Gender-based investments in national Recovery and Resilience Plans

The negative impact of the COVID-19 crisis on women's social and economic situations triggered a debate on the urgent need for a gender-sensitive policy response to the pandemic. In this context, the establishment of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) – the EU's biggest financial instrument supporting recovery in the Member States – was an opportunity to channel extraordinary resources towards measures that take into account the principles of gender equality.

In this regard, the Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion (ECO section) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is currently working on an own-initiative opinion on Gender-based investments in national recovery and resilience plans. This opinion aims to provide an overview of how gender equality and economic empowerment have been mainstreamed in the RRF Regulation and to highlight the reforms and investments affecting gender equality included in the Member States' recovery and resilience plans (RRPs). It distinguishes between direct and indirect measures set out in the national RRPs that have a gender-based approach at all stages, from planning to implementation and evaluation. Through this opinion, the EESC also gives concrete recommendations to ensure gender-based investments and, in particular, calls for the full involvement of the economic and social partners and civil society in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the national RRPs, especially to promote the coordinated planning of gender equality initiatives.

As part of the work carried out on this opinion, the ECO section decided to organise a hearing on Tuesday, 8 November 2022, bringing together experts from organised civil society and academia, as well as decision-makers to discuss the measures taken by Member States in their RRPs, the current methodology to assess their results, potential incentives (through taxation, by promoting investment in work-life balance, as well as in care services, training, improvements in working conditions, etc.) to increase gender equality in the Member States, and other effective measurement tools to assess the impact of such measures. 

The event will be webstreamed (original, EN, FR, DE). No registration is needed and participation is free of charge.

Follow us on Twitter: @EESC_ECO.

Ask the panellists questions via Sli.do with the event code: #GenderEqualityNRRPs.