On 25 November 2020, the European Commission published its third Gender Action Plan “An ambitious vision on gender equality and women’s empowerment for EU external action”, more commonly known as GAP III.
This document will be the EU’s policy framework to deal with issues ranging from gender-based violence, to sexual and reproductive health rights and digital transformation.
EuroMed Rights welcomes the current proposal. In its third edition, this Gender Action Plan shows the EU’s strong commitment to uphold women’s and LGBTIQ+ rights. As it stands, the plan builds on previous evaluations made by women’s rights organisations to develop an ambitious, intersectional vision for women’s and LGBTIQ+ rights in the world. EuroMed Rights appreciates the incorporation of a majority of its recommendations that were brought forward by women’s rights organisations in the final document.
However, both the approval and implementation of the Gender Action Plan are most likely to face strong opposition – even from within the EU, from some of its Member States. In the general context of backlash against gender equality, ensuring the support of independent women’s rights organisations cannot be underestimated. Anti-gender movements and government-organised non-governmental organisations (GONGOs) are on the rise while the space available for women’s rights and LGBTIQ+ rights organisations is shrinking in several countries of the Euro-Mediterranean region. In this regard, the actual role of women’s rights organisations in the advancement of the GAP is not clearly formulated, although they are understood to be at the forefront of all major socio-political transformations.
“Achieving gender equality is an everyday battle but this document, elaborated with the participation of women’s rights organisations and civil society in general, is an important step in the right direction. EuroMed Rights now encourages the EU to dedicate the necessary resources to ensure that this policy is reflected in everyday practice, and that the work ahead includes an active involvement of feminist organisations and activists on the ground. In the struggle against the rising anti-gender and anti-feminist backlashes, all actors need to be mobilised,” declared EuroMed Rights President, Wadih Al-Asmar.