FFPPVC commentary on the new EU Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030

Ahead of International Women’s Day, the European Commission today presented the new EU Gender Equality Strategy. Amid a global backlash on gender justice and democracy, this sends an important signal and reaffirms the EU’s commitment to gender equality.

These attacks on women’s rights and democratic institutions are coordinated globally and across borders. To counter them, it is vital to ensure coherence with the EU’s external policy on gender justice. 

Including how to apply it to the EU level: 

• Adopt FFP as a strategic pillar across external policies: this includes all areas, such as trade, development, security and diplomacy. Gender justice and intersectionality need to be applied horizontally, and funding mechanisms need to be made available. 
• Build balanced partnerships around the world: these should be grounded in respect for international law, cross-regional learning and shared development, prioritising diplomacy and non-violent conflict resolution mechanisms.
• Ensure gender budgeting in the new MFF: spending targets on gender equality are vital to ensure that EU funding promotes justice and gender transformation. The Strategy did not include any ambitions towards including Gender Markers in the next MFF (spending targets), but this should be maintained in the Global Europe pillar. 
• Include a dedicated funding line for feminist movements: Grass-roots civil society, including women-led organisations, plays a vital role in strengthening democratic resilience. Given the current ODA cuts, the EU must redouble its support for its vital work.

The new EU Gender Equality Strategy serves as a starting point. We warmly welcome the launch of the new dedicated flagship initiative ‘SHIELD’, which will focus on improving access to sexual and reproductive health and supporting survivors of gender-based violence, in line with gender-responsive and principled humanitarian aid.

Our Collective will keep up its work to ensure these values and approaches are incorporated in the new MFF and the upcoming Gender Action Plan IV and the EU Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2028-2034).

This commentary was written by the Feminist Foreign Policy Progressive Voices Collective (FFPPVC)

The Feminist Foreign Policy Progressive Voices Collective (FFPPVC) is co-chaired by Ann Linde, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden , and Machris Cabreros, Co-Chair of the network and Coordinator at  Progressive Alliance, who will join the CSW70 in New York.

The Collective was launched by FEPS, in collaboration with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung EU Office and supported by an active network of dedicated partners. This project aims to gather a community of feminist experts from across the globe and create a platform for them to exchange ideas, policy approaches, and practices in Feminist Foreign Policy. Find out more about the FFPPVC.

Photo credit: EC – Audiovisual Service