equality - policies and tools EuroMed Rights Gender Working Group - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

EuroMed Rights and gender equality - policies and tools EuroMed Rights Gender Working Group meeting April 2-3 2016 Gender Programme Officer Sarah Gjerding

EuroMed Rights and gender equality • EuroMed Rights has a Gender Equality Policy Paper:  Why and how to work on gender equality  Clarifies our joint commitment It will have to be updated by GWG/EC before 2018 • Why work for gender equality?  to make full use of all human ressources and capacities (in society and organisations)  to promote just, democratic and equitable societies

Content of the Gender Equality Policy Paper (GEPP) Five sections: • The political context for women’s rights and gender equality • The concepts and definitions of the gender-based approach used in the policy paper • The reasoning behind having an EuroMed Rights policy on gender equality • The references of the gender equality policy and how EuroMed Rights will work towards achieving gender equality in its work • The objectives of the EuroMed Rights gender equality policy

Political context & concepts and definitions Political context: • Outlines deeply intrenched inequalities in the region • The coming into being of the Istanbul Plan of Action Concepts and definitions: • Outlines the definition of the gender-based approach: female and male roles as social and cultural contructions • Definition of gender mainstreaming

Why and how a EuroMed Rights GEPP? • To make EuroMed Rights’ political commitment towards women’s rights durable and to clarify its commitment to gender equality • EuroMed Rights has adopted a series of measures and provisions in its statutory and strategic documents and structures to promote gender equality both internally and externally

References of the EuroMed Rights GEPP • Fundamental reference is CEDAW and it’s optional protocol & the Istanbul Plan of Action • Training, availability of ressources • Favouring the empowerment of women • Affirmative action • Specific actions to support the implementation of the above mentioned treaties

Objectives of the GEPP • To promote gender equality in order to contribute to the transformation of the societies in the Euro- Mediterranean region • As a prerequisite to this: achieve gender equality in its structures and activities through: - awareness raising and training of staff and members - integration of the gender dimension in core documents and decision making bodies - actions and specific programmes aimed at the defense and promotion of women’s rights and gender equality