Policy cycle in regional policy

This section publishes a portfolio of indicators, grouped according to the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy, which are used to measure cohesion at the sub-national level. Some of the proposed indicators are disaggregated by sex.

The European Union places considerable emphasis on the cohesion policy, with the objective of bringing Europe’s regions and cities closer together in economic, social and environmental spheres. In allocating cohesion policy funds (ERDF, ESF; Cohesion Fund), regional statistics are used. Among the regional statistics collected by Eurostat, the following are disaggregated by sex at regional level: demography; education; science and technology; labour market; health; poverty and social exclusion.

Journal of European Public Policy 7 (3), Special Issue, pp. 432 – 456.

This article examines the adoption of gender mainstreaming by the European Union (EU), and traces its implementation in 5 issue-areas of EU policy: Structural Funds, employment, development, competition, and science, research and development.

European Journal of Political Research, 10/2006, 46 (1), 47 – 68.

This article uses a discursive approach to analyse how gender equality has and is being constructed and given meaning in the context of Swedish regional policy. Drawing on Carole Bacchi’s What’s the problem? approach, it explores how arguments concerning the new forms of regional policy are assigning different categories of people different subject positions and, in particular, it focuses on the kind of subject positions that are being given to women as a group in this context.

Gender mainstreaming in the use of structural funding.

The study outlines to what extent gender mainstreaming has been taken into account in the 2000 – 2006 structural funds programming and implementation.

Study on the translation of Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No. 1083/2006, on the promotion of gender equality, non-discrimination and accessibility for disabled persons, into cohesion policy programmes 2007 – 2013, co-financed by the ERDF and the Cohesion Fund.

The study analyses the integration of the gender perspective, non-discrimination and accessibility for disabled persons in Cohesion policy programmes co-financed by ERDF and the Cohesion Fund. A total of 15 examples of good practice across Member States and policy areas are identified and analysed. Conclusions and useful lessons to strengthen the gender, non-discrimination and disability dimensions in the current and next policy programming period are derived.

The legacy of gender mainstreaming within the Scottish Structural Funds Programme 2007 – 2013.

The report analyses gender mainstreaming in the 2007 – 2013 Scottish Structural Funds Programme and highlights lessons in terms of what worked and what did not work which could inform the 2014 – 2020 Scottish Structural Funds Programme.

(Part of the DOCUP_Objective 2, 2000 – 2006 final evaluation report for region Lombardia).

The evaluation assesses the effects of the programme in terms of equal opportunities for the dimensions of female entrepreneurship, accessibility to the job market and improvement of life conditions for women.

Effectiveness of the Cohesion policy: Gender equality and demographic change.

The present evaluation provides an assessment of the extent to which the ERDF-supported regions are adapting to demographic change and fostering gender equality, as well as a better understanding of what ERDF interventions can deliver in this respect during the future planning periods.

Evaluation of the influence of structural funds allocated to Lithuania for the period 2004 – 2006 on the promotion of equality between women and men in Social Research 2010, NR 1 (18).

The article examines the application of gender mainstreaming in Lithuanian structural funds policies between 2004 and 2006 and analyses to what extent there has been any progress in gender equality by using structural funds.

A review of World Bank infrastructure projects (1995 – 2009).

This report reviews 15 years of infrastructure lending at the World Bank. Unlike most stocktakes of projects supporting water, roads, energy and other infrastructure development, this one applies a gender lens. In doing so, it reveals important progress on the integration of gender concerns into infrastructure lending operations.

Evaluation of the EU funds impact on implementation of the horizontal priority equal opportunities, defined in planning documents in Lithuania.

The evaluation assesses the impact and contribution of EU funds on horizontal priority of equal opportunities as set in planning documents. In addition, the evaluation characterises potential risks that could hinder the implementation of equal opportunities priority and proposes recommendations for the improvement of the implementation of the policy. The main report is available in Lithuanian, while the executive summary in English.

Strategic thematic evaluation on gender equality.

The study’s objective is to analyse the contribution of the funds (ERDF, ESF, Cohesion Fund) to the implementation of the equality principle between women and men. The study covers both specific actions, namely specifically designed for women (priority theme 69), and horizontal actions, in order to ensure the integration of equality in all phases of implementation of the funds. The study is available in Spanish.

Evaluation of the European Social Fund’s support to gender equality.

The report provides an overall assessment of the ESF’s (2007 – 2013) support to gender equality policy by drawing an overall picture of the gender sensitivity of ESF programmes addressing the 3 evaluation questions defined in the original request for services.

Evaluation study of the integration of the gender perspective within structural funds during the programming period 2007 – 2013.

The main objective of the study is to analyse the ways in which the gender perspective has been integrated into the concept, programming, implementation and monitoring of operational programmes supported by the European Social Fund and the ERDF. The study included types of measures directly or indirectly associated with the subject of gender equality.

Moving towards more inclusive and socially sustainable measures. Economic and Industrial Democracy, August 34, 483 – 499.

The article examines what kind of development model would be inclusive, and economically and socially sustainable. Current indicators of regional performance are based on growth alone; they overlook distribution and so misrepresent the performance of regions in terms of social well-being. An alternative, more inclusive measure of regional development and a gender-sensitive variant is calculated for UK regions. On these measures London falls from the top ranked region to a middle rank on the regional development indicator and on the gender-sensitive variant falls to the lowest position, arguably better reflecting the experience of life in this region. Optimistically, the use of these measures would lead to more inclusive models of development that would render the more contentious social, redistributive policies less necessary.

New skills and jobs and gender in the ESF.

The main aim of the report is to discuss the ‘anchoring’ of a gender perspective in relation to the agenda for new skills and jobs, and specifically concerning the role of the ESF in fulfilling the EU 2020 strategy and the gender equality strategy as well as the pact for gender equality.

The purpose of this standard, produced by the European Community of Practice on Gender Mainstreaming (Gender-CoP), is to provide clear requirements and good practices on how to achieve gender equality in all cycles of the European Social Fund (ESF). It can be used both as a guide to implement the dual gender equality approach within the ESF and as a tool to assess and monitor existing practices – from policy to project level in all steps such as planning, programming, implementing to monitoring and evaluation. All examples and good practices have been selected by the Member States and derive from ESF experiences with gender equality across the EU. The standard is currently under piloting in 4 Member States’ ESF programmes: Belgium (Flanders), Czech Republic, Finland and Sweden.

Gender mainstreaming manual.

The manual includes a set of various methodologies and tools for gender mainstreaming in policies and organisations. Among the different methodologies proposed, it’s worth emphasising the 4R method is also particularly useful for analysing gender mainstreaming in regional development, and especially in structural funds and organisations in charge. The 4R method may be used as a basis for analysing and surveying activities, and for providing an overview of how activities are run and financed, and how they should be changed to reduce gender inequality.

Mainstreaming equal opportunities for women and men in structural fund programmes and projects.

The paper provides a checklist that summarises the principal requirements concerning the integration of equal opportunities between women and men in the European Structural Funds. It can be used to verify that the plans and programmes respect the relevant provisions in the General Regulation, and that the most important elements are in place to support the mainstreaming of equal opportunities in the management of assistance.

Integrating the gender equality principle in the new ESF programmes.

The guide includes a checklist for assessing the inclusion of a gender equality perspective in the National Strategic Reference Frameworks. Furthermore, the guide also provides a series of examples of good practices.

Assessment grid for ESF operational programmes

The grid provides a checklist for assessing how gender equality is taken into consideration in the ESF programmes.

VISPO – Strategic Impact Assessment on Equal Opportunity (updated in 2006).

The guidelines include a methodological framework for gender impact assessment, gender analysis and gender evaluation of policies, and in particular of structural funds, to provide operational support to Regional Managing Authorities and stakeholders in the planning of actions from a gender perspective. VISPO aims to:

1. create context analysis and an assessment of scenarios aimed at an effective reading of one’s own territory from a gender perspective;
2. identify and define equal opportunities criteria for the selection of projects, which are valid for different types of actions to be financed, that make it possible to assign a preference and to identify those most representative;
3. identify indicators for output and results that allow for ongoing evaluation focusing on equal opportunities.

Gender impact of public-private partnerships

The study assesses the actual and potential gender impacts of public-private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects across a number of sectors, among which the following are addressed by ERDF funding: healthcare, energy, industrial, transport and water/waste infrastructure. The study proposes a set of input, output and outcome indicators to assess the gender impact of PPP in these areas. Some of the proposed indicators can also be used for other areas targeted by ERDF.

(for integrating a gender perspective in ESF)

During 2010 – 2014, the European Community of Practice on Gender Mainstreaming (Gender-CoP) was a community dedicated to integrating the gender dimension into the European Social Fund (ESF) programmes (2014 – 2020) in relation to the EU-2020 targets. The aim of the Gender-CoP was to integrate gender mainstreaming into ESF management in order to improve ESF management and the possibilities to reach gender equality objectives set by the EU, national governments and the managing authorities.

Enhancing women’s active participation in regional development and growth.

WINNET Europe, the European Association of Women Resource Centres, was formed in 2006 by national, regional and local women resource centres. In 2014, WINNET Europe had member organisations in 11 of the 28 EU Member States, with one outside the EU. The Association’s mission is, in a collaborative effort among national, federal/regional and local organisations in EU Member States, to support and reinforce the activities of resource centres for women and other similar women’s organisations.

Women in Europe for a Common Future is an international network of over 150 women and civil society organisations implementing projects in 50 countries and advocating globally to shape a just and sustainable world in the main fields tackled by ESI funds.

Sharing knowledge about equal rights and opportunities, gained from European Social Fund projects.

The Thematic Group on Equality used to be one of the European Social Fund’s 5 national thematic groups. Now Arbetsmiljöforum i Norden AB – Working Life Forum is the owner. Its focus is on equality in the work–life balance ensuring that the knowledge gained from hundreds of projects run under the European Social Fund are at the disposal of the labour market’s actors. Their principal issues are: (i) methods for equal treatment in working life; (ii) skills enhancement relating to all grounds of discrimination; (iii) gender mainstreaming; (iv) accessibility for people with disabilities.

The European Anti-poverty Network coordinates the work of the Alliance, which currently includes 15 EU major networks/organisations and 3 national pilot alliances (Bulgaria, Denmark, Ireland). All European organisations involved are committed to engaging their national members in the alliance’s work and in the European Semester. The overall aim of the EU Alliance is to achieve progress on a more democratic, social and sustainable EU Strategy, by improving civil society and social actors’ engagement in the European Semester. Its main objectives are therefore to: (i) ensure that all policies, including macroeconomic, contribute to the social, environmental/climate targets and equality commitments of the European Union’s Strategy (EU 2020 Strategy); (ii) improve the legitimacy of the EU Strategy through strengthening the engagement of environmental, social, equality organisations and trade unions in the EU decision-making process, (the European Semester) starting at the national level.