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  • Publication | 2025
From GAP III to GAP IV
Global Food and Nutrition Security

This ODI Europe report provides an assessment of the implementation of the EU's third Gender Action Plan (GAP III, 2020–2027) and sets out proposals for its successor. Drawing on document analysis and 31 semi-structured interviews with EU delegations, EU institutions, civil society organisations and think tanks, it examines how the EU can sustain its leadership on global gender equality at a time of shifting political priorities (competitiveness, security and defence), foreign-aid cuts and a rollback of gender equality commitments. The report finds GAP III to be widely valued as a progressive, gender-transformative and intersectional framework but that implementation has been uneven and largely confined to development cooperation rather than the whole of EU external action, hampered by a shortage of human resources and gender expertise, an absence of mechanisms to accurately track gender-equality expenditure, very limited funding flowing to women's rights organisations (WROs) and accountability gaps in monitoring results and engaging civil society. Five policy recommendations are made for the successor of GAPIII:

  • Demonstrate the added value of gender equality
  • Embed clear gender requirements into Global Gateway and Team Europe,and make the GAP a shared responsibility across all Commission services involved in external action
  • Maintain gender targets in external financing and strengthen accountability
  • Leverage partnerships with Women's Funds to support women's rights organisations (WROs)
  • Strengthen implementation capacity