EU moves to promote gender equality, women’s empowerment

Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja

European Union (EU) Commission and the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has put forward ambitious plans to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment through external action of the EU.

The EU delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States disclosed this in a statement in Abuja by its Politics, Press and Information Officer, Modestus Chukwulaka.

The development is part of the Gender Action Plan III aimed at putting women and girls’ rights at the heart of the global recovery for a gender-equal world.

The Gender Action Plan III provides the EU with a policy framework with five pillars of action for accelerating progress towards meeting international commitments and a world in which everyone has space to thrive.

The five pillars of actions, according to the EU, are that 85 percent of new actions throughout external relations will contribute to gender equality and women’s empowerment by 2025; shared strategic vision and close cooperation with member states and partners at multilateral, regional and country level; accelerating progress, focusing on the key thematic areas of engagement; leading by example and measuring results.

The EU also said the new plan makes the promotion of gender equality a priority of all external policies and actions; offers a roadmap for working together with stakeholders at national, regional and multilateral levels; steps up action in strategic thematic areas; calls for the institutions to lead by example, and ensures the transparency of the results.