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  • Menu
  • Gender mainstreaming
    • What is Gender mainstreaming
      • Policy cycle
    • Institutions and structures
      • European Union
      • EU Member States
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    • Policy areas
      • Agriculture and rural development
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      • Culture
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      • Digital agenda
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      • Economic and financial affairs
        • #3 Steps Forward
          • How can you make a difference?
        • Economic Benefits of Gender Equality in the EU
        • Policy cycle
      • Education
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      • Employment
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        • Structures
      • Energy
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    • Toolkits
      • Gender Equality Training
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is Gender Equality Training
        • Why invest in Gender Equality Training
        • Who should use Gender Equality Training
        • Step-by-step guide to Gender Equality Training
            • 1. Assess the needs
            • 2. Integrate initiatives to broader strategy
            • 3. Ensure sufficient resources
            • 4. Write good terms of reference
            • 5. Select a trainer
            • 6. Engage in the needs assessment
            • 7. Actively participate in the initiative
            • 8. Invite others to join in
            • 9. Monitoring framework and procedures
            • 10. Set up an evaluation framework
            • 11. Assess long-term impacts
            • 12. Give space and support others
        • Designing effective Gender Equality Training
        • Gender Equality Training in the EU
        • Good Practices on Gender Equality Training
        • More resources on Gender Equality Training
        • More on EIGE's work on Gender Equality Training
      • Gender Impact Assessment
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is Gender Impact Assessment
        • Why use Gender Impact Assessment
        • Who should use Gender Impact Assessment
        • When to use Gender Impact Assessment
        • Guide to Gender Impact Assessment
          • Step 1: Definition of policy purpose
          • Step 2: Checking gender relevance
          • Step 3: Gender-sensitive analysis
          • Step 4: Weighing gender impact
          • Step 5: Findings and proposals for improvement
        • Following up on gender impact assessment
        • General considerations
        • Examples from the EU
            • European Commission
            • Austria
            • Belgium
            • Denmark
            • Finland
            • Sweden
            • Basque country
            • Catalonia
            • Lower Saxony
            • Swedish municipalities
      • Institutional Transformation
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is Institutional Transformation
          • Institutional transformation and gender: Key points
          • Gender organisations
          • Types of institutions
          • Gender mainstreaming and institutional transformation
          • Dimensions of gender mainstreaming in institutions: The SPO model
        • Why focus on Institutional Transformation
          • Motivation model
        • Who the guide is for
        • Guide to Institutional Transformation
            • 1. Creating accountability and strengthening commitment
            • 2. Allocating resources
            • 3. Conducting an organisational analysis
            • 4. Developing a strategy and work plan
            • 5. Establishing a support structure
            • 6. Setting gender equality objectives
            • 7. Communicating gender mainstreaming
            • 8. Introducing gender mainstreaming
            • 9. Developing gender equality competence
            • 10. Establishing a gender information management system
            • 11. Launching gender equality action plans
            • 12. Promotional equal opportunities
            • 13. Monitoring and steering organisational change
        • Dealing with resistance
          • Discourse level
          • Individual level
          • Organisational level
          • Statements and reactions
        • Checklist: Key questions for change
        • Examples from the EU
            • 1. Strengthening accountability
            • 2. Allocating resources
            • 3. Organisational analysis
            • 4. Developing a strategy and working plan
            • 5. Establishing a support structure
            • 6. Setting objectives
            • 7. Communicating gender mainstreaming
            • 8. Introducing methods and tools
            • 9. Developing Competence
            • 10. Establishing a gender information management system
            • 11. Launching action plans
            • 12. Promoting within an organisation
            • 13. Monitoring and evaluating
      • Gender Equality in Academia and Research
        • Back to toolkit page
        • WHAT
          • What is a Gender Equality Plan?
          • Terms and definitions
          • Which stakeholders need to be engaged into a GEP
          • About the Gear Tool
        • WHY
          • Horizon Europe GEP criterion
          • Gender Equality in Research and Innovation
          • Why change must be structural
          • Rationale for gender equality change in research and innovation
          • GEAR step-by-step guide for research organisations, universities and public bodies
            • Step 1: Getting started
            • Step 2: Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution
            • Step 3: Setting up a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?
          • GEAR step-by-step guide for research funding bodies
            • Step 1: Getting started
            • Step 2: Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution
            • Step 3: Setting up a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?
          • GEAR action toolbox
            • Work-life balance and organisational culture
            • Gender balance in leadership and decision making
            • Gender equality in recruitment and career progression
            • Integration of the sex/gender dimension into research and teaching content
            • Measures against gender-based violence including sexual harassment
            • Measures mitigating the effect of COVID-19
            • Data collection and monitoring
            • Training: awareness-raising and capacity building
            • GEP development and implementation
            • Gender-sensitive research funding procedures
          • Success factors for GEP development and implementation
          • Challenges & resistance
        • WHERE
          • Austria
          • Belgium
          • Bulgaria
          • Croatia
          • Cyprus
          • Czechia
          • Denmark
          • Estonia
          • Finland
          • France
          • Germany
          • Greece
          • Hungary
          • Ireland
          • Italy
          • Latvia
          • Lithuania
          • Luxembourg
          • Malta
          • Netherlands
          • Poland
          • Portugal
          • Romania
          • Slovakia
          • Slovenia
          • Spain
          • Sweden
          • United Kingdom
      • Gender-sensitive Parliaments
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is the tool for?
        • Who is the tool for?
        • How to use the tool
        • Self-assessment, scoring and interpretation of parliament gender-sensitivity
          • AREA 1 – Women and men have equal opportunities to ENTER the parliament
            • Domain 1 – Electoral system and gender quotas
            • Domain 2 - Political party/group procedures
            • Domain 3 – Recruitment of parliamentary employees
          • AREA 2 – Women and men have equal opportunities to INFLUENCE the parliament’s working procedures
            • Domain 1 – Parliamentarians’ presence and capacity in a parliament
            • Domain 2 – Structure and organisation
            • Domain 3 – Staff organisation and procedures
          • AREA 3 – Women’s interests and concerns have adequate SPACE on parliamentary agenda
            • Domain 1 – Gender mainstreaming structures
            • Domain 2 – Gender mainstreaming tools in parliamentary work
            • Domain 3 – Gender mainstreaming tools for staff
          • AREA 4 – The parliament produces gender-sensitive LEGISLATION
            • Domain 1 – Gender equality laws and policies
            • Domain 2 – Gender mainstreaming in laws
            • Domain 3 – Oversight of gender equality
          • AREA 5 – The parliament complies with its SYMBOLIC function
            • Domain 1 – Symbolic meanings of spaces
            • Domain 2 – Gender equality in external communication and representation
        • How gender-sensitive are parliaments in the EU?
        • Examples of gender-sensitive practices in parliaments
          • Women and men have equal opportunities to ENTER the parliament
          • Women and men have equal opportunities to INFLUENCE the parliament’s working procedures
          • Women’s interests and concerns have adequate SPACE on parliamentary agenda
          • The parliament produces gender-sensitive LEGISLATION
          • The parliament complies with its SYMBOLIC function
        • Glossary of terms
        • References and resources
      • Gender Budgeting
        • Back to toolkit page
        • A chi è destinato questo kit di strumenti?
        • Che cos’è il bilancio di genere?
          • Introduzione al bilancio di genere
          • Qual è il nesso tra il bilancio di genere e le realtà vissute da uomini e donne?
          • Che cosa comporta nella pratica il bilancio di genere?
          • Il bilancio di genere nei fondi UE
            • Il bilancio di genere quale strumento per ottemperare agli obblighi giuridici dell’UE
            • Il bilancio di genere quale strumento per promuovere l’assunzione di responsabilità e la trasparenza nella pianificazione e nella gestione delle finanze pubbliche
            • Il bilancio di genere come strumento per aumentare la partecipazione di donne e uomini alle procedure di bilancio
            • Il bilancio di genere quale strumento per promuovere la parità di genere per donne e uomini in tutta la loro diversità
        • Perché il bilancio di genere è importante nell’ambito dei fondi europei in regime di gestione concorrente?
          • Tre motivi per cui il bilancio di genere è fondamentale nei fondi UE
        • Come si può applicare il bilancio di genere nei fondi UE? Strumenti pratici ed esempi di Stati membri
          • Strumento 1 — Collegare i fondi UE al quadro normativo dell’UE sulla parità di genere
            • Base legislativa e normativa per le politiche dell’UE in materia di parità di genere
            • Requisiti concreti per tenere conto della parità di genere all’interno dei fondi UE
            • Condizioni abilitanti dei fondi UE
            • Risorse supplementari
          • Strumento 2 — Analizzare le disuguaglianze e le esigenze di genere a livello nazionale e regionale
            • Misure per valutare e analizzare le disuguaglianze e le esigenze di genere
            • Fase 1. Raccogliere informazioni e dati disaggregati relativi al gruppo di riferimento
            • Fase 2. Individuare le disparità di genere esistenti e le cause soggiacenti
            • Fase 3. Consultare direttamente i gruppi di riferimento
            • Fase 4. Trarre conclusioni
            • Risorse supplementari
          • Strumento 3 — Applicare la parità di genere agli obiettivi politici (accordi di partenariato) e agli obiettivi e misure specifici (programmi operativi)
            • Misure per tradurre in azioni concrete la parità di genere negli accordi di partenariato e nei programmi operativi
            • Orientamenti generali per applicare la parità di genere nell’elaborazione di obiettivi strategici e obiettivi e misure specifici
            • Lista di controllo per l’applicazione pratica del principio orizzontale della parità di genere negli accordi di partenariato
            • Lista di controllo per l’applicazione pratica del principio orizzontale della parità di genere nei programmi operativi
            • Esempi di integrazione della parità di genere come principio orizzontale negli obiettivi strategici e specifici
          • Strumento 4 — Coordinamento e complementarità tra i fondi UE per promuovere l’equilibrio tra vita professionale e vita privata
            • Misure per rafforzare il coordinamento e le complementarità tra i fondi
            • Fase 1 — Allineamento agli obiettivi dell’impegno strategico per la parità di genere
            • Fasi 2 e 3 — Individuare e sviluppare possibili interventi a favore dell’equilibrio tra vita professionale e vita privata
            • Fase 4 — Attività di verifica mediante l’uso di indicatori nell’ambito dei sistemi di sorveglianza e valutazione (M&E)
            • Studio di caso fittizio 1: conciliare il lavoro retribuito con la cura dei figli
            • Studio di caso fittizio 2: conciliare il lavoro a turni con la cura dei figli
            • Caso di studio fittizio 3: trovare l’equilibrio tra la cura di sé stessi e la cura degli altri
            • Caso di studio fittizio 4: conciliare la cura dei figli e degli anziani con il lavoro a turni
            • Risorse supplementari
          • Strumento 5 — Definizione di partenariati e governance multilivello: individuazione di partner pertinenti, ruolo degli esperti di genere e composizione dei comitati di sorveglianza
            • Misure per definire i partenariati e governance multilivello
            • Risorse supplementari
          • Strumento 6 — Sviluppare indicatori quantitativi e qualitativi per promuovere l’uguaglianza di genere
            • Fasi dell’elaborazione di indicatori quantitativi e qualitativi
            • FESR e Fondo di coesione (stessi indicatori comuni)
            • Fondo sociale europeo Plus
            • Fondo europeo per gli affari marittimi e la pesca
            • Risorse supplementari
          • Strumento 7 — Definire criteri di selezione dei progetti sensibili alla dimensione di genere
            • Analisi delle fasi per sostenere l’elaborazione e la selezione di progetti sensibili alla dimensione di genere
            • Lista di controllo per la preparazione degli inviti a presentare proposte di progetti
            • Lista di controllo per i criteri di selezione dei progetti
            • Strumento supplementare 7.a — Accordi che tengano conto della dimensione di genere con i responsabili dell’attuazione dei progetti
          • Strumento 8 — Controllare le assegnazioni di risorse per l’uguaglianza di genere nei fondi UE
            • Ensuring gender relevance in EU Funds
            • The tracking system
            • Steps for tracking resource allocations on gender equality
            • Step 1: Ex ante approach
            • Step 2: Ex post approach
            • Examples of Step 2a
            • Annex 1: Ex ante assignment of intervention fields to the gender equality dimension codes
            • Annex 2: The EU’s gender equality legal and policy framework
          • Strumento 9 — Integrare la parità di genere nella concezione dei progetti
            • Analisi delle fasi per integrare la parità di genere nella concezione dei progetti
            • Fase 1. Allineamento agli obiettivi e agli indicatori di genere degli accordi di partenariato e dei programmi operativi
            • Fase 2. Sviluppo del progetto e candidatura
            • Fase 3. Attuazione del progetto
            • Fase 4. Valutazione del progetto
          • Strumento 10 — Integrare una prospettiva di genere nei processi di sorveglianza e valutazione
            • Misure per integrare una prospettiva di genere nei processi di sorveglianza e valutazione
            • Risorse supplementari
          • Strumento 11 — Rendicontazione sull’esborso di risorse per la parità di genere nei fondi UE
            • Tracciamento delle spese per l’uguaglianza di genere
            • Risorse supplementari
          • Bibliografia
          • Acronimi
          • Ringraziamenti
      • Gender-responsive Public Procurement
        • Back to toolkit page
        • Who is this toolkit for?
          • Guiding you through the toolkit
        • What is gender-responsive public procurement?
          • How is gender-responsive public procurement linked to gender equality?
          • How is gender-responsive public procurement linked to gender budgeting?
          • Five reasons why gender-responsive public procurement
          • Why was this toolkit produced
        • Gender-responsive public procurement in practice
          • Legal framework cross-references gender equality and public procurement
          • Public procurement strategies cover GRPP
          • Gender equality action plans or strategies mention public procurement
          • Capacity-building programmes, support structures
          • Regular collaboration between gender equality bodies
          • Effective monitoring and reporting systems on the use of GRPP
          • Tool 1:Self-assessment questionnaire about the legal
          • Tool 2: Overview of the legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks
        • How to include gender aspects in tendering procedures
          • Pre-procurement stage
            • Needs assessment
            • Tool 3: Decision tree to assess the gender relevance
            • Preliminary market consultation
            • Tool 4: Guiding questions for needs assessment
            • Defining the subject matter of the contract
            • Choosing the procedure
            • Tool 5: Decision tree for the choice of procedure for GRPP
            • Dividing the contract into lots
            • Tool 6: Guiding questions for dividing contracts into lots for GRPP
            • Light regime for social, health and other specific services
            • Tool 7: Guiding questions for applying GRPP under the light regime
            • Tool 8: Guiding questions for applying GRPP under the light regime
            • Reserved contracts
            • Preparing tender documents
          • Procurement stage
            • Exclusion grounds
            • Selection criteria
            • Technical specifications
            • Tool 9: Decision tree for setting GRPP selection criteria
            • Award criteria
            • Tool 10: Formulating GRPP award criteria
            • Tool 11: Bidders’ concepts to ensure the integration of gender aspects
            • Use of labels/certifications
          • Post-procurement stage
            • Tool 12: Checklist for including GRPP contract performance conditions
            • Subcontracting
            • Monitoring
            • Reporting
            • Tool 13: Template for a GRPP monitoring and reporting plan
        • References
        • Additional resources
    • Methods and tools
      • Browse
      • About EIGE's methods and tools
      • Gender analysis
      • Gender audit
      • Gender awareness-raising
      • Gender budgeting
      • Gender impact assessment
      • Gender equality training
      • Gender-responsive evaluation
      • Gender statistics and indicators
      • Gender monitoring
      • Gender planning
      • Gender-responsive public procurement
      • Gender stakeholder consultation
      • Sex-disaggregated data
      • Institutional transformation
      • Examples of methods and tools
      • Resources
    • Good practices
      • Browse
      • About good practices
      • EIGE’s approach to good practices
    • Country specific information
      • Belgium
        • Overview
      • Bulgaria
        • Overview
      • Czechia
        • Overview
      • Denmark
        • Overview
      • Germany
        • Overview
      • Estonia
        • Overview
      • Ireland
        • Overview
      • Greece
        • Overview
      • Spain
        • Overview
      • France
        • Overview
      • Croatia
        • Overview
      • Italy
        • Overview
      • Cyprus
        • Overview
      • Latvia
        • Overview
      • Lithuania
        • Overview
      • Luxembourg
        • Overview
      • Hungary
        • Overview
      • Malta
        • Overview
      • Netherlands
        • Overview
      • Austria
        • Overview
      • Poland
        • Overview
      • Portugal
        • Overview
      • Romania
        • Overview
      • Slovenia
        • Overview
      • Slovakia
        • Overview
      • Finland
        • Overview
      • Sweden
        • Overview
    • EIGE’s publications on Gender mainstreaming
    • Concepts and definitions
    • Power Up conference 2019
  • Gender-based violence
    • What is gender-based violence?
    • Forms of violence
    • EIGE’s work on gender-based violence
    • Administrative data collection
      • Data collection on violence against women
      • About the tool
      • Administrative data sources
      • Advanced search
    • Analysis of EU directives from a gendered perspective
    • Costs of gender-based violence
    • Cyber violence against women
    • Femicide
    • Intimate partner violence and witness intervention
    • Female genital mutilation
      • Risk estimations
    • Risk assessment and risk management by police
      • Risk assessment principles and steps
          • Principle 1: Prioritising victim safety
          • Principle 2: Adopting a victim-centred approach
          • Principle 3: Taking a gender-specific approach
          • Principle 4: Adopting an intersectional approach
          • Principle 5: Considering children’s experiences
          • Step 1: Define the purpose and objectives of police risk assessment
          • Step 2: Identify the most appropriate approach to police risk assessment
          • Step 3: Identify the most relevant risk factors for police risk assessment
          • Step 4: Implement systematic police training and capacity development
          • Step 5: Embed police risk assessment in a multiagency framework
          • Step 6: Develop procedures for information management and confidentiality
          • Step 7: Monitor and evaluate risk assessment practices and outcomes
      • Risk management principles and recommendations
        • Principle 1. Adopting a gender-specific approach
        • Principle 2. Introducing an individualised approach to risk management
        • Principle 3. Establishing an evidence-based approach
        • Principle 4. Underpinning the processes with an outcome-focused approach
        • Principle 5. Delivering a coordinated, multiagency response
      • Legal and policy framework
      • Tools and approaches
      • Areas for improvement
      • References
    • Good practices in EU Member States
    • Methods and tools in EU Member States
    • White Ribbon Campaign
      • About the White Ribbon Campaign
      • White Ribbon Ambassadors
    • Regulatory and legal framework
      • International regulations
      • EU regulations
      • Strategic framework on violence against women 2015-2018
      • Legal Definitions in the EU Member States
    • Literature and legislation
    • EIGE's publications on gender-based violence
    • Videos
  • Gender Equality Index
    • View countries
    • Compare countries
    • Thematic Focus
    • About Index
    • Publications
    • Forum 2022
    • Index Game
    • Videos
  • Gender Statistics Database
    • Browse Gender Statistics
    • Data talks
    • FAQs
    • About
    • Search
  • Beijing Platform for Action
  • Countries
    • Belgium
    • Bulgaria
    • Czechia
    • Denmark
    • Germany
    • Estonia
    • Ireland
    • Greece
    • Spain
    • France
    • Croatia
    • Italy
    • Cyprus
    • Latvia
    • Lithuania
    • Luxembourg
    • Hungary
    • Malta
    • Netherlands
    • Austria
    • Poland
    • Portugal
    • Romania
    • Slovenia
    • Slovakia
    • Finland
    • Sweden
  • Topics
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      • Covid-19 and gender equality
    • Violence
      • Orange the World
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    • Maritime affairs and fisheries
    • Migration
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    • Regional policy
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    • Youth
  • About EIGE
    • EIGE's organisation
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    • Our work
      • Stakeholders
      • EU candidate countries and potential candidates
        • About the IPA project
        • Examples from the region
          • Browse
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        • Gender equality indices in the Western Balkans and Turkey
        • Gender statistics in the Western Balkans and Turkey
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    • Gender Equality Forum 2022
      • About
      • Agenda
      • Videos
      • Speakers
      • Practical information
  • EIGE’s publications
    • Gender-sensitive Communication
      • Overview of the toolkit
      • First steps towards more inclusive language
        • Terms you need to know
        • Why should I ever mention gender?
        • Choosing whether to mention gender
        • Key principles for inclusive language use
      • Challenges
        • Stereotypes
          • Avoid gendered pronouns (he or she) when the person’s gender is unknown
          • Avoid irrelevant information about gender
          • Avoid gendered stereotypes as descriptive terms
          • Gendering in-animate objects
          • Using different adjectives for women and men
          • Avoid using stereotypical images
        • Invisibility and omission
          • Do not use ‘man’ as the neutral term
          • Do not use ‘he’ to refer to unknown people
          • Do not use gender-biased nouns to refer to groups of people
          • Take care with ‘false generics’
          • Greetings and other forms of inclusive communication
        • Subordination and trivialisation
          • Naming conventions
          • Patronising language
      • Test your knowledge
        • Quiz 1: Policy document
        • Quiz 2: Job description
        • Quiz 3: Legal text
      • Practical tools
        • Solutions for how to use gender-sensitive language
        • Pronouns
        • Invisibility or omission
        • Common gendered nouns
        • Adjectives
        • Phrases
      • Policy context
    • Work-life balance in the ICT sector
      • Back to toolkit page
      • EU policies on work-life balance
      • Women in the ICT sector
      • The argument for work-life balance measures
        • Challenges
      • Step-by-step approach to building a compelling business case
        • Step 1: Identify national work-life balance initiatives and partners
        • Step 2: Identify potential resistance and find solutions
        • Step 3: Maximise buy-in from stakeholders
        • Step 4: Design a solid implementation plan
        • Step 5: Carefully measure progress
        • Step 6: Highlight benefits and celebrate early wins
      • Toolbox for planning work-life balance measures in ICT companies
      • Work–life balance checklist
    • Gender Equality Index 2019. Work-life balance
      • Back to toolkit page
      • Foreword
      • Highlights
      • Introduction
        • Still far from the finish line
        • Snail’s-pace progress on gender equality in the EU continues
        • More women in decision-making drives progress
        • Convergence on gender equality in the EU
      • 2. Domain of work
        • Gender equality inching slowly forward in a fast-changing world of work
        • Women dominate part-time employment, consigning them to jobs with poorer career progression
        • Motherhood, low education and migration are particular barriers to work for women
      • 3. Domain of money
        • Patchy progress on gender-equal access to financial and economic resources
        • Paying the price for motherhood
        • Lifetime pay inequalities fall on older women
      • 4. Domain of knowledge
        • Gender equality in education standing still even as women graduates outnumber men graduates
        • Both women and men limit their study fields
        • Adult learning stalls most when reskilling needs are greatest
      • 5. Domain of time
        • Enduring burden of care perpetuates inequalities for women
        • Uneven impact of family life on women and men
      • 6. Domain of power
        • More women in decision-making but still a long way to go
        • Democracy undermined by absence of gender parity in politics
        • More gender equality on corporate boards — but only in a few Member States
        • Limited opportunities for women to influence social and cultural decision-making
      • 7. Domain of health
        • Behavioural change in health is key to tackling gender inequalities
        • Women live longer but in poorer health
        • Lone parents and people with disabilities are still without the health support they need
      • 8. Domain of violence
        • Data gaps mask the true scale of gender-based violence in the EU
        • Backlash against gender equality undermines legal efforts to end violence against women
        • Conceptual framework
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  • Gender mainstreaming
  • Toolkits

Gender-responsive Public Procurement

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  • Back to toolkit page
  • Who is this toolkit for?
    • Guiding you through the toolkit
  • What is gender-responsive public procurement?
    • How is gender-responsive public procurement linked to gender equality?
    • How is gender-responsive public procurement linked to gender budgeting?
  • Why is gender-responsive public procurement important?
    • Five reasons why gender-responsive public procurement
    • Why was this toolkit produced
  • Gender-responsive public procurement in practice
    • Legal framework cross-references gender equality and public procurement
    • Public procurement strategies cover GRPP
    • Gender equality action plans or strategies mention public procurement
    • Capacity-building programmes, support structures
    • Regular collaboration between gender equality bodies
    • Effective monitoring and reporting systems on the use of GRPP
    • Tool 1:Self-assessment questionnaire about the legal
    • Tool 2: Overview of the legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks
  • How to include gender aspects in tendering procedures
    • Pre-procurement stage
      • Needs assessment
      • Tool 3: Decision tree to assess the gender relevance
      • Preliminary market consultation
      • Tool 4: Guiding questions for needs assessment
      • Defining the subject matter of the contract
      • Choosing the procedure
      • Tool 5: Decision tree for the choice of procedure for GRPP
      • Dividing the contract into lots
      • Tool 6: Guiding questions for dividing contracts into lots for GRPP
      • Light regime for social, health and other specific services
      • Tool 7: Guiding questions for applying GRPP under the light regime
      • Tool 8: Guiding questions for applying GRPP under the light regime
      • Reserved contracts
      • Preparing tender documents
    • Procurement stage
      • Exclusion grounds
      • Selection criteria
      • Technical specifications
      • Tool 9: Decision tree for setting GRPP selection criteria
      • Award criteria
      • Tool 10: Formulating GRPP award criteria
      • Tool 11: Bidders’ concepts to ensure the integration of gender aspects
      • Use of labels/certifications
    • Post-procurement stage
      • Tool 12: Checklist for including GRPP contract performance conditions
      • Subcontracting
      • Monitoring
      • Reporting
      • Tool 13: Template for a GRPP monitoring and reporting plan
  • References
  • Additional resources

Light regime for social, health and other specific services

The 2014 EU procurement directives introduced what is known as the light regime for social, health and other specific services. The services covered include healthcare and social care, education and training, community and cultural services, and events organisation. A higher threshold and less rigid rules are applied to these services than to other fields, while contracts in some of these services can be reserved only for social enterprises under Article 77 of Directive 2014/24/EU (see "Reserved contracts"). It is possible to exclude cost considerations from the award criteria in light regime contracts; for example, in a contract for care services, the overall cost of the service could be set by the contracting authority, taking account of the need to ensure adequate rates of pay.

For GRPP, light regime contracts may allow a more collaborative approach to be taken to developing tender requirements and engaging with bidders, for example when a service is co-designed with one or more social enterprises/charities. This can help to ensure that gender equality elements are fully reflected in the subject matter and structure of the contract (e.g. that health services for women are delivered in a way that meets their needs). As many of the sectors covered by the light regime predominantly employ women, there is also an opportunity to set criteria relating to pay and working conditions that would improve the gender pay gap and work–life balance.

However, addressing issues such as discrimination and low pay may not be sufficient, in themselves, to bring about more gender-equal outcomes. Specific action may also need to be taken in terms of recruitment, training, promotion and the gender pay gap. Again, engaging with both service providers and unions or other social partners can help to target these concerns before, during and after the tender procedure. In some cases, it may make sense to award a contract or framework with an option to extend based on performance, to ensure that these issues can be addressed and that progress is monitored. If the service provider does not make adequate progress on the gender pay gap for workers delivering a contract, for example, this could be grounds for refusing to extend or renew the contract.

Finally, light regime contracts may have significant gendered impacts on the beneficiaries/users of the services, as well as on the workforce delivering them. For example, sporting services and services provided by youth organisations are both included under the light regime. Gender differences in terms of participation in sport and youth services may have a profound impact on mental and physical health. It is therefore important to ensure that these are reflected in the design and delivery of services by following the recommendations set out in this toolkit regarding needs assessment/user consultation, market engagement, tendering and post-procurement.

Examples of gender aspects in social and health service public contracts

In Sweden, Stockholm County Council is committed to the provision of good healthcare on equal terms regardless of gender, and this is reflected in the terms applied in contracts. A precondition for entering an agreement with the council is that the caregiver has to follow the council’s equality policy, which includes taking part in ongoing quality work and providing equal treatment for women and men in healthcare. Furthermore, in the evaluation of activities, all relevant data should be reported by sex and age[1].

The use of the best price–quality ratio gives contracting authorities the opportunity to include specific quality criteria that are essential for the delivery of social and other services in which mainly women are working[2]. The awarding of a contract on the basis of the best price–quality ratio can take into consideration if the employee working conditions set out in a contract are intended to favour the promotion of equality between women and men at work, increase the participation of women in the labour market and/or help better reconcile employees’ work and private lives[3]. To ensure that quality becomes an essential component in the awarding of contracts for social and health services that contribute to GRPP, quality should be given a weight of at least 50 % compared with other criteria such as price (value for money). Quality is essential for social and health services to meet the needs of both women and men[4].

In Norway, Oslo has developed a strategy for the promotion of not-for-profit providers of healthcare and social care services (#WeBuySocial). The city council has adopted the Oslo model for the health and care sector (city council case 1006/19)[5]. This also applies to subcontractors. The workforce of the healthcare and social care sector is made up of a significant proportion of part-time workers (often women), which, in Norwegian municipalities, is on average two out of three. More women than men work reduced hours, while at the same time taking responsibility for child-rearing and domestic work. In spite of the positive impact of part-time working on work–life balance and overall life satisfaction for some, there are well-known career penalties for part-time workers, including lower status and pay and fewer training and development opportunities, as well as lower pensions upon retirement[6]. Long, rotating shifts and night work make it difficult to enforce full-time work requirements. For this reason, the municipality requires that contracted workers are as close as possible to full-time and that this objective is promoted whenever possible. This is in line with the International Labour Organization (ILO) concept of ‘decent work’, which includes working time arrangements that are healthy, are family-friendly, promote gender equality, advance enterprise productivity and facilitate worker choice and influence over their hours of work[7]. The city council also strives for the sector to be as inclusive as possible, enabling full integration into the job market of workers who may need additional support or accompaniment.

Mistakes to avoid

Light regime contracts typically require a different approach from other contracts, namely one that reflects the nature of the service. Applying standard procedures and criteria should therefore usually be avoided.

Avoid assuming that addressing issues such as discrimination and low pay will be sufficient in themselves to bring about more gender-equal outcomes. Specific action may need to be taken in terms of recruitment, training, promotion and the gender pay gap.

Addressing gender issues only in terms of the workforce delivering the services or in terms of the service users will generally be insufficient – both need to be addressed (as Tools 7 and 8 illustrate).

Footnotes

[1] See the Observatory of the European Charter for Equality of Women and Men in Local Life’s web page on gender equality requirements in public procurement https://charter-equality.eu/exemple-de-bonnes-pratiques/gender-equality-...).

[2] Eurostat, 2020.

[3] European Commission, 2016.

[4] See, for example from Social Platform, 2015, p. 21.

[5] European Commission, 2020b.

[6] Lyonette, 2015.

[7] ILO, 2019.

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