Gender equality policy objectives at EU and international level

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3. Gender equa lity policy ob jectives at EU and int ernational level

European Inst itute for Gender Equal ity

8

3. Gender equality policy objectives at EU

and international level

EU level

European Commission

In May 2015, the European Commission published

the European Agenda on Migration. It calls for a

set of core measures and a clear common policy

on migration in the European Union, in order

to meet international and ethical obligations in

accordance with the principles of solidarity and

shared responsibility. This document focuses on

the protection and reception of migrants, but the

European Commission notes that for this migra-

tion policy to succeed, it needs to be supported

by effective integration policies. Considering the

focus on border management and reducing in-

centives for irregular migration, the approach is

largely securitised. Moreover, given the absence

of references to women and gender equality, the

approach is also gender-blind, which poses the

risk of ignoring the specific needs and priori ties of

women migrants, refugees and asylum se ekers. In

October 2019, the Commission published a progress

report on the implementation of the European

Agenda on Migration, examining progress made

and shortcomings in the implementation of the

agenda. Like the European Agenda on Migration,

the progress report does not include references to

gender nor women. However, it includes a report

on EU support on vulnerable migrants.

In 2016, the European Commission adopted an

action plan on the integration of third-countr y

nationals. It states that devoting resources to the

implementation of effec tive integration policies ‘will

contribute to making Europe a more prosperous,

cohesive, and inclusive society in the long run.’ This

document drafts key polic y priorities and tools to

support integration policies across the EU within

different policy areas such as education, employ-

ment, entrepreneurship and culture, and in different

contexts. The European Commission further high -

lights that special attention should be paid to the

gender dimension, together with the situation of

children and vulnerable groups, when developing

integration policies at EU, national or local levels.

Through this action plan, the European Commission

commits to engaging in a dialogue with Member

States to ensure that the gender dimension and

the situation of women migrants are taken into

account in planned policies and funding initiatives.

In terms of the most recent policy objectives,

Promoting our European way of life – Protecting

our citizens and our values is one of the six policy

priorities for the new European Commission (2019-

2024). Migration is one of the five policy areas under

this priority, and it includes the following policies:

• saving lives and stemming irregular migration

flows;

• protecting borders with the European Border

and Coast Guard;

• safe and legal pathways: a new boost for re-

settlement;

• overhauling the EU’s asylum rules.

In its new work programme for 2020, the Euro-

pean Commission sets out the launch of a new

pact on asylum and migration. Acknowledging

the interconnectedness of the internal and ex-

ternal aspects of migration, the pac t ‘will deliver a

more resilient, more humane and more effective

migration and asylum sys tem, which will also un-

derpin confidence in the Schengen area of free

movement’. According to the work programme,

the pact should be adopted in 2020.

In terms of gender equality commitments, the Eu -

rope 2020 st rategy included a target for reaching

a 75 % employment rate amongst people aged

20-64. The European Commission’s strategy for

equality between women and men 2010-2015

reinforced this objective by stating that in order

to reach it, special attention needs to be given

to the labour market participation of migrant

women. The strategy also recognised that the

employment rate of migrant women is low (espe-

cially during the first 3 years in the host country)

and concluded that ‘there is a strong need to