Fostering Gender Equality: Meeting the Entrepreneurship and Microfinance Challenge 

EU DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities – Promotion of Gender Equality in Local Development

The European Commission aims to integrate a gender perspective into every stage of policy processes, in order to promote equality between women and men. This means assessing how policies impact on the life and position of both women and men – and taking responsibility to re-address them if necessary.

The Community Framework Strategy on Gender Equality (2001-2005) set out an Action Plan to support activities promoting gender equality in several fields: economic life, equal participation and representation, social rights, civil life, gender roles and stereotypes.

In March 2006, the Commission announced a Roadmap for Equality between Men and Women 2006-10, to succeed the Community Framework Strategy. The roadmap includes setting aside 50 million euros for a European Institute for Gender Equality. Amongst its activities, the Institute will review existing EU gender equality law, ensure gender equality is considered in all policies and will work towards better gender disaggregated information.

In addition to the above Strategy and Roadmap, one of the four Pillars of the European Employment Guidelines is dedicated to ensuring equal opportunities for women and men.

The present EMN project, "Fostering Gender Equality: Meeting the Entrepreneurship and Microfinance Challenge", is supported through the last year of funding of the Community Framework Strategy on Gender Equality. The 2006 priority theme was supporting gender equality particularly in local development. The programme finances transnational projects that develop the capacity of players to promote gender equality effectively, in particular through support for the exchange of information and good practice and networking at Community level.