The Project: Objectives

The objective of the research is to assess the impact of the integration of a gender dimension on the quality of public policy formulation and design in fields that are priorities within the European Social Policy Agenda.
Specific objectives of the research are:

to identify, analyse and assess how the mainstreaming of gender in public policy formulation and design is proceeding across the Community;
to identify and assess to what extent and how the integration of gender serves to improve the impact of these policies on the relative wellbeing of women and men and the reduction of gender inequalities;
to identify, analyse and understand how the integration of gender acts to alter policy-making itself, in particular to identify the added-value of a gender dimension;
to identify, analyse and understand the synergies between EU and national policies on gender equality/gender mainstreaming and to identify the different approaches to gender equality and gender mainstreaming;
to catalogue and compare examples of good practice of gender-sensitive and women-friendly policies and policy-making approaches.

The research will cover two broad policy fields:

income distribution and social protection policies, in particular tax, pension and welfare policies; and
education, including skills and qualifications in the knowledge society.
Some examples of relevant policies from other EU and international countries may be identified, and documentation on them studied, for their value as examples of "leading practice".

EQUAPOL will cover eight European countries : Belgium, Spain, France, Greece, Ireland, Sweden, United Kingdom and Lithuania.