Will Europe’s next budget deliver on gender equality? – EUobserver

Report on the European Union’s Multiannual Financial Framework and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

An analysis of the European Union’s proposed Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) reveals a significant misalignment between the EU’s stated values on gender equality and its budgetary allocations. The proposed funding for initiatives aimed at achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality) is critically insufficient. This report outlines the budgetary shortfalls, identifies systemic challenges hindering progress on SDG 5 and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and provides recommendations for a gender-responsive budget that effectively supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Analysis of Proposed Budget and Impact on SDG 5: Gender Equality

Insufficient Budgetary Allocations for Gender Equality

The European Commission’s proposal for the next MFF includes the consolidation of several programs into a single funding stream, AgoraEU. Within this structure, the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program is the primary vehicle for promoting gender equality.

• Total Proposed MFF: Approximately €2 trillion
• Proposed CERV Allocation: €3.59 billion
• Percentage of Total Budget: 0.18%

This allocation represents a marginal fraction of the total budget and is inadequate to address the persistent challenges to achieving SDG 5 across the Union. The strands within CERV dedicated to gender equality and combating gender-based violence consistently receive the smallest budget allocations despite attracting the highest number of applications, leading to low success rates for civil society initiatives.

Discrepancy Between Commitments and Financial Reality

Despite the EU’s commitment to the SDGs, significant gender inequalities persist, indicating a failure to meet key targets within SDG 5 and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

• SDG Target 5.2 (End Violence Against Women): One in three women in the EU experiences physical or sexual violence.
• SDG Target 5.5 (Ensure Full Participation in Leadership): Women remain underrepresented in decision-making roles.
• SDG Target 10.1 (Reduce Income Inequalities): Women earn, on average, 13% less than men and are more likely to face poverty in retirement.

Recent assessments by the Commission indicate that up to 92% of essential initiatives targeting these issues went unfunded due to budgetary limitations, directly impeding progress on the SDGs.

Systemic Challenges to Achieving SDG 5 and SDG 16

Ineffective Funding Distribution and Institutional Weakness

The report identifies critical issues in the redistribution of EU funds, which compromise the effectiveness of institutions as outlined in SDG 16. In several member states, funds intended for gender equality initiatives fail to reach grassroots civil society organizations due to political interference and lack of transparency. This systemic failure not only obstructs progress on SDG 5 but also weakens democratic institutions and shrinks civic space, contrary to the objectives of SDG 16.

Economic Costs and Competing Financial Priorities

The failure to adequately fund gender equality initiatives carries a substantial economic cost. Gender-based violence alone costs the EU economy over €366 billion annually. Simultaneously, women’s rights organizations face increasing financial pressure as governmental budgets shift towards other priorities. In contrast, anti-gender movements receive significant financial backing, creating an environment hostile to the advancement of SDG 5.

Recommendations for a Gender-Responsive EU Budget Aligned with the SDGs

To ensure the next MFF serves as an effective tool for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the following actions are recommended:

1. Increase and Protect Funding for Gender Equality: Maintain and increase the proposed allocation for the CERV program, with specific, ring-fenced budgets for its Equality and Daphne strands to directly advance SDG 5.
2. Strengthen Civil Society Partnerships (SDG 17): Implement mechanisms for direct and flexible funding to women’s rights organizations, especially in member states where civic space is under threat. This supports SDG 16 by empowering actors who defend democracy and human rights.
3. Utilize Intermediary Funding Mechanisms: Protect and expand the practice of channeling EU resources through intermediary organizations like women’s funds. This regranting mechanism is vital for ensuring funds reach grassroots groups, fulfilling the partnership principles of SDG 17.
4. Mandate Gender-Responsive Budgeting: Make gender-responsive budgeting a mandatory requirement across all EU funds and policies. This ensures that the impact on gender equality is assessed and addressed systemically, integrating SDG 5 into all financial planning.
5. Mainstream Gender Equality as a Cross-Cutting Priority: Ensure that major EU financial instruments, including the European Social Fund, Horizon Europe, and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, consistently and explicitly support the achievement of SDG 5.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• The article’s central theme is the inadequate funding for gender equality initiatives within the EU budget. It explicitly discusses issues like gender-based violence, the gender pay gap, women’s underrepresentation in decision-making, and the need for resources for women’s rights organizations, all of which are core to SDG 5.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article connects to this goal by highlighting economic disparities faced by women. It specifically mentions that “Women across Europe still earn on average 13 percent less than men,” which directly relates to the principles of decent work and equal pay for work of equal value.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• This goal is addressed through the article’s focus on the systemic inequality between genders. The discussion on the gender pay gap, women being “more likely to live in poverty after retirement,” and the call for reallocating funds to “better address inequality” all point towards the need to reduce inequalities within and among countries.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• The article touches upon this SDG by discussing the need for transparent and fair distribution of EU funds, especially when they flow through “patriarchal, corrupt or retrograde governments.” It also emphasizes the importance of supporting civil society organizations and protecting “shrinking civic space,” which are crucial for building accountable institutions and ensuring participatory decision-making.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls. The article directly references this target by stating, “one in three women experiences physical and sexual violence in their lifetime” and highlighting the chronic underfunding of services fighting gender-based violence.
• Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in political, economic and public life. This is identified when the article notes that women “remain underrepresented in decision-making.”
• Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. The article points to this target by mentioning that “millions lack access to accessible reproductive healthcare.”
• Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality. The entire article is a call to action for this target, arguing that the EU’s budget (a key policy instrument) must be strengthened with adequate and transparent funding to genuinely support gender equality.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value. The article directly relates to this target by citing the gender pay gap, where women “earn on average 13 percent less than men.”

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… sex. The article’s call for increased funding for women’s organizations and gender-responsive budgeting across all EU funds is a direct effort to promote the economic and political inclusion of women and reduce systemic gender inequality.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. This target is relevant to the article’s concern about how EU money is distributed, questioning “how the commission will ensure the transparent and fair distribution of funds without political interference,” especially through potentially corrupt governments.
• Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. The article supports this target by advocating for women’s organizations to have a “seat at the table” in budget negotiations and for funding mechanisms that support grassroots civil society, making decision-making processes more inclusive.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

Proportion of women subjected to physical or sexual violence

• The article provides a direct statistic that serves as an indicator: “one in three women experiences physical and sexual violence in their lifetime.” This measures the prevalence of violence against women.

Gender pay gap

• A clear quantitative indicator is mentioned: “Women across Europe still earn on average 13 percent less than men.” This directly measures the disparity in earnings between genders.

Proportion of budget allocated to gender equality

• The article implies this indicator by analyzing the EU budget. It states that the CERV program, which includes gender equality, receives “barely 0.18 percent of the entire proposed budget,” serving as a measure of financial commitment.

Funding gap for gender equality initiatives

• An indicator for the shortfall in resources is provided: “up to 92 percent of essential initiatives addressing some of these challenges went unfunded in recent years due to the limited budget.”

Economic cost of gender-based violence

• The article presents a financial indicator to measure the economic impact of inaction: “gender-based violence alone costs the EU economy more than €366bn annually.”

Proportion of women in decision-making roles

• While not providing a number, the article implies this indicator by stating that women “remain underrepresented in decision-making.” Progress would be measured by tracking the percentage of women in leadership positions.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: euobserver.com