Furthering Gender Equality through the EU Accession Process

Donor: European Commission, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

Duration: March 2020 - February 2024

This project centers around enhancing regional cooperation of women’s civil society organizations (WCSOs), research and gender analyses for informing policies, evidence-based advocacy and monitoring reforms related to EU Accession aimed at furthering gender equality in the Western Balkans region through the EU Accession Process.

The overall objective of this four-year Action is to enhance and broaden existing regional cooperation, to strengthen participatory democracies and to bring about an inclusive gender-sensitive EU Approximation process. Towards this broader aim, the Action’s specific objectives include:

To enhance WCSO capacities to effectively engage with governments, EU Delegations and Office (EUD/EUO), local CSOs and other CSOs in the region, making all involved actors aware of the gender dimensions of the EU Accession process;
To improve accountability of governments and EUD/EUO in implementing commitments to gender equality and women’s rights during the EU Accession process.

This project is funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

Action duration: 01/03/2020 – 29/02/2024
Total budget: 1.655.379,54 EUR
EU contribution: 1.241.534,65 EUR
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency contribution: 413.844,88 EUR

Partner organizations:

North Macedonia: Reactor – Research in Action, The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation (North Macedonia Office)
Kosovo: Kosovo Women’s Network
Albania: Albanian Women’s Empowerment Network (AWEN)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Rights for All
Montenegro: Women’s Rights Centre

Activities:

Networking and experience exchange meetings and events for the regional network of WCSOs aimed at strengthening their influence on the EU Accession process and expanding the existing regional network of WCSOs;
Capacity building and awareness-raising for diverse CSOs on gender aspects of the EU Accession process;
Organizing a high-level Regional Gender Forum on EU Accession;
Producing gender analyses for different sectors at a national level, particularly where such analyses are lacking;
Collaborating with local WCSOs for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of gender equality commitments by governments;
Monitoring and preparing reports to inform and gender mainstream EC Country Reports and political dialogue related to EU accession; and
Advocating for an improved gender perspective in the EU Accession process at national and regional levels.

EQUAPRO Coalition:

As part of this Action, the EQUAPRO Coalition has been formed. The Coalition for Gender Equality in the European Union (EU) Accession Process (EQUAPRO) is an informal coalition of women’s rights organizations (WCSOs) in the Western Balkans (WB), which is advocating to improve attention to gender equality in the EU Accession process and to include more women and WCSOs in EU Accession-related political dialogues, policy processes, and as beneficiaries of EU external financing. Read more about EQUAPRO and how to join us here.