La Strada Documentation Center

Development Cooperation and Gender. Regional Advocacy Report for Central, Eastern and South-eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia

Document number
2068
Date
2008
Title
Development Cooperation and Gender. Regional Advocacy Report for Central, Eastern and South-eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia
Author/publisher
International Gender Policy Network (IGPN)
Availability
View/save PDF version of this document
Document type(s)
Research/Study/Analysis,
Keywords
Economy in transition, Youth employment, State socialism, Socio-Economic transition, Discrimination, Unemployment, Poverty, Community development, Social security, Social exclusion, Health care, Drugs abuse, Health, HIV/AIDS, Globalisation;
Summary
The report is based on national reports on Official Development Aid (ODA) issued by IGPN member organisations. It assesses the situation in each respective country and gives recommendations for stakeholders. The report looks atthe specific situation for the four ´regions´:Central Asia, Eastern and Southeastern Europe and the Caucasus, new EU Member States and pre-accession states. But it also stresses common problems, which, according to IGPN coordinator Kristina Kosatíková, are a result of " ... the existing gap between the formal political and legal commitments to gender equality and its implementation. There are scarcely any concrete examples in this region where gender equality is, in practice, well embedded in development cooperation. To advocate for a change ­ for gender equality and women's empowerment as crucial prerequisites to development ­ IGPN provides concrete recommendations to the national governments and to the European institutions."

Following the findings of the report, IGPN put forward key recommendations:
  • The EU institutions should explicitly integrate gender concerns in policies and in their implementation, in calls for proposals, and in other stages of the project cycle. They should also strengthen the capacity of EC administrations to help ensure the financial sustainability of women´s NGOs.
  • National governmentsshould comply with the EU´s cooperation agreements, improve their institutional and legal frameworks for gender equality, increase communication and transparency with CSOs and the EU, and undertake effective gender impact assessments.  
  • CSOsshould lobby national governments and the EU institutions for the achievement of gender equality; monitor and provide shadow reports on the actual implementation of women´s empowerment and gender equality projects; and strengthen networking among women´s organisations.
Related documents