Since 2004, EuroMed Rights has been working proactively on promoting women’s rights and gender equality in the Euro-Med region. In 2011, EuroMed Rights drafted a Gender Equality Policy Paper (GEPP) outlining its commitments and objectives with regard to gender equality. This policy was subsequently approved by the Executive Committee and adopted by the General Assembly in 2012. Furthermore, EuroMed Rights’ commitment to the promotion of gender equality is enshrined in its statutes and bylaws and is at the forefront of its decision-making structures.
EuroMed Rights has carried out three previous Gender audits in 2008, 2012 and 2015 to evaluate the level of gender mainstreaming of EuroMed Rights structures and activities (2008 and 2012) as well as the level of gender equality awareness and gender mainstreaming efforts of the EuroMed Rights membership (2015). It has also developed a gender mainstreaming reference kit for civil society organisations to promote gender mainstreaming in their work and has been offering trainings on this basis since 2008.
In June 2018, the current EuroMed Rights Gender Mainstreaming strategy expired. The present audit, conducted during the first half of 2018, therefore aims at evaluating and tacking stock of the progress made towards implementing this strategy as well as the challenges met during the strategy period. More specifically the audit:
- Outlines the advancements and achievements at the three levels of the strategy since its adoption in 2016
- Analyses the challenges met in the implementation of the strategy
- Outlines the lessons learnt during the implementation of the strategy
- Comes up with recommendations for the future mandate of the Network