Equinet’s latest publication “Equality Bodies and the European Structural and Investment Funds Realising a Potential for Change” aims at supporting
Equality Bodies in effectively engaging with European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs).
The EU has recently entered a new funding cycle and new opportunities for Equality Bodies have arisen.
In 2022, Equinet has worked to support Equality Bodies in building their capacity and extend their knowledge on EU funds so that they could engage with them more efficiently, both as monitoring bodies and as beneficiaries.
In September and October 2022, Equinet hosted a series of five mini workshops on EU Fundings focusing on how Equality Bodies can ensure compliance of EU funds with enabling conditions, funding instruments for specific groups and on how can equality bodies apply for EU funds.
As a culmination of the work on EU funding, Equinet has just published a perspective: “Equality Bodies and the European Structural and Investment Funds Realising a Potential for Change” . This publication was drafted with the valuable contributions of the Policy Formation Working Group as well as the participants to the EU Fundings mini workshops, and it draws from the experience of Equality Bodies in engaging with the ESIFs. It particularly report examples from five Equality Bodies.
These funds hold great potential to progress the mandate of Equality Bodies. Member States are required to adopt a partnership approach in relation to ESIF, including a partnership with Equality Bodies. ESIFs can impact social and economic development, and for this reason the contribution of Equality Bodies is essential for guaranteeing equality and human rights. Furthermore, The purpose of the ESIF includes a concern to progress an inclusive and social Europe through the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (Social Europe).
The perspective aims at supporting Equality Bodies in effectively engaging with the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the ESIFs, in order to unlock the full potential of these funds for equality in Europe.