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 or audience;
• a description of your request and its context;
• any relevant deadlines;
• any relevant attachments.

All requests follow the same process, regardless of the channel. If your request involves sensitive documents, please see 'What if I need to submit sensitive documents?' before submitting.

Helpdesk products are developed and delivered in English only. 

Source materials and supporting documents may be submitted in a national language, although materials in English are preferred. The Helpdesk may use AI-assisted translation for documents in languages other than English. Please note, these translations cannot be quality assured.

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 and 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 of the EU and its rotating Presidencies. Member State authorities include national gender equality bodies and other authorities with responsibilities in gender mainstreaming.

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

The Helpdesk supports national-level authorities and does not handle requests from individual local or regional authorities. Where several local or regional authorities share a similar need that falls within the Helpdesk's scope and relates to the EU gender equality framework, they should contact their national gender equality body. The national gender equality body can assess whether a request is appropriate and, if so, submit it to the Helpdesk.

Yes. The policy areas listed in the form cover the most common areas, but the list is not exhaustive. If your request relates to a policy area that is not listed, select 'Other' and briefly describe it. Requests in any policy area are admissible, provided they concern gender mainstreaming or gender budgeting within EU or Member State policy processes.

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. The Helpdesk supports institutional actors across EU institutions and Member States within the broader EU gender equality framework. It also contributes 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 work on your request has not yet started, you can contact us at gmhelpdesk@eige.europa.eu to make changes or withdraw it. 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: analysis applying a gender mainstreaming or gender budgeting perspective to a policy question, document, process or proposal, with concrete recommendations.

Practical guidance: guidance or checklists on how to apply gender mainstreaming or gender budgeting methods in your specific context.

Review and feedback: structured comments on a document prepared by your institution, such as a draft policy, strategy or budget, with recommendations for strengthening its gender perspective.

Good practices and resources: a targeted selection of relevant EIGE tools, data and resources, or an overview of practices and measures in a given field.

Awareness-raising and institutional transformation support: short, accessible materials, such as briefs, fact sheets, presentation slides or speaking points, to introduce gender mainstreaming or gender budgeting to non-specialist audiences or support institutional communication.

Capacity-building materials: short learning materials, such as a learning module or guide, or inputs to a workshop or training session, to help colleagues apply gender mainstreaming or gender budgeting methods.

You can indicate the type of support you need in the form. The type and format of support will be confirmed with you during the assessment, before work begins. If your request does not seem to fit any of these types, see the next question.

Products are written to be accessible to readers without specialist expertise in gender mainstreaming or gender budgeting, unless agreed otherwise. The final product is delivered in English, by email.

Submit your request and describe what you need. The format of support is agreed during the assessment and may combine more than one support type. We will contact you to agree the scope and format before work begins. If your request falls outside the Helpdesk's scope, we will direct you to the right resource or service.

Delivery times depend on the nature and complexity of your request. Once your request has been admitted and its scope agreed with you, we will confirm the estimated delivery date. If your request is linked to a specific deadline, please indicate it in the form. Shorter timelines may be possible for urgent, well-defined requests.

The Helpdesk aims to deliver products that are directly useful to your work. If the product 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 product is delivered, you will receive a feedback form. It takes about five minutes and covers the product, 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, including the fact that you have submitted a request. 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 product. All team members and experts are bound by confidentiality obligations.

If your request involves sensitive documents, please contact us at gmhelpdesk@eige.europa.eu before submitting your request. We will arrange the certificates needed for encrypted email and send you instructions. Please do not upload sensitive documents through the online form.

Products 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 product is shared publicly or linked to a specific institution without your agreement.