EU-level Gender Mainstreaming Helpdesk FAQ

Use the online form on this page. If you cannot use the form, email us at gmhelpdesk@eige.europa.eu, with the following information:

• your name, role, and institutional affiliation
• the type of support you are looking for and the intended user/audience
• the type of support you are looking for and the intended user/audience
• any relevant deadlines
• any relevant attachments

All requests follow the same process, regardless of the channel. 

You will receive an acknowledgement email with your reference number. If you have not received it within two working days, check your spam folder or email us at gmhelpdesk@eige.europa.eu. 

We will contact you if we need more information about your request. We will then write to you with the assessment outcome. If your request is admitted, this email will confirm the type of output you can expect, the expected delivery date, and any agreed adjustments to scope or format.

It is the Helpdesk’s unique ID for your request in the format YYYY-XXXX. Quote this number in all correspondence about the request.

If your follow-up question is related to or within the scope of the original request, reply to the delivery email. The Helpdesk will help. If your question is a new or expanded request, we may ask you to submit it as a new request through the online form.

Email us at gmhelpdesk@eige.europa.eu. We will help you or arrange another way to submit.

The Helpdesk serves EU institutions and Member State authorities. EU institutions include the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council and its rotating Presidencies. 

Member State authorities include national gender equality bodies and gender equality experts in line ministries. Other Member States public institutions should contact their National Gender Equality Body. 

Requests should be submitted on behalf of an eligible institution using an official work email. 

If you are not sure whether your institution is eligible, please contact us before submitting.

Admissible requests are those related to gender mainstreaming, gender budgeting and related topics within EU or Member State policy processes and frameworks. This includes support for integrating a gender perspective into policies, legislation, programmes and budgets, as well as for awareness-raising and enhancing the processes and institutional structures needed to implement gender mainstreaming in practice. 

Requests must be specific, actionable and feasible within the Helpdesk’s resources.

If you are not sure what exact support you need or what the scope of your request should be, submit your request and we will contact you to clarify your need. 

The ‘EU level’ dimension refers to the level at which the Helpdesk operates, supporting institutional actors across EU institutions and Member States within the broader EU gender equality framework, while also contributing to more consistent approaches and peer learning on gender equality across the EU.

We will contact you within five working days if we need more information. You will have five working days to reply. If we do not hear back, we may close the request. You can reopen it later by sending the missing details.

There is no fixed limit. All requests go through an admissibility process. If several requests come in at once from one institution, we may discuss scope and priorities with you.

Yes. If your request is not yet being approved, you can contact us to make changes. If an expert has already been assigned, changes to the scope may affect the delivery timeline. We will discuss this with you and agree on the best course of action

The Helpdesk helps eligible institutions apply gender perspectives in policy, legislation, programmes, budgets and institutional processes. Support is tailored to your needs. All gender mainstreaming support draws on EIGE’s toolkits, methods and evidence.

The Helpdesk can support the use of gender budgeting in EU and Member State financial management. It also covers the implementation of gender budgeting rules in EU funding. All gender budgeting support draws on EIGE’s toolkits and evidence.

EIGE’s Gender Mainstreaming Platform has a wide set of toolkits, methods, good practices, data and information on gender mainstreaming and gender budgeting in various policy areas.

The Helpdesk offers six principal types of support: analytical input or advice; practical guidance; review and feedback; good practices and resources; awareness-raising and institutional transformation support; and capacity-building materials. 

The specific output format is agreed upon at the assessment stage. You can suggest a preferred format in the form and the final format will be confirmed with you before work begins.

The standard process to receive your product is up to 30 working days. Response times may be shorter, depending on the nature and complexity of your request. You can indicate any deadline in the form. You will be told the estimated delivery date after the assessment.

Submit it and describe what you need. Requests that do not fit neatly into the standard types are assessed on a case-by-case basis. We will contact you to agree on the format and scope. If your request is outside scope, we will direct you to the right resource or service.

The Helpdesk aims to deliver outputs that are directly useful to your work. If the output does not meet your expectations, reply to the delivery email and explain your concern. If the issue is within the scope of the original request, we will address it. If your concern points to a new or expanded need, a new request may be more appropriate.

When your output is delivered, you will receive a feedback form. It takes about five minutes. It covers the output, the process and the timeline. Participation is voluntary. Your feedback helps the Helpdesk improve its service.

The Helpdesk handles personal data in full compliance with EU Regulation 2018/1725, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) guidelines applicable to EU agencies. EIGE is the data controller.

Your data is used only to process your request, facilitate communication, and maintain a record for audit purposes. It is not shared without your agreement. All information is stored securely in EIGE’s Microsoft 365 environment, and access is restricted to authorised staff only.

For more details, see the data protection notice or contact dpo@eige.europa.eu.

All requests are confidential. Information is shared only within the authorised Helpdesk team and on a need-to-know basis. The assigned expert receives only what is needed to develop the output. All team members and experts are bound by confidentiality obligations.

For exchanging the sensitive documents, EIGE is using encrypted emails. Please contact us at gmhelpdesk@eige.europa.eu for exchanging certificates and instructions on using it.

Outputs are sent to the requester only and treated as confidential. The Helpdesk may use anonymised, aggregated insights for monitoring and reporting. No individual request or output is shared publicly or linked to a specific institution without your agreement.