Gender Equality in European Union Development Policy in Times of Crisis

Abstract

Gender equality is firmly established on the European Union development policy agenda. However, a series of interrelated crises, including migration, security and climate change, are becoming more prominent in European Union development policy. This article asks whether development objectives have been subsumed under these crisis-driven European Union priorities, whether this is compatible with efforts to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment through development cooperation and whether it will affect the ability to keep gender equality high on the European Union’s development policy agenda. The theoretical framework draws on horizontal policy coordination and nexuses. The analysis of European Union development policy documents shows how migration, security and climate change are constructed as crises, how they intersect in various nexuses and how gender intersects with each of these nexuses. This research finds that gender equality is absent from the migration–security–climate nexuses, which are increasingly driving development policy priorities. The article argues that it is quite straightforward to keep gender equality on the development policy agenda, but it is difficult to retain a focus on gender equality when multiple policy areas intersect. The research suggests that the discourse of crisis has blocked the way, and this will have an impact on the European Union’s internal and external activities.

Mainstreaming Gender and Climate Change to Achieve a Just Transition to a Climate‐Neutral Europe

“…They have shown how gender evaporates before it reaches the ground and have argued that a stated commitment to gender equality is often no more than symbolic (Longwe, 1997). In a crisis, gender issues are always pushed to the bottom of the agenda (Allwood, 2019; Muehlenhoff et al, 2020). But gender equality – and justice more broadly – cannot be left until after the crisis is resolved.…”

The Future of EU Development Policy Post-2020

“…It is clear that this normative competition will be at the heart of post-2020 policy discussions. Allwood (2019) argues that development policy is increasingly framed with reference to other priorities such as migration, security and climate change and this forces other issues such a gender off the radar, with a concern that poverty reduction will soon follow.…”

“…There is a concern that the one-pot-for-all approach would impact negatively on some key transversal issues like gender equality (see Allwood 2019). CONCORD (2018) is concerned that this proposal will not allow the EU to live up to its commitments on poverty eradication and sustainable development.…”

“…CONCORD (2018) is concerned that this proposal will not allow the EU to live up to its commitments on poverty eradication and sustainable development. In particular, they are concerned that issues like human rights or gender will no longer receive the attention and visibility they deserve and will be relegated as secondary priorities in a large instrument focused on forging partnerships with neighbouring and other countries to tackle EU migration, security and economic challenges (Allwood 2019). Even the name change is significant with Global Europe now becoming 'The Neighbourhood and the World', which leads to a sense of giving prominence to promoting security, stability and development in the EU's neighbourhood.…”

The European Union as a Masculine Military Power: European Union Security and Defence Policy in ‘Times of Crisis’

“…Meanwhile, it is creating an increasing number of policy nexuses between security and defence and other areas such as development (visible in the EPF) and migration (visible in operation Sophia) (cf. Allwood, 2019). Future research should analyse these policy linkages, how militarism is part of them and how it is legitimised by discourses that marginalise femininities and centre military masculinities.…”