Steps for enhancing coordination and complementarities between the funds

This tool contains four main steps.

  • Step 1: alignment with the strategic goals for gender equality (e.g. EU-level goals including the new directive on work–life balance with national gender equality policies and/or plans).
  • Step 2: identifying possible interventions in the ESF+ and ERDF that can advance work-life balance.
  • Step 3: developing interventions to advance work-life balance. 
  • Step 4: following up, using indicators within monitoring and evaluation systems. These indicators should be qualitative, quantitative and financial (as this last is key to tracking financing for work-life balance).

These steps offer a starting point for formulating PAs and OPs that reflect:

  • the EU’s overarching policy objectives on women’s and men’s equal rights and opportunities to employment in the labour market;
  • tie-in cross-fund activities;
  • robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks to report on work-life balance advancements from a gender perspective.