Partner spotlight: European Union

UN Women and the European Union (EU) have been collaborating to empower and protect the rights of women and girls since UN Women was established. Following the signing of a partnership agreement in 2012, their cooperation has deepened at all levels. This was reaffirmed in 2016, with both partners agreeing to further stepping up collaboration for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment worldwide.

Joint advocacy and awareness-raising activities have included the global comic and cartoon competition “Generation Equality: Picture It” in which more than 1,200 artists from 120 countries participated. From the previous European Commission, the President as well as all male Commissioners joined in 2016 UN Women’s HeForShe movement.

In 2017, the European Union together with the United Nations launched the Spotlight Initiative, a global, multi-year partnership to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. The initiative, launched with a seed funding commitment of EUR 500 million from the European Union, represents an unprecedented global effort to invest in gender equality and women’s empowerment as a precondition and driver for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. This partnership is complemented by the EU’s co-leadership of the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence.

In 2020, the European Union was the largest contributor to UN Women with resources of USD 74.7 million. The EU also adopted a new Gender Equality Strategy in 2020 as well as the EU Action Plan on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in External Action 2021–2025 (GAP III) aiming to accelerate progress on empowering women and girls, and safeguard gains made on gender equality during the 25 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action.