The integration of gender mainstreaming into French development aid continues. On July 5, a symposium at the National Assembly took stock of the process. Equipop actively participated in this event through its role as leader of the gender commission within Coordination SUD.
In 2013, France adopted a "Gender and Development Strategy (2013-2017)". Three years later, an event was held for the first time in the French parliament to specifically address this issue. Thanks to the impetus provided by the delegation for women's rights chaired by Catherine Coutelle, strategic guidelines in this area will no longer be discussed solely within the executive branch. And while the implementation of the Gender and Development Strategy has given rise to several successes, particularly in terms of speaking out in international forums, there is still a long way to go before the gender approach is fully integrated into development policy.
INCREASE FUNDING AND POLITICAL SUPPORT
Through its role as leader of Coordination SUD's gender commission, Equipop coordinated the NGO platform's position on the implementation of the "Gender and Development Strategy." This strategy was presented by the president of Coordination SUD, Philippe Jahshan, during the conference.
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- After a very promising start-up phase, the process must now find a more stable and consistent financial footing.
- The Department of Foreign Affairs must once again provide strong political leadership to ensure that the strategy is renewed beyond 2017.
It is now up to parliamentarians to take action when voting on the official development assistance budget this fall. Equipop will be closely following the debates in the chamber and will provide its expertise at the request of parliamentarians. Watch Philippe Jahshan's speech by clicking here.
