Samenwerkingsverband gelijkheid man en vrouw voor ontwikkeling en vrede (en)
The European Commission, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITCILO) have joined together to support stronger action and advocacy on gender equality to influence the aid effectiveness agenda. The programme "EC/UN Partnership on Gender Equality for Development and Peace" will support the integration of gender equality as a key driver of development in the international assistance agenda. The programme will also promote the involvement of women in conflict prevention and peace-building in line with the commitments of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. With a total budget of €4,7 million (€2,5 million EC contribution), the programme will have a duration of 3 years (2007-2009) and will cover 12 countries: Cameroon, DRC, Ghana, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Honduras, Nicaragua, Suriname, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine.
To present the programme, a panel discussion " Opportunities and challenges in implementing the commitments of the Paris Declaration for promoting gender equality " will take place on 11 September at the EuropeAid Info Point (16:30-18:00). Panellists include Koos Richelle, Director General of the EuropeAid Cooperation Office, as well as representatives of the United Nations and Civil society and DG Development.
The programme also hosts an inter-active website ( www.gendermatters.eu ) to provide a one-stop shop for information on gender equality and new aid modalities by making available the knowledge, resources and tools produced in countries worldwide on the topic. The upcoming Ghana High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in September 2008 will be a key venue for groups that are promoting the need for a stronger gender equality dimension in the aid effectiveness agenda.
Background
The last years have been marked by a number of milestones towards establishing new aid architecture. From the Millennium Summit to the Monterrey Consensus, the Marrakech Roundtable and most recently the Paris Declaration, countries have affirmed the need to improve aid effectiveness and increase volumes of aid. The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness establishes global commitments for donors and partner countries to support more effective aid in a context of significant scaling up. However, it does not explicitly address gender equality and there is a risk that women will not benefit equitably from expanded budgets.