Gender equality is one of the European Union’s core values. Achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls is vital to building fair, inclusive, prosperous and peaceful societies everywhere.
Preventing and combating violence against women and girls is an important facet of this. It is one of the preconditions for equitable and inclusive sustainable development, as well as an important value and objective in itself.
Programmes
We implement programmes around the world wherever assistance is needed. We tailor our support to fit the region or country being helped. Programmes with a global reach allow the EU to provide similar support to countries facing similar problems.
Spotlight Initiative
Latest news
EU and UN Women to boost women’s rights coalitions on ending violence against women
Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous signed today the programme “ACT – Advocacy, Coalition Building and Transformative Feminist Action to End Violence against Women” in the margins of the 78th UN General Assembly.
Summit for Democracy: EU launches milestone programmes to empower youth as key actors of democracy
At the Summit for Democracy, Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen launched two main components of the Women and Youth in Democracy Initiative (WYDE) and welcomed the Youth Participation Handbook produced by the Youth Political and Civic Engagement Cohort.
EU and African partners launch flagship initiative to enhance sexual and reproductive health and rights
European and African partners are joining forces to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Africa, particularly among adolescent girls and young women, to empower and enable them to reach their full potential.
Related stories
"I believe that girls should be heard" - girls speak out in El Salvador
In San Martin City, 240 young people have joined a municipal decision-making body to ensure that the ideas and needs of young people are incorporated into local policy, including those of the most vulnerable.
"We break the silence to help survivors of sexual violence fight for justice"
The EU supports survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Central African Republic to bring their perpetrators to justice.
“Girls should be able to focus only on their studies”: how activism changes girls’ lives in Mozambique
Activists in Mozambique are making an effort to ensure girls have the right to continue their studies to protect them from child marriage. This is done in the framework of Spotlight Initiative, a strategic partnership between the EU and the UN.