The purpose of the study was to assess the EU recovery response to the COVID-19 pandemic from a gender equality perspective.
Specifically, the study included three main components:
- A legal case identifying the challenges and opportunities to advance gender equality and gender mainstreaming within the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility Regulation;
- A policy case analysing how gender equality challenges and objectives have been addressed in the National Recovery and Resilience Plans of the 27 EU Member States; and
- An economic case examining the effect of selected COVID-19-related national policy measures (such as taxes and benefits) on gender gaps in income and earnings in Member States.
Based on the findings, the research team provided policy recommendations to ensure a gender-responsive design of COVID-19 recovery policies and measures, including tax-benefit support measures. The study also informed EIGE’s support to the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU to ensure continuous monitoring of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) in the EU.
During the 13-month study, the research team conducted desk research, gender analysis, statistical analysis and a EUROMOD microsimulation, as well as 27 country case studies, including interviews with stakeholders at the national level. For this project, PPMI collaborated with the University of Essex, experts in gender equality and gender mainstreaming and a network of national researchers.