EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in EU external action (GAP IV)

Lassociation of women from South Europe, the federation of the women’s movement, has been sounding alarm for more than a decade over the violent attacks on women’s lives and rights and the widespread backlash against gender equality policies in a context of growing obscurantist forces in Europe, as in the world.

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1. Institutionalising Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) as a Core Result of GAP IV (Strengthened Priority) GAP IV must move beyond commitments and ensure that Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) is fully institutionalised as a mandatory and measurable result across all EU external financing instruments.

Summary (EU GAP IV 20282034- SOS Childrens Villages Global Gender Network Inputs) This submission underscores that gender equality is both a prerequisite and accelerator for sustainable development, particularly in a context of growing global backlash against rights, gender equality, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Public Association Womens Organization Alga is a civil society organisation working with rural women and girls in Kyrgyzstan. Our work focuses on gender equality, prevention of early and forced marriage, access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and addressing gender-based violence.

The next EU Gender Action Plan represents a key opportunity to prioritise gender equality in crisis response, strengthen EU support to protection efforts, scale up the EUs investments in womens economic empowerment, and shift power and resources to women-led organisations. The escalating humanitarian crises we see today impact women and girls differently and disproportionately.

As a civil society contributor from Africa, I welcome the opportunity to inform the development of GAP IV. This Action Plan is a critical opportunity for the EU to strengthen how gender equality and womens empowerment are advanced in its external action, particularly in partner countries where structural inequalities, poverty, conflict, and limited institutional capacity continue to shape the daily realities of…

This consultation is taking place at a time and in a global political climate in which universal human rights, the rule of law, international law and freedom of expression central pillars of our democratic values and governance systems are under massive threat. Womens rights and gender equality - one of the UN and the EUs fundamental values and treaty objectives - are particularly affected.

The GSMA, representing mobile operators and the wider ecosystem, welcomes the European Unions continued commitment to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls worldwide. As digital technologies increasingly shape sustainable development outcomes, more needs to be done to address the persistent digital gender divide.

The European Institute of Peace provides practical experience, technical expertise, creative ideas and policy advice on conflict prevention and resolution in over twenty locations around the world. The Institute welcomes the EUs commitment to developing GAP IV at a moment when the political space for gender equality is narrowing globally and WPS commitments are eroding.

This submission recognises that the European Unions Gender Action Plan (GAP) III (20212027) successfully transitioned gender equality from a thematic peripheral concern to a central pillar of EU external action.

Oxfam is a global confederation working in over 80 countries to end poverty and inequality by tackling their root causes. The EU Gender Action Plan III marked an important step forward in positioning gender equality as a core objective of EU external action.

Founded in 1997, long Alafia works to promote the rights of women, young people and vulnerable communities through actions in governance, civic participation and the fight against gender-based violence. With almost 30 years of experience in Togo, particularly in fragile rural areas, our organisation regards gender legality as a fundamental lever for democratic governance, social cohesion and sustainable development.

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IOM welcomes the opportunity to contribute to refining the EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment 2028 2034 (GAP IV). IOM commends the priority focus of applying a rights-based, gender-responsive approach to migration, safeguarding womens and girls rights along migration routes and in displacement, as well as commitments to make tangible progress on the root causes of gender inequality, womens…

Feedback Contribution Civil Society (GAP IV 20282034) We are the Club des Jeunes Filles Leaders de Guinée, a grassroots feminist organisation engaged with women and girls in preventing gender-based violence (GBV), defending human rights and promoting female leadership.

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The Center for Reproductive Rights welcomes the opportunity to provide recommendations on the EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU External Action 2028 2034 (GAP IV). Gender equality across the world cannot be achieved without the full realisation of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Contribution of the Latin American Network of Strategic Gender Litigation (ReLeG) to the Consultation Process for GAP IV (2028-2034) The Latin American Network of Strategic Gender Litigation (ReLeG) brings together litigants, lawyers, academics and activists from Latin America committed to access to justice with a gender perspective.

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In a global context of persistent gender inequalities and crises in care systems, the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Homeless Workers (CONLACTRAHO) welcomes the European Union’s commitment to advancing gender equality through the future Gender Action Plan 2028-2034 (GAP IV).

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Gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls are fundamental to sustainable development, peace, and inclusive, resilient societies. Yet progress is stalling or reversing in more than half of all countries, with growing backlash against womens rights, rising gender-based violence, shrinking civic space, democratic backsliding, and increasing threats to women human rights defenders, further exacerbated…

As GAP III comes to an end in 2027, the Alliance Féministe Francophone (AFF) welcomes the progress made on gender equality. However, the future GAP IV comes at a time of massive financial disengagement, an increase in anti-rights movements and a decline in civic space.

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As the EU agency for gender equality, we welcome the Commissions initiative around the EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU external action 2028 2034 (GAP IV) and the opportunity to provide evidence to feed into the process based on EIGEs research.

In a context of a global backlash on gender equality, human rights, and diversity, equity and inclusion, the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) welcomes the EU commitment to prioritise gender equality and eradicate all forms of gender-based violence in its external action to accelerate progress towards international commitments.

Universal access to clean Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services is crucial to underpin women and girls empowerment and reduce gender inequality as it is a prerequisite for dignified and safe healthcare, as well as for regular school and work attendance. However, in many countries, WASH services are typically not gender-responsive and inclusive.

The forthcoming EU Gender Equality Action Plan IV (GAP IV) represents an important opportunity for the European Union to strengthen its global leadership on gender equality, womens rights and inclusive international cooperation. The EUs Gender Equality Action Plan 20202025 (GAP III) created important momentum, stronger policy frameworks, better gender mainstreaming and improved accountability mechanisms.

The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security (GIWPS) advances the pivotal role women play in preventing conflict and building peace. GIWPS welcomes the EUs emphasis on gender equality as strategic horizontal priority and a stand-alone objective of EU external action.

International IDEAs main contribution is attached. The contribution builds on commitment to advancing gender equality in democracy building, including through implementing two global pillars of the EU WYDE initiative.

The Centre for Population Policy and Sustainable Development (CPPSD), Serbia, welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the consultation on the EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU External Action (GAP IV) and emphasizes that achieving gender equality requires a clear, explicit, and sustained commitment to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), which are fundamental to womens…

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations globally, affecting at least one in three women throughout their lifetime1. This figure hasremainedlargely unchangedover the past decade.

The European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO) is the largest independent European civil society platform of over 50 European NGOs, NGO networks and think tanks that are committed to peacebuilding and the prevention of violent conflict.

As an association with nearly 20 years of experience in defending human dignity and the rights of women and children, we would like to offer several recommendations regarding the development of the EU Gender Action Plan on Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU External Action for the period 20282034 (GAP IV).

People in Need (PIN) welcomes the EUs continued commitment to gender equality through the development of the Gender Action Plan IV (GAP IV). Building on GAP III, the EU has made important progress in strengthening the visibility of gender equality in external action and promoting it as both a cross-cutting priority and a standalone objective.

MSC (MicroSave Consulting) brings over 25 years of global experience in advancing inclusive development across financial inclusion, womens economic empowerment, climate resilience, digitalization, and livelihoods. Building on this evidence, this submission provides key recommendations to inform the development of the European Union Gender Action Plan IV (GAP IV).

Overall, ENGSO supports the key areas for action, particularly those targeting the individual and institutional level. It strongly encourages the inclusion of sport and its governance as an intervention, platform, or entry point within the Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU External Action 2028-2034 (GAP IV).

LARSF is a civil society organisation working in eastern DRC, engaged in promoting gender legality, socio-economic reintegration of vulnerable women and combating gender-based violence in fragile contexts. In recent years, ARSF has accompanied 120 women and girls, mainly survivors of gender-based violence, through psychosocial care, detraumatisation and socio-economic recovery activities.

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1. The contemporary erosion of womens human rights, driven by the rise of authoritarian regimes and anti-rights movements, unfolds within a global context deeply shaped by structural inequalities that cannot be understood without placing race at the center of analysis.

The document argues that GAP IV should become a decisive opportunity to correct one of the persistent weaknesses of previous EU Gender Action Plans: local and regional governments (LRGs) are often recognised in political language as key actors, but they are not sufficiently included in the current architecture of planning, implementation, financing and evaluation. From our perspective, this is a central issue.

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Foundation United Women from Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina supports GAP IV focus on following: 1. Finance services for gender-based violence for WCSO specialized service providers, particularly in countries where consistent, adequate public budget funds remain unavailable. 2. Ensure that intersectionality is explicitly mentioned and remains at the core of GAP IV.

Please refer to the attached document for the GFFs submission. About the GFF The Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF) is a country-led, catalytic financing partnership hosted at the World Bank Group whose mission is to enable partner countries to end preventable maternal and child deaths and expand and sustain access to affordable, quality primary health care for all women, children…

The Finnish Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Network welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU External Action 20282034 (GAPIV). The Network is an expert network with the aim of promoting women, peace, and security issues in Finland.

The Danish Family Planning Association welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the consultation on the EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU External Action (GAPIV). Achieving gender equality requires a strong and explicit focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Equality between women and men is a fundamental principle of European Union law and a core objective of EU external action, as recognised in international frameworks and reaffirmed in EU policy commitments. The forthcoming EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in External Action 20282034 (GAP IV) is being developed at a critical moment, as global progress on womens rights remains slow, uneven…

Christian Council International appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback on the EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU External Action 20282034. In this submission, we highlight key considerations relating to the drivers of inequality, the role of family and community structures and approaches to enhancing the effectiveness of the proposed framework.

Inclusion Europe represents 20 million people with intellectual disabilities and their families. The Situation 61% of women with intellectual disabilities report experiencing sexual violence or domestic violence. The risk is higher for women living in institutions.

Advancing Gender Equality in STEM and Digital Inclusion for Girls in Underserved Communities in Sub-Saharan Africa Submitted by: Blessing Oluebebe Simon | Capacity: Independent Volunteer & Field Advocate | Country: Nigeria | Date: April 2026 1. Introduction Submitted by Blessing Oluebebe Simon, an independent volunteer who delivered STEM and AI awareness programmes to girls in underserved Nigerian communities.

1. Institutionalise gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) GRB should be fully embedded within GAP IV as a planned result for targetted countries and applied in all the EUs external action budgets (including those seeming unrelated or indirectly related to furthering gender equality), ensuring that gender equality is systematically integrated throughout the entire budgeting cycle from legislation and programme design to…

Barcelona Provincial Council welcomes the preparation of the joint communication on GAP IV, as a framework for mainstreaming gender equality as a cross-cutting priority and as a goal in itself, with a rights-based, intersectional approach and aligned with international commitments.

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EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in EU External Action (GAP IV) Submitted by Women's Funds Europe April 2026 Womens Funds Europe (WFE) is a coalition of 13 Womens Funds based in 11 European countries led by and for women, girls, trans, intersex, and non-binary people in all their diversity.

Gender equality cannot be achieved without recognising how factors such as age, disability, migration experience, sexual orientation, and socio economic status shape peoples access to rights and services. The European Union (EU) has a responsibility to ensure its internal and external policies are inclusive by design and uphold the rights of all, especially those most at risk of marginalisation.

The Association of Women Journalists and Writers of Puebla A.C. (AMPEP) in Mexico considers that: Women journalists in Mexico face gender-based violence. In the period 20202024, 1,054 attacks were recorded, including information blockades, threats, smear campaigns, intimidation, harassment and physical assaults (CIMAC, 2024).

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Contribution Consultation GAP IV As a feminist organisation engaged in West Africa, we welcome the progress made by GAP III and the European Union’s willingness to renew its commitments through GAP IV. However, in a context of shrinking civic space, rising anti-rights movements and chronic underfunding, it is imperative to strengthen an approach centred on feminist organisations, which are at the forefront of…

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The Institute for Gender in Geopolitics (IGG) is a Paris-based research institute dedicated to integrating gender analysis into geopolitical and international relations research. Through its research teams on conflicts, climate, feminist foreign policy, anti-gender backlash, and conflicts, the IGG produces evidence-based analysis aimed at informing public policy.

Inequality in all areas of daily life for women is latent, women need to kill, work and be available for work outside working hours, as aspiring to important positions depends on whether we are mothers, if we are available, so it is important that gender equity is sought from important forums.

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La Coordinadoras main contribution towards GAP IV is the attached document. Find below our key messages. These are complemented by additional points regarding ongoing EU policy and legislation that will have an impact on GAP IV implementation and should be considered.

We are submitting this proposal on behalf of LGB International EU. LGB International is the global federation of organisations of lesbian, gay and bisexual people. LGB International EU comprises members from EU Member States.

The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation recommends that GAP IV retain and build on the full scope and ambition of GAP III, while placing stronger emphasis on effective implementation, expanding its partnerships with womens civil society organisations (WCSOs) and continue to be firmly grounded in an intersectional, gender-transformative, and human rights-based approach.

LGB Asociación is an organisation that campaigns for the rights of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals. In order to effectively defend the rights of women and girls and combat sex-based violence, it is essential that the policies and laws developed continue to distinguish between women and men on the basis of sex, given that sex is a legal category recognised in various European Union countries, such as Spain, and in…

Chayn is a global nonprofit founded in 2013, creating open, survivor-centred resources for people experiencing gender-based violence. Our online resources and services are trauma-informed, intersectional, multilingual and feminist, currently available in 13 languages and reaching survivors in over 100 countries.

Lesbian Bill of Rights International (LBORI) is an international network of radical feminist lesbian organisations that have adopted the Lesbian Bill of Rights (LBOR) We welcome this EU call at a time when women across Europe are under attack from the political right, from neoliberal economic systems, and from gender ideology.

The African Womens Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) is a pan-African, feminist and membership-based network based in Kenya with over 800 individual and institutional members across 50 African countries and in the diaspora, our key messages regarding EU's GAPIV are as follows: 1.

For several years, we have been witnessing a global backlash against the rights of women, girls, adolescent girls and LGBTQIA+ people, alongside the rise of anti-rights and anti-choice movements. This phenomenon also affects Europe, as evidenced by the tightening of abortion legislation in some countries, the rise of conservative political forces, and the questioning of fundamental principles of gender equality.

FGM is a human rights violation and a form of gender-based violence, rooted in unequal power relations and harmful gender norms. Eliminating it sustainably requires long-term, survivor-centred, community-owned, intersectional, and gender-transformative approaches that address and change the structural drivers of inequality.

WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the development of the fourth European Gender Action Plan (GAP IV). At a time of growing and global backlash against gender equality, shrinking civic space and increasing geopolitical and economic instability, an ambitious and coherent GAP IV demands political priority to sustain and advance the EUs commitments to gender equality and womens…

ELFAC calls for the GAP IV to: 1. Integrate demographic sustainability into gender equality policies 2. Recognise, protect and support motherhood and caregiving and address the unequal distribution of care responsibilities 3. Acknowledge and support families with 3 and more children (large families) as key contributors to demographic sustainability 4.

Below is a summary of Search for Common Grounds recommendations for GAP IV. A more detailed contribution is attached. GAP IV should provide for contextualised, demand-driven support in fragile and conflict-affected settings, mainstreamed via contextualised Country Level Implementation Plans or embedded into the Multiannual Implementation Plans.

ALDA, a European network of over 300 local authorities and civil society organizations, implements projects in the regions covered by this call for evidence. Our experience in the Western Balkans (BOOST Balkans for Optimizing Opportunities, Sustainability and Transformation of Civil Society), Türkiye (WE ACT Women Empowerment and ACTion in Politics and Media), and Tunisia (PARFAIT PARticipation des Femmes pour…

Kupenda for the Children is a member of the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC), and we fully support the recommendations outlined in IDDCs submission to the European Commission on GAP IV.

The Czech Republic welcomes the preparation of GAP IV and sees it as a key EU framework for promoting gender equality, human rights and the full participation of women in addressing today’s global challenges. GAP IV’s objectives are in line with the Czech Republic’s national strategic documents.

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Metis Insights is a collective of researchers, strategists, and practitioners working at the intersection of gender justice, humanitarian design, ethical AI, and human rights advocacy. Grounded in feminist and decolonial approaches, we bridge global policy frameworks and the lived realities of communities, by designing processes that strengthen accountability, foster inclusive leadership, and make justice a…

Gender inequality remains a structural reality that exposes individuals to violence, limits autonomy, and restricts access to fundamental rights. Victimisation has profound and long-term consequences, affecting safety, wellbeing, access to justice, social inclusion, and economic independence. While victimisation affects all genders, certain forms of violence disproportionately impact specific groups.

ActionAid is a global federation working for a just, fair and sustainable world free from poverty and injustice. Our work on women's rights focuses on strengthening local feminist movements and WROs to advance feminist economic alternatives, decent work and systemic change to end violence against women. Building on lessons from GAP III, ActionAid proposes the following priorities for GAP IV.

The EU GAP IV must maintain the three core principles of GAPIII of intersectionality, a human-rights approach, and gender-transformative action, while addressing gaps in delivery and elevating its ambition. Stronger political visibility and accountability are needed to ensure measurable results.

The EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community (EL*C), a network of over 250 LBQ-led organisations across Europe and Central Asia, welcomes the development of GAP IV and calls for strengthened, targeted and operational measures to ensure that EU external action effectively addresses the realities of lesbian, bisexual and queer women.

Handicap International Federation (also known as Humanity & Inclusion) calls on the GAP IV to uphold an intersectional and human rights-based approach, in compliance with the CRPD and the CEDAW, while ensuring that the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination experienced by women and girls with disabilities are addressed across all priorities, funding streams, and implementation mechanisms.

Rutgers welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the development of GAP IV. Achieving gender equality demands a strong focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in the next EU GAP. Especially at this point in time, with large geopolitical shifts, conflict, multiple crises, decreasing funding and an unprecedented spread of disinformation, EU support for gender equality and SRHR is crucial.

AVSI calls for simplified procurement processes to strictly assess the proven experience and commitment of private actors to principles such as human value, inclusion, social justice, sustainable development and the ability to put into practice concrete measures for their implementation.

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The European Union Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in External Action (GAP IV) represents a timely and strategic effort to reinforce gender equality as a central pillar of EU external relations.

Governance, actors and frameworks Alignment with MFF: Building on the positive example of aligning GAP III with the current funding cycle, GAP IV should be aligned with the EUs next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034. Financial targets under GAP IV should be clearly reflected in the Global Europe regulation to ensure coherence between the EUs policy and funding frameworks to strengthen accountability.

Väestöliitto, the Finnish Member Association of IPPF, a member of the Countdown 2030 Europe consortium, and an expert organization and long-standing advocate for sexual rights, shares the following joint insights. Achieving gender equality requires a strong focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Rural women are fighting to be visible alongside our rural girls and young people, so that our voice is heard and taken into account in the public policies of our countries and that they contribute to closing gaps in the rural area and contribute to improving our quality of life and respecting our rights, since as ordinary women we contribute to the food security of cities, we are guardians of naturity and therefore…

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Worldwide, the hard-won gains in women’s human rights are being curbed by authoritarian regimes and anti-rights movements at unprecedented levels, more than 30 years after the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action. Donor cuts exacerbate the problem, causing significant backsliding.

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EPF welcomes the upcoming GAP IV and calls for a strengthened, implementation-focused framework that builds on GAP III while addressing identified gaps in delivery, accountability, and policy coherence, in order to continue advancing progress on gender equality globally. Achieving gender equality requires a strong and explicit focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Planning familial France welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the consultation on the EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU External Action (GAPIV). Achieving gender equality requires a strong and explicit focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

ACT Alliance EU is a Brussels-based network of 13 European faith-based organisations, part of the global ACT Alliance, which brings together over 160 members working in more than 120 countries on humanitarian and development issues.

OGF welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the consultation on the EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU External Action (GAPIV). Achieving gender equality requires a strong and explicit focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). SRHR are essential to womens and girls rights, bodily autonomy, and meaningful participation in social, economic, and political life.

This submission addresses a growing policy-level conflict between sex-based rights and identity-based policy frameworks. Womens rights, girls rights, and lesbians rights are grounded in sex. They are not interchangeable with broader identity-based classifications.

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) welcomes the development of the Gender Action Plan IV and supports the EUs commitment to gender equality in its external action. The MSA recommends the systematic integration of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) within GAP IV.

PLATFORMA's complete contribution is attached. Our main messages include: 1.Systemic inclusion of LRGs and their associations at all stages: Permanent consultation channels between LRGs and EU Delegations are needed, as well as a mandatory territorial component in CLIPs. LRGs are key drivers of feminist transformation at local level.

Plan International welcomes the EUs continued commitment to gender equality through the GAP framework. GAP III has demonstrated the added value of translating political commitments into operational priorities, particularly where it has supported action on gender based violence (GBV), girls education, protection in crisis and fragile contexts, and adolescent girls leadership.

The ONCE Foundation welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Call for Evidence on the forthcoming EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU External Action 20282034 (GAP IV). At a time of escalating humanitarian crises, armed conflicts, climate-related disasters, and shrinking civic space, the EUs external action must respond to gender inequality as a human rights imperative and a…

Creación Positiva, a feminist organisation based in Barcelona, carries out its work with the aim of giving effect to the rights to sexual health, the right to a life free from violence and the right to a life of dignity. Our intervention is based on a comprehensive accompanying model focusing on the ethics of care and the promotion of autonomy, operating through care, awareness-raising, and political impact.

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Fundación CERMI Mujeres contributes to the consultation on the future EU Gender Equality Action Plan (GAP IV, 20282034), stressing that in a context of growing humanitarian crises, conflicts, and climate-related disasters, gender inequality must be addressed as both a human rights priority and a humanitarian emergency.

Contribution to the EU Action Plan on Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in External Action (GAP IV) Thematic Focus: Womens Health, Economic Participation, and Structural Equality Title: Integrating Endometriosis and Adenomyosis into EU Gender Equality Policy Executive Summary This submission calls for the inclusion of chronic gynecological conditions - specifically endometriosis and adenomyosis - as a priority…

ReKa Si is a diasporic, intersectional feminist organisation for research and art. We are founded and led by women researchers, artists, and activists from the SWANA region living in the EU, with lived experience of migration and displacement. The EU should maintain and strengthen an intersectional, human rights-based, and transformative approach to gender equality across all external action through GAP IV.

As an environmental organization based in Ukraine, Ecoclub recognizes that the twin crises of environmental degradation and gender inequality cannot be solved in isolation. We advocate for a Gender Action Plan IV (GAP IV) that is ambitious, intersectional, and grounded in the realities of those living through conflict and the climate emergency.

Any attempt to protect the rights of women and girls must first be able to define what a girl or a woman is. This definition needs to be based on sex rather than identity which is unverfiable and transitory. Sex, on the other hand, is an immutable characteristic and it is this characteristic on which women's discrimination, abuse and oppression is based.

The credibility of any initiative by the EU to improve the rights of women and girls is completely undermined by the insulting attempt to include men in the category of women. No one can change sex; no one is "born in the wrong body" and neither hormones, surgery nor a certificate can change a person's sex.

Start with making 100% clear that by women you mean Adult Human Females. No men included. Any initiative to improve the rights of women and girls must first correctly define what a woman/ girl is: you cannot protect a group that you will not define, or that anyone can identify their way into.

I serve as Founder of the Women for Women Sierra Leone, a women-led organisation dedicated to advancing gender equality, disability inclusion, and sustainable development in marginalised communities. As a committed feminist and advocate for gender justice, my work is informed by more than twelve years of hands on experience in advocacy and civic engagement, spanning community, national, and international spheres.

In Mexico and several Latin American countries, indigenous women face multiple forms of violence: physical, reproductive and structural. They also face serious difficulties in accessing justice, due to the geographical remoteness of the reporting and follow-up centres for their cases, as well as the lack of intercultural and gender-sensitive interpreters, which limits the understanding of the facts they have…

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Opinion of the Committee on Gender Equality on the EU Gender Action Plan IV (GAP IV, 20282034) The Committee on Gender Equality praises the opportunity to express its views on the future Gender Action Plan IV of the European Union. We consider gender equality to be a key human rights issue and support decisive action to reduce inequalities worldwide.

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The Human Development Research Initiative (HDRI) welcomes the preparation of the EU Gender Action Plan IV (20282034) as a critical framework to advance a fair and sustainable development for all. As a youth-led national research and policy-oriented civil society organization, HDRI asserts that youth-led research and civic engagement are essential to shaping inclusive, forward-looking policies that address the root…

Fundación para Estudio e Investigación de la Mujer (FEIM) is an Argentine civil society organisation with more than 35 years of experience advancing gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and the prevention of gender-based violence.

The Portuguese Platform of Development NGOs (Plataforma Portuguesa das ONGD) represents more than 60 Portuguese civil society organisations working on Development Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid, and Global Citizenship Education.

The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) welcomes the initiative to develop the EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU External Action 20282034 (GAP IV) and reaffirms its strong institutional commitment to gender equality.

WECF International is a Global Ecofeminist Network with partners in 70 countries, we call for an ambitious and feminist EU GAP IV. Recommendations: 1) Apply fully an Intersectional, Gender-Transformative and Human Rights Based approach building on the successful format of GAPIII 2) Strengthen Women's Rights and (Eco)Feminist organisations through their meaningful engagement as well as dedicated grant-funding…

Strengthening Womens Leadership in Medicine and Science The EU Action Plan for Gender Equality must move beyond representation metrics and address the structural mechanisms that limit womens leadership in medicine.

The Gender in Emergencies Group (GiE Group) submits these recommendations as a social enterprise working specifically on gender equality in humanitarian settings, providing technical advisory services on gender, GBV, PSEA and inclusion across fragile and conflict-affected contexts.

Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to the protection of civilians in conflict. CIVIC envisions a world where every civilian is protected from the harms of conflict. Our mission is to keep civilians safer in conflict by working with communities, armed actors, and decision-makers to prevent and respond to harm.

IPPF EN welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the consultation on the EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU External Action (GAPIV). Achieving gender equality requires a strong and explicit focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). SRHR are essential to womens and girls rights, bodily autonomy, and meaningful participation in social, economic, and political life.

Aidos, as a member of the Countdown 2030 Europe consortium and collaborative partner of IPPF, shares the following joint insights: 1. Maintaining the core principles of GAPIII GAPIV should reaffirm the three principles that were critical to advancing SRHR: intersectionality, a human rights-based approach, and a gender-transformative approach.

Project to support RURAL Femmes VICTIME DE LA CRISE MILITARO POLITIQUE EN RCA for their financial empowerment and LINOVATION IN LOCAL GENIE Main objective of the project: Encouraging rural women in the Central African Republic to move towards a healthy future, encouraging entrepreneurship as an innovator of empowerment.

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Standard gender disaggregation by sex alone is insufficient. A woman who is Deaf, displaced, living in a fragile rural context, and of low economic status does not experience gender inequality as a single-axis condition. Yet this remains the dominant reporting standard in EU external action. The consequence is policy designed around a disaggregated average that obscures the most excluded.

Across Europe and Central Asia, trans people face a deteriorating human rights environment driven by authoritarian governance and anti-gender movements, contributing to democratic backsliding and shrinking civic space, particularly in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

Feedback on the EU Gender Action Plan IV (GAP IV) Organization: WomenRise Uganda WomenRise Uganda welcomes the European Unions continued commitment to advancing gender equality through the Gender Action Plan IV.

Current gender equality frameworks often treat legal recognition as the endpoint of inclusion. Iran offers a uniquely instructive counterexample: a system where transgender identity is formally recognized through a religious-legal framework, yet does not translate into full social, economic, or institutional inclusion.

Recommendations for integrating the fight against caste-based discrimination into GAP IV Building on the existing framework of GAP III, and with a focus on South Asia, where caste-based discrimination is a deeply entrenched system of structural inequality, disproportionately affecting women from marginalized communities (Dalit, Adivasi, and lower caste women).

According to an internal monitoring process of domestic violence cases at the Tirana District Court in 2025, the following statistical findings were identified: STATISTICAL OVERVIEW OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES Approximately 52% of applications for protection orders were rejected, indicating significant challenges in meeting evidentiary and procedural requirements.

Title: Protection as Infrastructure: Cognitive, Technological and Ethical Foundations for Gender Equality in EU External Action Contribution: While the GAP IV rightly recognises the growing backlash against womens rights, current approaches remain insufficient to address the structural transformation of inequality in the digital and geopolitical era.

FAIR SHARE of Women Leaders is an international initiative working to spark and sustain a feminist transformation of the social impact sector. Our recommendations for GAP IV are as follows we strongly encourage the EU: 1) To continue its work on advancing womens equal participation and leadership.

CONCORDs main contribution towards GAP IV is the attached document. Find below our key messages. These are complemented by additional points regarding ongoing EU policy and legislation that will have an impact on GAP IV implementation and should be considered.

Innovative pilot project to support rural Mbomou women affected by the military-political crisis and the negative impact of climate change on their financial empowerment and innovation in the local geni. 1. Baseline situation presentation and analysis of the problem: Our idea of the project is based on the recognition that in rural areas of the Central African Republic (CAR), gender-based discrimination and violence…

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The gap in gender equality and women empowerment has long been created as a result of the colonial period and history has refused to be erased. For gender equality and women empowerment action plan to be realistic, the EU needs to integrate a new strategy of removing the power relations hegemonic patriarchal seniority system.

The International Business and Investment Union (IBI Union) commends the European Commission for advancing the Gender Action Plan IV (GAP IV) and for fostering an inclusive consultation process that reflects a wide range of perspectives. We note that many contributions highlight critical social and structural challenges affecting women globally.

The European Womens Lobby (EWL), as the largest umbrella organisation of womens associations in the European Union representing more than 2,000 organisations across Europe, welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the call for evidence on the future Gender Action Plan IV (20282034).

Digital advocacy is no longer a supplement to civil society; it is the primary site of revolution where institutional silence is broken. As seen in the Ochanya case, digital mobilization was the only force capable of overcoming a decade of judicial inertia. The EU GAP IV must shift its focus from traditional institutional support to protecting and legitimizing this parallel justice infrastructure. 1.

The preparation of the new EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU External Action (GAP IV) should explicitly recognise the role of international cooperation in research, innovation and higher education as an important area for advancing gender equality.

Progress on gender equality has stalled or reversed. Conflict, climate crises, and economic instability disproportionately affect women, girls, and marginalised groups, making gender-responsive EU external action essential. The removal of gender spending targets from the Global Europe Instrument undermines long-standing accountability commitments at a moment when stronger action is required.

The United Nations University International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the development of the EU Gender Action Plan IV (GAP IV). Based on our work in global health, gender equality, and health systems across low- and middle-income and fragile settings, this input focuses on how GAP IV can strengthen implementation and impact.

RESIST Project is the EU-funded research consortium (EU grant ID: 101060749) have explored the impact of the so-called anti-gender politics across Europe and beyond, raising populism and illiberalism. (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101060749) Contemporary illiberal democratic backsliding presents challenges to womens empowerment and gender equality due to organised anti-feminist, anti-abortion, and anti-LGBTQ+…

Sensoa is the Flemish Expertisecentre on sexual health. the Gender Action Plan IV (GAP IV) needs to build on GAP IIIs legacy to contribute to gender equality worldwide. SRHR are a fundamental pillar of gender equality and womens and girls rights.

Advancing gender equality and womens empowerment in EU external action remains a strategic priority in an increasingly complex and contested global context. Building on the foundations of the current Gender Action Plan (GAP III), the next phase offers an important opportunity to reinforce a gender-transformative and intersectional approach, while ensuring that commitments translate into tangible outcomes on the…

There are several pointsimportant for GAP IV: - it is curcial to also focus on engaging men and boys in gender equality action, define clear priorities and take into account backlash in gender equality - we need an intersectional approach and consider empowerment of specific groups, considering layers of discrimination - more budget is needed to reinforce the priorities set and provide a holistic approach to actions…

The European Organisation of Military Associations and Trade Unions (EUROMIL), representing military personnel through its 38 member associations across 22 European countries, welcomes the development of the Gender Action Plan IV as an important step in strengthening gender equality in EU external action.

From a technical-psycholegal perspective, the formulation and implementation of gender equality policies such as those provided for in the framework of GAP IV requires moving beyond a purely regulatory or declaratory approach towards a truly integrated model, where the promotion of rights is articulated in a manner consistent with the effective protection of psychological well-being, especially in the case of…

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