The Future of EU International Cooperation? Make Sure Girls Get Equal

Back in 2017 we in Plan International decided to adopt a gender transformative approach so that all, and I mean all our programme and influence work would make significant contributions to gender equality. Nowhere in today’s world, girls and boys, women and men are treated equally and only through a gender transformative approach will we be able to tackle this. Gender inequality affects us all but is particularly unfair to girls and women. Being a girl or a woman most often means being valued less, having fewer opportunities and less pay for the same job, and facing stronger barriers to rights and more gender-based violence than their male peers. Although boys and men often benefit from this inequality, they also experience a fair share of negative consequences. Society traditionally imposes strict expectations upon them, such as showing strength and hiding feelings. These expectations get in the way of building healthy relationships and often lead them to high-risk behaviours. A gender transformative approach aspires to change this reality. It tackles the root causes of gender inequality and reshapes unequal power relations.