On EU Gender Action Plan IV – priorities for gender equality and women’s rights in external action

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

(2026/2039(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Articles 2, 3 and 21 of the Treaty on European Union,

– having regard to Articles 8 and 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and in particular to Article 23 thereof,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 March 2026 entitled ‘Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030’ (COM(2026)0113),

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 25 November 2020 entitled ‘EU Gender Action Plan (GAP) III – An ambitious agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment in EU external action’ (JOIN(2020)0017),

– having regard to the joint report from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 20 November 2023 entitled ‘Joint mid-term report on the implementation of the EU Gender Action Plan (GAP III)’ (JOIN(2023)0036),

– having regard to the joint statement of 30 June 2017 by the Council and the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission entitled ‘The New European Consensus on Development – “Our world, our dignity, our future”’1,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, amending and repealing Decision No 466/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 480/20092,

– having regard to the Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid3,

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 16 July 2025 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Global Europe (COM(2025)0551),

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 25 March 2020 entitled ‘EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024’ (JOIN(2020)0005), further extended until 2027,

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 1 December 2021 entitled ‘The Global Gateway’ (JOIN(2021)0030),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 13 May 2026 entitled ‘Reinforcing global health resilience amid geopolitical change’ (COM(2026)0197),

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 27 May 2026 entitled ‘Defending values, driving reform, delivering impact: the EU’s humanitarian action in a shifting global order’ (JOIN(2026)0025),

– having regard to the EU action plan on women, peace and security (WPS) 2019-2024 of 4 July 2019,

– having regard to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women of 18 December 1979,

– having regard to the UN Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 15 September 1995, and to the outcomes of its review conferences,

– having regard to the UN General Assembly Resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015 entitled ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, and to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) included therein,

– having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 on women, peace and security and to all subsequent related resolutions,

– having regard to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) of 11 May 2011,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the joint deliberations of the Committee on Development and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality under Rule 59 of the Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Foreign Affairs,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Development and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (A10-0000/2026),

A. whereas gender equality is a fundamental right and core value of the European Union enshrined in the Treaties;

B. whereas progress on SDG 5 on Gender Equality is moving at an insufficient pace; whereas SDG 5 is a catalyst for achieving the 2030 Agenda;

C. whereas the global backlash against women’s rights and gender equality, including on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and LGBTIQ rights, risks reversing progress made and constitutes a threat to democratic resilience and sustainable development, and has resulted in funding cuts and limited access to essential services for women;

D. whereas gender-based violence is one of the most widespread and severe human rights violations globally; whereas conflict-related sexual violence, which is a war crime, is increasing;

E. whereas women face intersecting discrimination based on sex, race, ethnic or social origins, religion or belief, disability, health, socio-economic background, birth status, age, class, displacement status and sexual orientation;

F. whereas in 2024 less than 6 % of official development assistance (ODA) was dedicated to gender equality, and only 0.3 % to women’s rights organisations; whereas aid cuts in 2025 decreased funding for gender equality4;

G. whereas women-led organisations are crucial humanitarian actors, but two in five of them are expected to shut down within a year due to funding cuts;

H. whereas the women, peace and security agenda is at the core of the EU’s peace and security policy but remains limited in its implementation worldwide;

I. whereas investing in gender equality could add USD 13 trillion to global GDP by 20305;

J. whereas GAP III has elevated gender equality as a strategic priority in the EU’s external action but implementation remains uneven between regions and sectors;

K. whereas GAP III has contributed to increased protection against gender-based violence, promoting women’s and girls’ participation in public and political life and improving their access to quality education, health and social protection;

L. whereas the Commission has made significant progress in reaching the gender targets of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe;

Implementing SDG 5

1. Recalls the EU’s commitment to advancing SDG 5;

From efficient implementation to EU commitment

2. Calls on the Commission to adopt an ambitious GAP IV that elevates gender equality and women’s rights as a priority in the EU’s external action with robust monitoring and reporting mechanisms;

3. Underlines the need for a coordinated implementation approach by the Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Member States, through the Team Europe approach;

4. Calls for the strengthening of meaningful partnerships with local women’s organisations and a dedicated funding target of 5 % of ODA for them;

5. Calls for the maintenance of the target requiring 85 % of all new external actions to have gender equality as a significant or principal objective, with at least 5 % having it as a principal objective, and for adequate funding to be ensured;

6. Calls for a further strengthening of the three-pronged approach comprising gender mainstreaming, targeted actions and political and policy dialogue, and for a human-rights based, gender-responsive and disability inclusive approach;

7. Calls for adequate gender expertise and enhanced gender-responsive leadership to support implementation;

Eliminating all forms of gender-based violence

8. Calls for action to be taken to prevent and eliminate all forms of gender-based violence and to combat impunity;

9. Calls for increased international cooperation to combat human trafficking and sexual exploitation;

10. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence;

Ensuring access to healthcare services for women, including for sexual and reproductive health

11. Calls on the EU to facilitate access to sexual and reproductive health services, keeping a focus on SRHR and ensuring adequate funding for it; expresses concern that SRHR programming has been heavily impacted by funding cuts;

12. Calls for actions to be taken to reduce inequalities between women and men in terms of access to quality healthcare;

13. Calls for the EU to support accessible and quality maternal health services, and to invest in HIV prevention and treatments for women;

Promoting women’s empowerment, economic and social rights and equality

14. Calls for GAP IV to promote women’s economic empowerment and for measures to enhance women’s employability, entrepreneurship and access to economic opportunities;

15. Calls for a comprehensive approach to ensuring girls’ access to quality education and training;

Advancing women’s full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership

16. Expresses concern that women remain under-represented at all levels of political and public life; calls for strengthened political engagement and targeted programmes to promote their full, equal and meaningful participation;

17. Calls for EU action to be taken to promote safe civic spaces for women and for women’s organisations and related organisations;

Accelerate the implementation of the women, peace and security agenda

18. Calls for the full implementation of the WPS agenda as a response to the current geopolitical and security context, and for the adoption of a renewed EU WPS action plan;

19. Stresses the important contributions made by women and women’s organisations to promoting peace; calls for the EU to promote the full, equal and meaningful participation of women at all stages of peace processes;

20. Reiterates the need to prevent and combat conflict-related sexual violence;

A gender-responsive Global Gateway strategy

21. Calls for a special focus on how to enhance gender equality through Global Gateway operations;

22. Encourages the EU to engage with development finance institutions to integrate women’s rights in all relevant stages of the Global Gateway investment cycle;

Building a green and digital society

23. Calls for support for women’s contribution to and participation in agriculture, in the action against climate change and biodiversity loss;

24. Calls for women and girls to be given improved access to digital tools and skills and to promote their participation in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics;

Promoting women’s rights and preventing backsliding

25. Calls for specific measures to counter the global gender equality backlash and to ensure that there are no EU funds going towards objectives that are against gender equality;

Creating a strong partnership for gender equality

26. Calls for the EU to leverage its diplomatic engagement and strategic partnerships in the multilateral arena to maintain gender equality on the global political agenda;

27. Reiterates that intergenerational dialogue and the commitment and engagement of men and boys to gender equality are crucial;

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28. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.