmed at several conferences, seminars and workshops
where  Structural  Funds  practitioners  and  gender  experts  at  different  levels  discussed  their
experience,  ideas  and  strategies.  The  3rd  European  Conference  on  gender  mainstreaming  in
the Structural Funds in June 2002 in Santander/Spain3, national or regional events such as the
"Gender Mainstreaming in UK & Ireland Structural Funds Conference" held in May 2002 in
Wales, the Conference on Gender Equality, Employment and the Structural Funds in Greece
end  of  February  2002,  and  a  workshop  with  an  external  expert  and  Structural  Funds  desk
officers  in  the  Commission,  show  that  despite  the  wide  variety  of  themes,  most  of  the  key
issues which emerged were the same.

The  purpose  of  this  document  is  to  give  an  input  to  the  Structural  Funds'  mid-term  review
when  the  allocation  of  the  performance  reserve  is  determined,  along  with  any  revisions
concerning financial allocations, targets, priorities and measures.

2.

BACKGROUND

The Structural Funds are the main financial instruments to reduce disparities in development
and to promote economic and social cohesion in the European Union. The total budget for the
period  2000-2006  amounts  to  195  billion  Euro.  69.7  %  of  the  total  allocation  goes  to
Objective 1, 11.5 % to Objective 2 and 12.3 % to Objective 3.

1

2

3

The  European  Social  Fund  (ESF);  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF);  the  European
Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF); the Financial Instrument of Fisheries Guidance
(FIFG)
see: http://europa.eu.int/comm/regional-policy/sources/docgener
Documents will be available on the website, see footnote 1.

2

                                                
The Structural Funds are an important catalyst for Community and national policies on gender
equality.  The  General  Regulation4  (2000-2006)  sets  gender  equality  as  a  key  objective  and
provides that the gender equality dimension must be incorporated into operations cofinanced
by the Funds. The issue of gender equality is explicitly mentioned in 10 of the 56 articles. The
Regulation reflects the obligations of the Amsterdam Treaty with which the dual approach of
combining  gender  mainstreaming  and  specific  actions  was  formally  anchored  at  EU  level.
This dual approach is also reflected in the ESF Regulation5.

The  ERDF6  Regulation  and  the  EAGGF7  Regulation  also  contain  references  to  gender
equality.  Gender  equality  is  also  an  objective  in  each  of  the  four  Community  Initiatives
(2000-2006) EQUAL, INTERREG III, URBAN II and LEADER+.

The  Structural  Funds  and  especially  the  ESF,  are  the  main  financial  tools  that  underpin  the
European Employment Strategy (EES). The EES has incorporated the gender dimension as a
horizontal  priority  across  all  pillars,  in  addition  to  a  specific  pillar  on  equal  opportunities
which contains specific Employment Guidelines on gender issues.

The  Structural  Funds  commitment  to  gender  equality  is  not  a  new  development.  The
Regulation  for  the  period  1994-1999  had  already  taken  equal  opportunities  for  men  and
women in the labour market as a Community goal and a priority task for the ESF. In 1996, the
Council  of  Ministers  adopted  a  resolution  on  the  mainstreaming  of  equal  opportunities  for
women and men in the Structural Funds.8

However, until now, the Funds have mainly supported specific measures for women or pilot
projects.  These  are  important  but  cannot  remedy  structural  inequalities.  Moreover,  gender
equality has been regarded as a task mainly for the ESF although conclusions of the ESF final
evaluations  of  the  period  1994-19999  based  on  specific  country  results  suggest  that  the
measures,  as  well  as  jobs  obtained  after  the  measures,  tended  to  reflect  occupational
segregation and gender stereotypes.

A  turning  point  and  a  forerunner  of  measures  to  reduce  vertical  and  horizontal  segregation
was the initiative NOW ("New Opportunities for Women") within the Community Initiative
EMPLOYMENT. The successes in women's entrepreneurship and activities to reduce labour
market segregation serve as an important basis for current Fund operations.

this, 

Building  on 
the
methodological  working  papers  for  the  preparation  of  the  programming  period  2000-2006,
covering programming, ex-ante evaluation, monitoring and evaluation.10 The Commission has

the  gender  equality  dimension  has  been 

incorporated 

into 

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Council  Regulation  (EC)  No 1260/1999  of  21  June  1999  laying  down  general  provisions  on  the
Structural Funds
Regulation (EC) No 1784/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 1999 on the
European Social Fund, Art. 2 (1 e) and (2 c)
Regulation (EC) No 1783/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 1999 on the
European Regional Development Fund, Art. 2 (2 f)
Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  1257/1999  of  17  May  1999  on  support  for  rural  development  from  the
European  Agricultural  Guidance  and  Guarantee  Fund  (EAGGF)  and  amending  and  repealing  certain
Regulations, Art. 2
Council Resolution of 2 December 1996 on mainstreaming equal opportunities for men and women into
the European Structural Funds (96/C 386/01)
"Conclusions of the ESF final evaluations", European Commission, October 2001
Working Paper 2 "The Ex-Ante Evaluation of the Structural Funds interventions", Annex IV, European
Commission; Working Paper 3 "Indicators for Monitoring and Evaluation: An indicative methodology",
Annex 2, Sheet I, European Commission

3

                                                
also  drawn  up  a  technical  paper  which  sets  out  guidance  on  practical  arrangements  for
implementing gender mainstreaming in the operations cofinanced by the Structural Funds and
presented a definition of gender mainstreaming in the Structural Funds :11

«Gender mainstreaming»  involves  ensuring  that  all  general  measures  and  operations  openly
and actively take into account – during planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation
–  their  effects  on  the  respective  situations  of  women  and  men.  It  also  involves  the
complementary design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of specific measures and
operations to promote equality and to assist women to participate and benefit equally.

Overall,  plans  and  programmes  should  contribute  to  improved  equality  between  men  and
women,  and  should  be  able  to  demonstrate  this  impact,  prior  to,  during  and  after
implementation.

3.

GENDER  MAINSTREAMING  IN  THE  PROGRAMMING  DOCUMENTS  FOR  OBJECTIVES
1, 2 AND 3

3.1.

Thematic priorities of gender equality measures

Gender  equality  is  more  effectively  dealt  with  in  the  current  programmes  of  the  Structural
Funds than in the previous programming period. However, like in the previous period, gender
equality is concentrated in the field of employment and human resources development and to
a large extent funded by the ESF, but neglected in other areas, such as environment, transport,
rural development, research and development, etc. Connections between gender equality and
other horizontal themes such as sustainable development or supporting the knowledge society
are missing in the majority of programmes.

3.1.1.

Focus on ESF funded measures - human resources development

The ESF plays an important role in reducing gender gaps in employment and in achieving the
objectives of the EES by 2010. It has a particular role in relation to the target set at the Lisbon
European  Council  to  increase  the  female  participation  rate  to  60  %,  and  the  targets  agreed
upon in Barcelona to provide childcare to at least 90 % of children between three  years and
school age, and at least 33 % of children younger than three years.

In 2001, employment rates for women have increased in nearly all Member States. However,
the  employment  rate  for  women  in  the  EU  (54.9  %)  is  still  18  percentage  points  below  the
male  rate  (73  %)  and  5.1  points  below  the  target  set  at  the  Lisbon  European  Council.
Moreover, women continue to be over-represented in part-time work. The unemployment rate
for  women  on  EU  average  is  currently  2.4  percentage  points  above  men.  The  presence  of
children has  a larger  impact  on  women  than  on  men's  employment  status.  The  employment
rate  of  women  aged  20-50  without  children  (68  %)  is  12  points  higher  than  that  of  women
with children under 6 years old (56 %).

11

Technical  Paper  3  "Mainstreaming  Equal  Opportunities  For  Women  And  Men  In  Structural  Fund
Programmes And Projects", European Commission, March 2000

4

                                                
Gender gaps in employment 12

EMPLOYMENT

UNEMPLOYMENT

GENDER PAY GAP

GENDER GAP

GENDER GAP

EU-15

Greece

Spain

Italy

Luxembourg

Ireland

Belgium

Netherlands

Austria

Portugal

France

Germany

United
Kingdom

Denmark

Finland

Sweden

18.0

29.8

28.9

27.5

23.9

21.4

18.7

17.5

16.5

15.8

14.1

13.7

13.3

8.3

5.5

2.9

2.3

8.6

8.0

5.6

0.7

-0.2

1.4

1.1

1.3

1.9

3.4

0.4

-1.1

1.1

1.1

-0.3

16.2

13.2

14.3

8.6

N.A.

19.8

7.3

21.1

21.1

5.9

10.8

19.4

24.3

10.4

N.A.

N.A.

In  most  of  the  ESF  programmes,  priorities  concerning  gender  equality  are  focussed  on  two
main  objectives:  improving  women's  access  to  and  participation  in  employment,  education
and training; and improving the reconciliation of work and family life.

The majority of measures related to the participation of women in employment, education and
training  aim  at  promoting  the  employability  of  unemployed  women  and  those  having  an
unemployment  risk  and  at  overcoming  skill  barriers  for  women  entering  or  returning  to  the
labour market. They include training and  counselling for  women  and  awareness-raising  and
information activities.

12

Commission  staff  working  paper:  Assessment  of  the  implementation  of  the  2001  Employment
Guidelines - Supporting Document to the Joint Employment Report 2002

5

                                                
Limited  efforts  are  made  to  improve  job  quality,  empowerment  and  career  development  of
women.  Only  a  few  measures  aim  at  reducing  the  gender  pay  gap  or  promoting  women's
access to management positions or to traditionally male dominated highly qualified jobs in the
information and technology sector. Promoting and supporting women's entrepreneurship and
business start-ups is also a priority mentioned only in a few programmes.

Measures aiming at a better reconciliation of work and family life mainly include support for
care  facilities  for  children.  Very  little  attention  is  paid  to  the  care  of  elderly  and  other
dependants. Some activities intend to promote a more flexible working time but there is often
a lack of accompanying policies.

The  main  concern  from  the  previous  programming  period  -  that  many  measures  reinforce
existing  gender  patterns  and  segregation  -  is  reflected  in  the  current  period.  Measures  to
promote  women  in  the  traditional  service  sector,  counselling,  qualification  and  training  or
investments in childcare are more often found than activities to reduce gender segregation in
the labour market or the gender pay gap, or to promote women in decision-making positions.

The risk  of reinforcing  gender segregation appears to be  particularly  high  in  growth  sectors
such  as  information  technology  sector.  Most  measures  in  these  areas  take  no  account  of
gender inequalities and do not include any actions to promote equal participation of women
and men.

Spanish  programmes  are  good  examples  of  a  wide  range  of  actions  to  improve  women's
participation in the labour market. Out of 12 interventions in Objective 1 regions, 8 regions
include the three measures: to improve women's employability; to promote women's business
activity (i.e. women as entrepreneurs); to fight vertical and horizontal segregation, as well as
salary  discrimination;  and  to  promote  reconciliation  of  family  and  work.  Each  region
foresees  a  wide  range  of  actions,  i.e.:  training  (mainly  in  sectors  where  women  are  under-
represented);  financial  aids  to  enterprises  hiring  unemployed  women;  creation  and
consolidation  of  women  enterprises  (enterprises  founded  by  women/run  by  women/led  by
women); information and dissemination campaigns; research; promoting women in decision-
making positions, etc.

In the Objective 1 Programme "Employment, training and social development"  in Portugal,
the  Measure  "Promotion  of  equal  opportunities  between  women  and  men"  covers  potential
actors and actions in a wide sense. It is structured in three groups of projects:

1)  Structural  measures,  including  studies  and  statistics,  awareness  raising  and  training,
prestige  awards  for  companies  and  public  services,  creation  of  an  Observatory  for  gender
mainstreaming

2) Support for interventions in favour of gender equality, for instance for employers creating
new  working  models,  promotion  of  women's  access  to  Information  Communication
Technology (ICT) training and to male dominated professions

3) Support to NGOs in charge of gender equality (capacity building)

3.1.2. Gender Equality measures funded by the ERDF

Few  programmes  funded  by  the  ERDF  contain  specific  actions  to  promote  gender  equality.
They  belong  mainly  to  Objective  1  regions,  for  instance  in  Italy,  the  UK  and  Finland,  and
concern local and urban development, as well as innovation and R&D.

6

One  group  of  the  projects  that  receive  funds  in  these  programmes  is  aimed  at  supporting
services,  for  instance,  developing  new  service  structures,  or  testing  welfare  services  that
improve participation in the labour market.

Some  actions  are  directly  related  to  the  health  sector,  such  as  health  awareness  measures
including campaigns to tackle teenage pregnancy and drug and alcohol abuse.

include  projects 

A  number  of  projects  aim  at  improving  living  and  environmental  conditions  in  local  and
that  develop  new  ways  of  participation,  or
urban  areas.  These 
activate/encourage inhabitants to improve their environment or promote children's and young
people's  well-being.  Others  include  community  managed  building  design  and  estate
management  strategies,  particularly  those  that  focus  on  tackling  gender,  disability  and  age-
related issues of mobility, access to services and security.

Another  group  of  actions  concerns  the  area  of  innovation  and  information  society.  These
actions  include  initiatives  to  promote  involvement  in  innovation  and  R&D  by  women,  or
incorporate a gender perspective into the support for development and management of science
parks, innovation centres, technology and new media centres.

A  number  of  actions  support  childcare  projects  and  facilities  and  provide  opportunities  to
reconcile family and work. Especially in the area of childcare, there is a greater intervention
and  co-operation  between  the  Funds  in  comparison  with  the  last  programming  period,  for
instance in Ireland, Greece and Italy, where childcare services are supported by both the ESF
and the ERDF.

A good example is the Objective 1 Programme for East Finland.  The Measure "Developing
the structures of everyday life" in the Programme Complement aims to develop new kinds of
participation and innovative service structures and activities. Its objective is to benefit from
civil society, and to develop new interaction between different groups of people and between
working life and leisure time. With regard to the impact on gender equality, the activities are
supposed  especially  to  create  new  jobs  for  women.  Integrating  IT  into  everyday  life  will
enhance women's interest in technology and improve market demand for women's skills in the
IT-sector.

The  Programme  Complement  to  the  Italian  Objective  1  Programme  for  Mezzogiorno  is
intended, within the promotion of centres of competence, to encourage especially initiatives of
women entrepreneurs in the field of environmental protection.

3.1.3. Gender Equality measures funded by the EAGGF and the FIFG

The  gender  dimension  is  less  visible  in  the  majority  of  EAGGF  and  FIFG  measures  than
within ESF programmes.

In  the  implementation  of  the  EAGGF  Regulation  13,  certain  obstacles  have  emerged  which
make  it  difficult  to  integrate  the  principle  of  gender  equality.  The  majority  of  funding
concerns  the  agricultural  sector  where  women  are  underrepresented.  Actions  are  primarily
focused on farms and their  beneficiaries  are  the  farm  owners.  The  fact  that  only  one  out  of
five farm owners is a woman reduces the possibility for women to benefit directly from these
projects. Farmers' wives and female employees are ignored by this kind of funding.

13

see footnote 7

7

                                                
In most of the programmes, there is a lack of sex-disaggregated statistics, analysis of gender
inequalities  in  rural  areas  and  in  the  agriculture  and  fisheries  sector,  and  of  gender  impact
assessment. A few programmes clearly identify disadvantages of women but do  not address
them  in  measures  to  ensure  that  women  will  participate  and  benefit  equally  from  actions.
Gender  imbalances  might  even  increase  when,  for  instance,  as  indicated  in  a  measure  to
encourage young farmers to take over or improve farms, it is explicitly foreseen that less than
6 % of the beneficiaries will be women. Only in exceptional cases, are amounts allocated for
the  promotion  of  women  through  quota.  Certain  regions  (for  instance  the  Provence  Alpes
Côte  d'Azur,  France)  took  the  initiative  to  include  gender  equality  as  a  criteria  in  project
selection.

Actions  linked  to  areas  where  the  representation  of  women  is  higher  concern  a  rather  low
percentage  of  the  programmes.  Measures  which  might  have  a  positive  impact  on  gender
equality mainly  cover  areas such as diversification, training,  new  employment  opportunities
and  setting  up  small  enterprises  in  rural  tourism,  producing  and  selling  regional  products,
childcare.

A number of Rural Development Plans (RDP) state the principle of gender equality but refer
to other funds, especially to the  ESF,  which  intervenes in rural  areas  in terms  of vocational
training  and  employment aspects,  and  the  ERDF  for  equipment  aspects,  services,  small  and
medium-sized enterprises. Whilst all regions could benefit from ESF financing, only regions
classified as Objective 1 or 2 can benefit from ERDF.

In  the  EAGGF  funded  Community  Initiative  LEADER+,  certain  Member  States  foresee  a
quota of women for the  partnerships in  the  groups of  local  action  (GAL): 40 %  in  Sweden,
with  the  aim  to  reach  50  %;  20  %  in  the  Netherlands.  In  LEADER  +  ,  the  programmes
presented take the needs of women in rural areas into account. However, as the programmes
have  just  started,  it  is  too  early  to  judge  to  what  extent  rural  women  will  benefit  from  the
introduction of this priority.

The  insufficient  incorporation  of  the  gender  perspective  was  addressed  by  the  Agriculture
Council in May 2002. In the conclusions, the Council called for equal opportunities between
women  and  men  to  be  promoted  at  European  level  and  incorporated  into  all  programmes
receiving  support  from  the  Structural  Funds.  These  undertakings  should  now  be  translated
into objectives, activities and specific measures.14

The  Common  Fisheries  Policies  programming  for  2000-2006,  takes  gender  mainstreaming
and the conditions of women in the fisheries sector and their needs, into account on the basis
of  the  recommendations  in  the  study  "The  role  of  women  in  the  fisheries  sector  in  the  15
Member  States"  and  national/regional  initiatives.  Regulation  No  2792/199915  has  taken
gender mainstreaming into account:

– 

14

15

In  Article  11,  activities  of  the  family  of  fishermen,  professional  requalification,
training,  improvement  of  sanitary  and  working  conditions  in  small  scale  coastal
fishing is incorporated into FIFG activities, on the basis of experience in the previous
programme.

2428th Council meeting - AGRICULTURE - Brussels, 27 May 2002, 8959/02 (Presse 148)
Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  2792/1999  of  17  December  1999  laying  down  the  detailed  rules  and
arrangements regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries sector, see footnote 2

8

                                                
– 

In Article 15, the regulation takes into account operations of collective interest with a
broader  scope,  where  women  are  very  supportive.  It  foresees,  among  others,  the
financing of training activities on land, creation of business incubators (women could
be active in other commercial activities on land).

However, positive examples of the actual implementation of the gender perspective are rarely
visible. In order to improve the gender perspective, a conference on the role of women in the
fisheries sector will be organised by the Commission in Brussels in January 2003 in order to
exchange experiences, good practices, and identify benchmark initiatives to be promoted.

3.2.

The strategy to reach gender equality

The legislative framework for 2000-2006 has helped raise the profile of gender equality in the
programming documents. Member States have accepted the commitment to gender equality,
though many programmes lack specification. In most of the programmes, there is a significant
gap  between  analysis  and  programming  strategy.  An  analysis  of  differences  in  the  socio-
economic circumstances of women and men in order to define the obstacles to be overcome is
evident in only a few plans and programmes. However, even where the analysis clearly points
to  certain  gender  gaps,  the  strategy  for  reducing  these  gaps  and  achieving  gender  equality
does  not  always  match  the  analysis.  For  instance,  serious  weaknesses  or  inequalities
concerning women's situation in the labour market and in economic life, which are identified
in the data, are often not addressed in the strategy and its priorities and measures. The analysis
in  the  programmes  does  not  always  lead  to  the  definition  of  strategic  gender  equality
objectives or concrete measures in the Programme Complements.

3.2.1.

Visibility of the dual strategy: gender mainstreaming and specific action

Community Support Frameworks (CSFs) and Single Programming Documents (SPDs) often
aim  at  a  horizontal  integration  of  gender  equality  into  all  actions  and  programme  priorities
together  with  specific  measures  to  reduce  gender  gaps.  As  in  the  previous  programming
periods, the ESF is the Fund where this dual approach is the most visible.

Many  of  Objective  1  and  2  interventions  include  some  specific  gender  equality  actions.
However, although specific actions have been promoted in the framework of Structural Funds
programmes and initiatives for more than 10  years - and are clearly identified as part of the
gender mainstreaming strategy - about a third of the programmes make no mention of specific
actions at all.

Instruments or procedures to ensure gender equality in mainstream measures or priorities exist
to a certain extent in 70 % of Objective 2 interventions, but only in a minority of Objective 1
interventions.16

While  there  is  often  the  intention  to  treat  gender  as  a  cross-cutting  theme,  the  gender
dimension  is  lacking  in  the  description  of  priorities  and  measures,  for  instance  in  the
Programme Complements. In only a few programmes is a real cross-cutting approach visible.
Such  programmes  contain  a  systematic  gender  impact  assessment  as  well  as  tools  and
instruments  to  ensure  that  gender  equality  is  one  of  the  criteria  for  project  selection,
monitoring  and  evaluation.  Good  examples  are  found  in  Germany,  the  Objective  2

16

The figures concerning Objective 1 and 2 programmes in Chapter III have been taken  from the study
"Integration  of  equal  opportunities  in  Objective  1  and  Objective  2  Structural  Fund  programme
documents"

9

                                                
Programmes  of  Bavaria,  North  Rhine-Westphalia  and  Lower  Saxony,  and  the  Objective  1
Programmes  of  Berlin,  Brandenburg  and  Saxony-Anhalt;  in  the  United  Kingdom,  the
Objective 2 Programmes of North West England and Yorkshire & Humber, and the Objective
1 Programmes of South Yorkshire and West Wales & Valleys; and the East Finland Objective
1 Programme.

The  North  West  England  Objective  2  Programme  presents  a  detailed  and  comprehensive
strategy  for  gender  mainstreaming  as  a  cross-cutting  theme.  Specific  equal  opportunity
targets  have  been  developed  for  the  three  vertical  priorities,  focusing  in  particular  on
numbers  of  jobs  created  and  safeguarded,  new  companies  and  SMEs  assisted,  and  the
securing of positive outcomes in terms of learning, employment, self-employment and micro-
business  creation.  The  Equal  Opportunity  Strategy  involves  three  mechanisms:  scoring  and
appraisal  criteria  for  projects,  an  Equal  Opportunities  Advisory  Group,  support  and
guidance for project sponsors.

– 

Recommendation / Action needed:

Programme leaders at all levels need to show their commitment to gender mainstreaming as a
transversal priority across all Funds and Objectives.

3.2.2.

Targets, data and indicators

Specific objectives and targets to reduce gender inequalities (for instance reduced vertical or
horizontal  labour  market  segregation,  reduced  gender  pay  gap)  and  to  promote  gender
equality (for instance increased female activity rates, increased number of women setting-up
businesses) are rare. Clearly quantified objectives are proposed in a minority of interventions
across  all  Objectives,  such  as  in  the  Objective  1  Programmes  of  Burgenland  (Austria),
Thuringia  (Germany),  North  Finland,  the  Vocational  Training  and  Social  Integration
Programme of Portugal, and South Yorkshire (UK).

The  Guadeloupe  (France)  Programme  contains  a  number  of  quantified  targets:  25  %
reduction of female unemployment by 2006; training of 60500 women (= 55 %); training of
125 female entrepreneurs (= 50 %); training of 1947 illiterate women (= 59 %).

In line with the requirement in Article 36 (2) of the General Regulation, the great majority of
interventions in all three Objectives include at least some baseline data broken down by sex in
their  diagnosis  of  the  situation.  A  number  of  programmes  even  present  systematic,
comprehensive statistics disaggregated by sex.

A  set  of  data  broken  down  by  sex  serves  as  the  necessary  input  for  developing  indicators
related  to  gender  issues,  that  is  to  say,  to  monitor  gender  gaps  and  to  measure  progress  in
gender equality.

In fact, nearly 50 % of Objective 1 and about 30 % of Objective 2 interventions do not foresee
any gender-sensitive or gender equality indicators. In only a small minority of interventions,
are they presented systematically, for instance in Germany, Spain, Finland, Portugal and the
United Kingdom.

10

In  Ireland,  the  RTDI17  -  Forestry  Research  Sub-Measure  (Objective  1  Programme
equality:
Complement) 
- Gender composition of those undertaking short-term research missions (target 2006 45 %)
-Gender balance of COFORD18 staff (target 2006 40-50 %)

to  measure  gender 

indicators 

following 

contains 

the 

– 

Recommendation / Action needed:

The provision and systematic use of data broken down by sex and quantified indicators and
targets  is  required  to  measure  the  effectiveness  of  Structural  Funds  operations  concerning
gender equality, in particular with regard to the mid-term review. For the mid-term evaluation
- which is a key element for the mid-term review - appropriate equality indicators are needed
which,  instead  of  numerical  counting,  measure  reduced  disparities  or  improved  equality
between women and men at results and impact levels.

3.3.

Gender mainstreaming instruments in programming and implementation

Gender mainstreaming  is a relatively  new  area  of expertise  and is  not  easy  to  implement in
national  policies  and  programmes.  It  is  therefore  essential  to  bring  on  board  all  available
resources and expertise. As far as the Structural  Funds  are concerned, this  can  be  done in a
number of places, such as ex-ante evaluation, partnership, Monitoring Committees, training,
allocation of resources, project selection criteria, information and publicity.

Ex-ante evaluation concerning the gender dimension

In spite of the clear requirement in Article 41 (2) (c) of the General Regulation, a substantial
proportion  of  programmes  do  not  include  an  ex-ante  evaluation  of  the  situation  in  terms  of
gender equality.

A  good  example  is  the  ex-ante  evaluation  of  the  Spanish  Objective  1  Programme  for
Andalucia. The evaluation is preceded by a comprehensive analysis/diagnosis of the situation
of  women  in  the  labour  market,  by  sectors,  by  ages,  salaries,  in  education  and  vocational
training, in the enterprises, in rural areas, conciliation with family life, etc., based on updated
data broken down by sex. Such analysis points to factors behind the gender imbalances that
need to be addressed. The ex-ante evaluation sums up the conclusions in a matrix establishing
the  degree  of  coherence  of  each  priority  and  measure  of  the  Programme  with  the  EU
priorities  in  the  field  of  equal  opportunities.  It  scores  their  impact  with  the  terms:  "high
impact; medium impact; low impact, or not possible to evaluate." Furthermore, it quantifies
the expected results in terms of number of women beneficiaries of the measures. To ensure the
achievements  of  the  quantified  results,  it  proposes  some  measures  and  indicators  to  be
included  in  the  Programme  Complement  as  well  as  the  creation  of  an  Observatory.
Unfortunately, the diagnosis, evaluation and recommendations have not been fully translated
in the Programme Complement.

Equality Partnerships

Article  8  (1)  of  the  General  Regulation  explicitly  states  that  the  need  to  promote  gender
equality  shall  be  taken  into  account  in  designating  partnership.  Appropriate  knowledge  and
skills in gender issues, at the right phases and right levels, is critical to the success of plans
and programmes.

17

18

Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Irish National Council for Forest Research and Development

11

                                                
In  fact,  the  majority  of  programming  documents  of  Objective  2  and  3  mention  some
consultation  with  bodies  concerned  with  equality  issues  during  the  preparation  of  the
programmes.  But  in  most cases, this  was  limited  to  formal,  "arms-length"  consultation  with
national  or  regional  gender  equality  bodies  or  departments.  Gender  equality  organisations,
including  NGOs,  were  involved  systematically  only  in  a  minority  of  cases,  for  instance  in
Objective  2  programmes  in  Austria,  Germany,  and  Spain,  whereas  nearly  four  in  five
Objective 1 programmes make no mention of any consultation with gender equality bodies.

In those regions where partnerships with gender equality organisations already existed in the
previous programming period, these structures play an important role and are also involved
in  all  stages  in  the  current  period,  e.g.  the  regional  offices  "Women  and  Employment"  in
North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) and the working group "Women and Economy" in Berlin.
In Berlin, since the end of 2000 a “gender-committee” under the responsibility of the ministry
in charge has been established for monitoring and counselling in relation to concerning the
further  implementation  of  the  gender  mainstreaming  approach  in  all  Structural  Funds
interventions.

– 

Recommendation / Action needed:

Managing  authorities,  Monitoring  Committees,  local  programme  managers  and  project
promoters are requested to elaborate and maintain partnership with gender equality experts at
all  levels  and  stages  during  the  implementation  process,  e.g.  by  regular  meetings  or
consultations, ad-hoc meetings on specific issues, working groups etc.

Monitoring Committees

Gender balance

A number of Member States have declared an intention to promote a balanced participation of
men  and  women  in  Monitoring  Committees,  in  line  with  Article  35  (1)  of  the  General
Regulation.  However,  this  statement  often  seems  to  be  more  of  a  recommendation  than  a
commitment.  Only  16  %  of  the  programmes  under  Objective  2,  and  14  %  of  those  under
Objective  1  give  clear  statements  of  an  intention  to  promote  or  ensure  gender-balanced
Monitoring Committees. The worst performers, with hardly any reference in their Objective 1
or 2 programmes, are Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands.

Gender  balance  in  Monitoring  Committees  according  to  most  of  Objective  1  and  2
programming documents

Gender balance in

substantial

partly

not at all

Monitoring
Committees

Austria

Belgium

Denmark

Finland

X

X

X

X

12

France

Germany

Greece

Ireland

Italy

Netherlands

Portugal

Spain

Sweden

United Kingdom

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Participation of gender experts

In the majority of Objective 1 and 3 interventions, national or regional organisations or bodies
in charge of gender equality are formally represented in Monitoring Committees. In contrast
to that, nearly 60 % of Objective 2 interventions do not mention at all a participation of such
organisations. A few notable exceptions are some regional Objective 1 and 2 Programmes in
Germany and the United Kingdom where they are referred to in a very precise manner.

The  Objective  2  Programme  for  Bavaria  (Germany)  clearly  lists  the  gender  equality
representatives  to  participate  in  the  Monitoring  Committee:  responsible  public  authorities,
women's NGOs, authority for family affairs and, a number of local representatives.

The  Objective  2  Programme  for  Yorkshire  &  Humber  (UK)  explicitly  mentions  the
involvement of the Equal Opportunities Council and the Women's Training Network.

Gender equality working groups

In the vast majority  -  nearly  three-quarters  -  of  Objective  1  and  2  interventions,  there  is  no
reference to the creation of working groups on gender equality issues. Only a small minority
of interventions explicitly mention the setting-up of such groups.

The  working  group  for  Gender  Equality  Issues  in  the  Monitoring  Committee  of  the  Obj
Programme  in  Sweden  observes  gender  equality  aspects  in  the  entire  programme  and  can  p
changes when necessary, makes proposals for the use of special funds for gender equality. The 
group has organised a national conference on gender equality for all those working with the O
3  Programme  (unless  the  Objective  3  programme  is  on  gender  equality  aspects)  and  is  pr
instructional  material  how  to  deal  with  gender  equality  issues  -  together  with  the  National 
Equality Ombudsman Office - targeted especially at small work places with less than 10 employ

13

– 

Recommendation / Action needed:

Monitoring Committees are the key actors to oversee the implementation of the programmes
and  reaching  targets.  Knowledge  of  gender  equality  objectives  and  gender  mainstreaming
tools is therefore essential and needs to be ensured through the setting up of special working
groups and the participation of gender experts and gender balance in the Committees.

Gender mainstreaming training

Implementing gender mainstreaming systematically is not an easy task  and requires  training
on how to use the various tools. However, around 85 % of interventions do not present any
gender  awareness-raising  or  training  measures  for  staff  in  Structural  Funds  managing
authorities  or  members  of  Monitoring  Committees.  Good  examples  exist  only  in  some
programmes, for instance in Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

In Ireland, gender mainstreaming training is offered to Monitoring Committee members and
all  those  responsible  for  implementing  ESF  on  a  daily  basis.  The  "NDP  Gender  Equality
Unit" within the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform runs training sessions for
policy-makers and implementing agencies, for instance on gender mainstreaming in relation
to urban development.

– 

Recommendation / Action needed:

Apart from gender experts involved in programming and implementation, those who have an
influence  on  implementing  the  programmes  have  to  get  training  -  on  the  benefits  gender
mainstreaming  brings,  as  well  as  on  the  key  tools  for  effective  gender  mainstreaming.
Training needs to be provided for members of Monitoring Committees, managing and paying
authorities, project appraisers, programme secretariats, project applicants and sponsors.

Allocation of resources for specific actions to promote gender equality

The  financial  allocation  planned  for  specific  actions  in  favour  of  gender  equality  varies
between the Member States and between programmes.

Within  the  ESF,  policy  field  E  (Women's  access  to  and  participation  in  the  labour  market)
receives only 6 % of the total support which is the smallest part of assistance compared to the
other  fields:  Field  A  (Active  labour  market  policies)  receives  24  %  which  is  the  greatest
funding,  followed  by  D  (Adaptable  workforce):  24  %,  C  (Lifelong  learning):  21  %,  and  B
(Social inclusion): 15 %. The table below shows the ESF funding across the Member States
for policy field E in Euro and the percentage of total spending19:

Total spending
in Euro

%

Total  spending
in Euro

%

Austria

76,782,000

10.5 %

France

257,352,700

3.8 %

Italy

837,469,241

10.0 %

Belgium

38,252,364

3.5 %

Germany

1,099,335,311

9.5 %

Denmark

10,498,333

2.3 %

19

The  figures  have  been  taken  from  the  study  "Review  of  the  proposed  implementation  of  the  ESF
regulation across the EU"

14

                                                
Luxembourg

3,380,600

4.6 %

Netherlands

43,139,000

2.2 %

UK

Greece

Spain

Ireland

355,121,072

4.6 %

Sweden

8,102,800

193,761,925

4.5 %

Finland

6,723,000

0.8 %

0.8 %

521,899,539

4.4 %

Portugal

17,240,700

0.4 %

46,631,000

4.3 %

EU

3,515,689,585

6.0 %

Only three Member States, Austria, Italy and Germany, devote more than the EU average to
policy field E. However, it is difficult to compare the level of funding for this policy field. A
Member States's relatively low level of funding in this area may not necessary  reflect a low
concern  for  gender  issues  but  might  indicate  that  activities  to  promote  gender  equality  are
funded under the other policy fields.

A comparison between the gender employment gap and planned ESF expenditure on specific
action  for  women  might  suggest  that  some  Member  States  with  a  large  gender  gap  spend
significantly  less  than  other  Member  States  where  the  gender  employment  gap  is  much
smaller.20.

Comparison of the employment gap between men and women and planned 
ESF expenditure on specific actions for women

Greece*

Ireland

F
S
E
%

Italy

Spain

Luxembourg

Austria

Germany

UK

Belgium

France

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

Difference between employment rate between men and women

Portugal

Netherlands

Denmark

14

12

10

Finland

Sweden

8

6

4

2

0

0

20

Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the Economic and
Social  Committee  on  European  Social  Fund  Support  for  the  European  Employment  Strategy,
23.01.2001, COM (2001) 16 final/2, Annex 5

15

 
                                                
According to the "Commission Staff Working Paper on the Results of the Programming of the
Structural Funds for 2000-2006 (Objective 1) - Technical Annexes",21 29.63 % of the budget
goes to assistance for human resources. Within this type of assistance, 4.6 % goes to specific
action to favour women in the labour market.

– 

Recommendation / Action needed:

As  part  of  the  mid-term  review,  an  assessment  should  be  made  as  to  the  adequacy  of
resources for activities to promote gender equality. Sufficient resources are essential to allow
the dual approach - gender mainstreaming and specific action.

Project selection criteria concerning gender equality

In less than 25 % of programmes is a systematic approach taken to include gender equality as
one  of  the  selection  criteria  for  projects  across  the  programme  or  in  most  priorities  and
measures.  A  number  of  programmes  present  scoring  methods  for  project  selection.  Good
examples  can  be  found  in  several  programmes,  for  instance  in  Germany,  Spain,  Greece,
Finland, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

In the Objective 1 Campania Programme (Italy) the impact on gender equality is a priority
selection criteria in a number of measures. Examples:

- Support for the development of micro-enterprises in national and regional parks;

- Support for installations to produce renewable energies and to improve the distribution of
electricity in industrial areas;

- Support for the development of human competence and entrepreneurship in the cultural and
leisure sector.

– 

Recommendation / Action needed:

Clear  project  selection  criteria  concerning  gender  equality  should  be  defined  by  managing
authorities. Project appraisers should reject proposals in case of inadequate attention of these
criteria. But apart from developing criteria for selecting projects, it is also important to look at
the  projects  finally  selected.  Implementation  reports  should  include  information  such  as  the
number  of  projects  aiming  at  gender  equality,  the  amount  of  money  spent  on  them,  the
specific areas they cover etc.

Information and publicity concerning gender equality

In spite of the clear reference in Article 46 (2)(a) of the General Regulation, the majority of
programmes  do  not  mention  measures  of  information  and  publicity  targeting  women  or
women's  organisations.  Only  a  small  percentage  -  regional  programmes  in  Austria,  Spain,
Germany,  United  Kingdom  -  provide  a  description  of  the  action  to  be  taken  to  inform
organisations and bodies involved in women's and equality issues.

The  figures  are  even  worse  for  measures  of  technical  assistance  which  shall  include,
according to Article 23 of the General Regulation, inter alia the exchange of experience and
information aimed at the partners, the final beneficiaries, and the general public. Less than 8

21

SEC(2001) 1140/2, 18 July 2001

16

                                                
% of Objective 1 and 2 programmes, namely in Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom,
provide technical assistance targeted at women's or equality organisations. While not required
explicitly by the Regulation, the provision of technical support to equality organisations can
be considered as an  indicator  of  the  extent  to  which  programmes  make  an  effort  to  involve
women and to make use of the expertise and experience of such organisations.

In Austria, a "Co-ordinating Unit for Gender Mainstreaming within the ESF" has been set up
to inform and support all ESF actors in implementing gender mainstreaming, by networking
(round tables across all Länder, international contacts), offering counselling, and providing
and distributing information also to a wider public (website, database etc).22

– 

Recommendation / Action needed:

Distributing  and  sharing  information  and  in  particular  best  practices,  including  those  from
previous programming periods, is vital for effective gender mainstreaming. The Commission
and  national  authorities  should  co-operate  to  develop  mechanisms  for  systematic  collection
and dissemination of information and best practices, for instance through good practice guides
or manuals. Moreover, implementing gender mainstreaming in Structural Funds programming
requires  incorporating  the  gender  perspective  in  technical  assistance  and  in  general
information measures, as well as funding specific information activities targeted at women.

4.

FINDINGS / RECOMMENDATIONS

Gender  equality  is  an  essential  element  of  economic  and  social  cohesion.  Since  the  Fourth
World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995, the EU has adopted a dual  approach
for the effective promotion of gender equality : a balanced combination of specific measures
for the under-represented sex and "gender mainstreaming" measures, i.e. the incorporation of
the  gender  dimension  in  all  Community  policies.  This  approach  applies  also  to  gender
equality activities within the Structural Funds.

Gender  mainstreaming  in  the  Structurals  Funds  involves  ensuring  that  all  general  measures
and  interventions  openly  and  actively  take  into  account  –  during  planning,  implementation,
monitoring and evaluation – their effects on the  respective situations of women and men.  It
also  involves  the  complementary  design,  implementation,  monitoring  and  evaluation  of
specific measures and operations, to promote equality and to assist women to participate and
benefit  equally  from  the  Structurals  Funds  and,  more  generally,  from  economic  and  social
cohesion.

Experience shows that gender equality is a complex policy area, and that there are a number
of  obstacles  to  the  successful  implementation  of  a  dual  approach  involving  both  specific
measures and mainstreaming.

The following recommendations are designed to address the above obstacles immediately :

Immediate actions

1.

Specific measures aimed  at  the  under-represented  sex  are  essential  as  a  first  step  –
for which dedicated funding needs to be visible. Member States and their Managing
Authorities  are  invited  to  introduce  incentives  aimed  at  raising  the  awareness  and

22

www.gem.or.at

17

                                                
importance  of  gender  in  all  Structural  Funds  programmes.  This  could  be  done  in
particular by assigning, from the outset, additional points in the selection criteria to
those  projects  which  contribute  to  gender  equality,  e.g.  with  gender  balanced
participation.

Some  Member  States  have  placed  the  majority  of  their  emphasis  on  gender
mainstreaming  –  which  risks  making  their  actual  funding  allocation  difficult  to
identify and monitor. Member States are therefore invited to clearly identify, on the
one hand, the funding allocated to specific gender equality actions and on the other
hand,  those  programmes  and  projects  which  contribute  to  gender  equality  (gender
mainstreaming). Member States should report on these figures with clear indicators
as part of the mid-term review of the Structural Funds as of 2003.

Effective gender mainstreaming is difficult and requires specific expertise. As this is
a relatively new area, especially in the Structural Funds :

a)  Member  States  are  requested  to  encourage,  through  Managing  Authorities,
Monitoring Committees, local programme and project managers, especially in
the  short  term,  the  use  of  gender  equality  expertise,  and  to  ensure  the
presence  of  representatives  of  equality  bodies  and  research  institutions  in
Structural Funds Monitoring Committees ;

b)  Member  States  are  requested  to  establish  awareness-raising  measures  and
training  in  gender  mainstreaming  for  Managing  Authorities,  members  of
Monitoring Committees, programme and project managers and partners.

All  policies  are  improved  with  ex-ante  evaluation  and  impact  assessment.  In  the
context  of  gender  mainstreaming,  ex-ante  evaluation  relies  on  the  availability  of
analysis  using  sex-disaggregated  statistics.  Gender  impact  assessment  needs  clear
qualitative and quantitative gender equality indicators for monitoring and evaluating
output  and  results.  Member  States  are  urged  to  ensure,  notably  through  their
Managing  Authorities, 
impact
assessment  become  an  inherent  component  of  Structural  Funds  interventions,
including  in  "non-traditional"  gender  equality  domains  such  as  infrastructure,
transport or environment.

that  sex-disaggregated  statistics  and  gender 

Each Member State is invited to appoint a high-level representative to coordinate the
national  strategy  for  gender  equality,  to  contribute  to  the  co-ordination  of  the  EU
strategy,  and  to  participate  in  a  high  level  group  to  support  the  implementation  of
gender mainstreaming in Structural Funds interventions.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Mid-term review

The  mid-term  review  will  provide  an  opportunity  to  identify  reorientations  to  the
programming  which  may  be  needed  to  ensure  the  achievement  of  the  original  objectives  of
supporting gender equality. The mid-term evaluation which will be available from mid-2003
will  serve  as  an  important  basis  for  the  mid-term  review,  and  as  a  useful  tool  to  show

18

achievements  and  obstacles  in  incorporating  gender  equality  in  the  implementation  of  the
programmes, and to identify good practices.23

The mid-term review of the Structural Funds will build on the findings and recommendations
presented in this Communication in  order  to  enhance  the  gender  equality  perspective  in  the
implementation  of  programmes  in  the  current  programming  period,  as  well  as  being  a
foundation for future action.

During  the  first  semester  of  2003,  the  Commission  will  elaborate  guidelines  for  the
implementation of the mid-term review, which will take into account the recommendations of
this Communication.

Future considerations

The  findings  and  recommendations  stemming  from  the  current  programming  period  of  the
Structural Funds address deep-rooted issues that can only be dealt with over the longer term;
therefore, they will, in substance, also remain valid for future Structural Funds interventions.
In particular the allocation of funding for gender equality activities must be retained and even
increased in most porgrammes.

A  number  of  issues  arise  for  further  examination  when  looking  at  the  future  promotion  of
gender equality in the Union. The Commission considers the following as the most important
ones:

– 

– 

– 

23

Equal  opportunities  between  women  and  men  must  remain  a  priority  with  the  dual
approach  –  gender  mainstreaming  and  specific  actions  –  which  has  proved  its
effectiveness, being continued.

Investment in human and social capital in the knowledge society will form the basis
of long-term growth of Europe. Consequently, future interventions  should focus  on
preventing the exclusion of women from these areas by giving particular attention to
encouraging  high  quality  training  and  employment  in  the  ICT  and  R&D  sector,  in
tandem  with  a  wider  commitment  to  promoting  female  entrepreneurship,  life-long
learning, training, skills and qualifications for women in non-traditional areas.

The  Structural  Funds  should  play  an  important  role  in  the  specific  context  of  the
forthcoming  enlargement  of  the  Union,  especially  in  combating  the  potential  risks
faced  by  women  in  new  Member  States,  particularly  those  who  are  exposed  to  the
adverse  effects  of  economic  and  social  restructuring,  such  as  the  increase  of
unemployment and the decrease of childcare provision.

The Commission’s guidelines for evaluation of STRUCTURAL FUNDS operations "Working Paper 8:
The Mid-Term Evaluation of the Structural Funds Interventions" (December 2000) emphasise the need
to assess the extent to which the gender dimension has been integrated into the forms of assistance.

19