WELCOME PACKAGE

ON HUMAN RIGHTS-
BASED APPROACH,
GENDER EQUALITY
AND DISABILITY
INCLUSION
IMPRESSUM

Welcome Package authors: INTPA G1 Gender Team, G4 & NEAR A2 Gender Equality Coordinator

Images licensed via Canva & DIVA - Development Communication Network Platform

Graphic design: Nat & Co.

© European Union, 2023

This document has been prepared by INTPA G1 Gender Team, G4 & NEAR A2 Gender Equality
Coordinator for the European Commission. However, it reflects only the views of the authors, and the
Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained
therein.
CONTENT

Introduction 1
Gender Equality, Human Rights, Disability Inclusion, Intersectionality 1

Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) 3

Five Working Principles of HRBA 3

EU GAP III Six Areas of Engagement 6

Gender Mainstreaming and Markers 6

Disability Inclusion 7

Disability Marker 8

Intersectionality 9

Useful resources 10
 Welcome package on on Human Rights-Based Approach, Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CRPD Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

DG INTPA Directorate-General for International Partnerships
DG NEAR Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement
EU European Union
GAP Gender Action Plan
HRBA Human Rights-Based Approach
IPA Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance
LGBTI Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex
LGBTIQ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer
NDICI Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument
OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
TEU Treaty on European Union
UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights
UN United Nations
 Welcome package on on Human Rights-Based Approach, Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion

Introduction
This Welcome Package is a short and useful guidance on Human Rights-Based Approach
(HRBA), Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion for all new staff in Directorate-General for
International Partnerships (DG INTPA) and Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and
Enlargement (DG NEAR).

It briefly presents the main framework documents in relation to HRBA, Gender mainstreaming
and Disability inclusion. Further, it includes information and resources useful in integrating the
HRBA in your daily work, as well as mainstreaming Gender and Disability inclusion
throughout your actions, programmes, and further activities.

Gender Equality, Human Rights, Disability

Inclusion, Intersectionality
The EU is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality,
the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to
minorities, as laid down in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU).
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1997 Amsterdam Treaty

"Positive actions" and gender mainstreaming

2000 EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

2007 Treaty of the EU

Gender Equality is "a fundamental value and an objective"

2017 European Consensus on Development

The EU and its Member States will promote women’s and girls’ rights, gender equality,
the empowerment of women and girls and their protection as a priority across all
areas of action. They will implement a rights-based approach to development
cooperation, encompassing all human rights. They will continue to play a key role in
ensuring that no-one is left behind, wherever people live and regardless of ethnicity,
gender, age, disability, religion or beliefs, sexual orientation and gender identity,
migration status or other factors. This approach includes addressing the multiple
discriminations faced by vulnerable people and marginalised groups.

2020 EU Strategy on Gender Equality 2020-2025

The strategy pursues a dual approach of gender mainstreaming combined with
targeted actions, and intersectionality is a horizontal principle for its implementation.
 Welcome package on on Human Rights-Based Approach, Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion

2020 EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024

Structured around five main areas of action: protecting and empowering individuals;
building resilient, inclusive and democratic societies; promoting a global system for
human rights and democracy; new technologies: harnessing opportunities and
addressing challenges and delivering by working together.

2020 EU Action Plan on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in External Action
2020–2025 (GAP III)
The EU GAP III makes the promotion of gender equality a priority of all external policies
and actions; offers a roadmap for working together with stakeholders at national,
regional and multilateral levels; steps up action in strategic thematic areas; calls for
the institutions to lead by example, and ensures the transparency of the results.

2021 EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030

Highlights the EU’s role and responsibilities, both within the EU and globally, through
its external relations to uphold and advocate for the human rights of persons with
disabilities in international relations and all external actions.

2023 EU Guidance note - Leaving no one behind - disability inclusion in EU external

action
This guidance note supports EU external cooperation staff and partners in integrating 2
the rights of persons with disabilities across their work, including in policy,
programming and implementation of actions. This note is aligned with the Human
Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) and its toolbox. It contributes to implementing the
EU’s action plan on human rights and democracy.

2013 EU Guidelines to promote and protect the enjoyment of all human rights by LGBTI
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) persons
These guidelines aim to provide officials of EU institutions and EU Member States with
guidance in order to promote and protect the human rights of LGBTI persons within its
external action. They seek to enable the EU to proactively promote the human rights of
LGBTI persons, to better understand and combat any structural discrimination they
might face, and to react to violations of their human rights.

2020 EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025

It is the fist-ever Commission strategy on LGBTIQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, Intersex, and Queer) equality and it delivers on the European
Commission’s commitment to building a Union of Equality. It strives to build a Union
where diversity is celebrated as part of our collective richness, where all people can be
themselves without risk of discrimination, exclusion or violence.

2021 Global Gateway

One of the commitments of the Global Gateway Investment Agenda is to address
gender equality and inclusivity throughout its five priority sectors: Digital sector,
Climate and Energy, Transport, Health and Education and Research.
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Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA)

The HRBA methodology applies to all EU external actions, in whatever sector or whatever
country. The HRBA guides all interventions under the Neighbourhood, Development and
International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe and Instrument for Pre-
accession Assistance (IPA) III financing instruments.

Through the application of the HRBA, our interventions will deliver more relevant and
sustainable results.

THE OBJECTIVES

All interventions, policies The Human Rights-Based

and technical assistance Approach looks at:
should advance the
realisation of human rights,
including women’s rights
and labour rights. No matter
the sector, country or
stakeholder involved, the
HRBA targets the respect,
protection and fulfilment of THE PROCESSES
human rights for women 3
While the HRBA builds on the human
and men, girls and boys, in
rights standards and principles of the
all their diversity.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR), it ensures that all processes
used in programming, designing and
implementing EU external action
promote fundamental human rights and
freedoms. The HRBA applies the five
working principles: a) applying all human
THE OUTCOMES
rights for all, b) meaningful and inclusive
The outcomes of interventions participation and access to decision-
should contribute to the making, c) non-discrimination and
development of the capabilities equality, d) accountability and rule of law
of ‘duty-bearers’ to meet their for all, and d) transparency and access
obligations and/or of ‘rights- to information supported by
holders’ to know, claim and disaggregated data.
enjoy their human rights.

For more, see the EU HRBA Toolbox (2022): Applying the Human Rights-Based Approach to
International Partnerships.

Five Working Principles of HRBA

Applying all human rights for all
This is the first principle of the HRBA. The HRBA acknowledges that human rights are
international obligations ratified by states and they are legally binding. It also acknowledges
that human rights are universal and indivisible: they apply to all human beings, and all have
equal relevance and cannot be ranked.
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This means development action has to consider all rights for all people. It recognises the
complexity of development contexts: we cannot address one human right by putting other
rights on stand by. Human rights are connected and can be mutually reinforcing. In our work,
we are addressing different human rights in the same time.

Meaningful and inclusive participation and access to decision-making

Ensuring meaningful participation entails transitioning from perceiving stakeholders as
passive project beneficiaries to recognising all persons as active rights-holders entitled to take
part and contribute to development results.

Non-discrimination and equality

The elimination of all discriminations either based on race, sex, gender identity, ethnicity,
disability or other criterion is one of the main goals of a human rights-based approach.

This means development action has to assess patterns of inequality and identify those who
are more negatively affected by unequal distribution of resources, lack of opportunities and
access to services. Often, these patterns tend to follow a circular logic: people living in remote
areas, for instance, tend to have poorer access to quality education, less financial resources,
and also fewer opportunities to participate in decision-making. And since they don’t
participate, they cannot claim for better services in their areas.

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APPLYING ALL HUMAN RIGHTS

When promoting job

creation, take into PARTICIPATION
account accessibility,
Bring more seats to
ensure avoidance of
the table, ensuring
child labor.
that women take
part in decision-
making.

TRANSPARENCY

Support access to transparent

budget information to detect
and address corruption. NON-DISCRIMINATION

In the transition to greener

energy sources, make sure
that tariffs are adjusted to
ACCOUNTABILITY
accommodate groups living in
Ensure proper and accessible poverty.
mechanisms are in place to allow
for stakeholders’ monitoring.

Accountability and rule of law for all

Accountability means upholding state institutions to their highest standards in realising
people’s rights and empowering people to claim for their rights through access to justice and
the rule of law.
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The duty-bearers are just not simple service providers. They have the obligation to fulfil their
duties and should be monitored and held accountable.

Transparency and access to information supported by disaggregated data

Transparency and access to information is key to ensure people’s meaningful participation.
Without transparent and independent information, available in ways that are accessible to
all, it is impossible to render state institutions accountable, as well as to improve the actions,
to target them when they are most needed, etc.

EU GAP III SIX AREAS OF ENGAGEMENT

ENSURING FREEDOM FROM PROMOTING SEXUAL AND STRENGTHENING ECONOMIC

ALL FORMS OF GENDER- REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND SOCIAL RIGHTS AND
BASED VIOLENCE AND RIGHTS EMPOWERING GIRLS AND
WOMEN
Women, men, girls and Women and girls in all Women, men, girls and
boys are free from all their diversity access boys, in all their diversity,
forms of gender-based universal health and fully fully enjoy and exercise
violence in the public and enjoy their health and their equal economic, 5
private spheres, in the sexual and reproductive labour and social rights.
work place and online. rights.

ADVANCING EQUAL INTEGRATING THE WOMEN, ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES

PARTICIPATION AND PEACE AND SECURITY AND HARNESSING THE
LEADERSHIP AGENDA* OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED BY
THE GREEN TRANSITION AND
Women, men, girls and Ensuring participation, THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
boys, in all their diversity, gender mainstreaming,
Women in all their diversity
participate equally in leading by example,
influence decision-making
decision-making processes, prevention, protection,
processes on environmental
in all spheres and at all relief and recovery.
conservation and climate
levels of political and public
change policies and actions.
life, including online, to take * More details are to be found
on leadership roles, to in the EU Action Plan on
enjoy and exercise their Women, Peace and Security
human rights and seek (2019- 2024)
redress if these rights are
denied.
 Welcome package on on Human Rights-Based Approach, Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion

EU GAP III Six Areas of Engagement

EU GAP III 2021-2025 provides us with a strategic, ambitious political tool that sends a clear
message of the EU's commitment to mainstream gender equality and women’s empowerment
in all areas of its external action:

it makes the promotion of gender equality a priority of all external policies and actions;
it offers a roadmap for working together with stakeholders at national, regional and
multilateral levels;
it steps up action in strategic thematic areas;
it calls for the institutions to lead by example;
it ensures the transparency of the results.

The EU is committed to implement GAP III in every aspect of its external action through a
human rights, gender-transformative and intersectional approach, both in terms of GAP III’s
geographical coverage and areas of action, as well as gender mainstreaming in all areas of
external action.

Gender Mainstreaming and Markers 6

Gender mainstreaming ensures that policies and programmes maximise the potential of all –
women and men, girls and boys, in all their diversity. The aim is to redistribute power,
influence and resources in a fair and gender-equal way, tackling inequality, promoting
fairness, and creating opportunity.

To make sure that gender is correctly mainstreamed into each action, and to guarantee that
the efforts to achieve gender equality can be monitored and measured at global level, all the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and the EU are
using the gender-marker. This systematic analysis conducted by the OECD is based on three
scores, scoring how well an action addresses gender equality.

The OECD distinguishes 3 types of actions:

G0 – Actions in which gender is not targeted
G1 – Actions in which gender is a significant objective
G2 – Actions where gender is the principal objective

At least 85% of all new external actions will have gender equality and
women’s and girls’ empowerment as a significant objective (G1) or as
a principal objective (G2) by the end of 2025 (EU GAP III).
 Welcome package on on Human Rights-Based Approach, Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion

GENDER MARKERS
G2 - PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE

G2 Gender equality is the main

objective of the project /
programme.

G0 - NOT TARGETED G0 G1 G1 - SIGNIFICANT OBJECTIVE

The project/programme does
not target gender equality. Gender equality is an
important and deliberate
objective, but not the main
reason for the project /
programme.

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At least 5 % of the external actions should have gender equality and
women’s and girls’ rights and empowerment as a principal objective
(G2) (NDICI).

Disability Inclusion
The EU became a party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD) in January 2011, the first human rights convention signed by the EU. The
CRPD reframes disability, shifting away from a medical approach to a social and rights-based
approach; an approach that recognises structural, systemic, and social barriers and how they
limit and hinder a person’s participation and thus ‘create’ disability.

The CRPD views the barriers in society as discriminatory and requires the states to adopt
measures to remove and prevent discrimination. At the same time, it provides persons with
disabilities with an instrument to claim their rights.

The CRPD and the EU Consensus for Development strengthen the commitment of EU to
include the rights and concerns of persons with disabilities in EU external policies and
practices.
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Disability is not something inherent to an individual - it is a result from

the negative interaction between persons with impairments and
barriers created by society (CRPD).

Disability does not exist within the person, it is not a diagnosis and not
a fixed situation, and it can be changed.

Persons with disabilities are diverse, as everybody else, and should not
be considered or approached as a homogenous group of people.

For more, see the EU Guidance note: Leaving no one behind - disability inclusion in EU
external action and the E-learning tool on disability.

Disability Marker
The policy marker on the inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities (disability 8
inclusion marker) tracks projects and programmes that:

promote the rights of persons with disabilities, their inclusion and empowerment;
support the ratification, the implementation and/or the monitoring of the UN CRPD.

The EU adopted the Disability Marker in 2019.

DISABILITY
D2 - PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE
MARKERS
D2 Projects that are specifically
targeting inclusion and rights of
persons with disabilities.
These programmes include the
core elements of Accessibility,
Inclusion, Consultation and
Empowerment of persons with
D0 - NOT TARGETED D0 D1 disabilities.

Activity is screened but not D1 - SIGNIFICANT OBJECTIVE

targeting disability or
disability is only marginal part. At least one of the core elements
Different type of projects can is included in the intervention
fall into this score and yet they and described, and is NOT
can still have some benefit for implicit or assumed:
persons with disabilities. accessibility;
inclusion;
consultation;
empowerment.
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Accessibility
Project ensures that accessibility and universal design measures have been incorporated into
the design so that persons with disabilities can access and participate on an equal basis with
others.

Inclusion
Project provides for measures that ensure persons with disabilities are able to contribute to
and benefit from the project equally with others and are able to be active participants of the
project.

Consultation
Project ensures that persons with disabilities and/or their representing organisations are
included in consultations, meetings organised by or for the project/programme.

Empowerment
Projects that in addition to the main activities build capacity of persons with disabilities or
their representative organisations. The capacity building focus can range from additional
measures encouraging their participation, involvement and strengthening skills, to enhancing
advocacy and influencing skills.

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Intersectionality
Intersectionality helps to understand how different aspects of a person's identity combine to
create different modes of discrimination.

It is an analytical tool for studying,

INCOME
understanding and responding to the ways in
which sex and gender intersect with other LANGUAGE RELIGION
personal characteristics/identities, such as AGE
disability, age, ethnicity, etc., and how these
intersections contribute to unique experiences GEOGRAPHY
GENDER ETHNICITY
of discrimination.

Discriminations and vulnerabilities cannot be SEX

tackled in an isolated way. They are EDUCATION
DISABILITY
RACE
interconnected. People experience multiple
forms of discriminations that should be
addressed in the same interconnected way.

Discriminations and vulnerabilities are structural, we must understand their causes if we want
to produce a transformative change and eliminate them.

The EU is committed to ensure that no one is left behind, wherever people live, and regardless
of ethnicity, gender, age, disability, religion or beliefs, sexual orientation and gender identity,
migration status, race or other factors. This includes addressing the multiple discriminations
faced by vulnerable people and marginalised groups.
 Welcome package on on Human Rights-Based Approach, Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion

Useful resources

MY INTPA MY NEARNET EU LEARN EU ACADEMY

Click on the title to access the resource

RESOURCE BOX
RESOURCES FOR ​HRBA virtual and interactive toolbox​(2021)
RIGHTS-BASED,
GENDER Staff working document HRBA toolbox
MAINSTREAMED
AND DISABILITY Staff Working Document: Objectives and Indicators to frame the
INCLUSIVE implementation of the Gender Action Plan III​
INTERVENTION
CYCLE Joint communication of the EU Gender Action Plan: An ambitious 10
vision on gender equality and Women’s Empowerment for EU
external action (2021-2025)

NDICI programming guidelines – Thematic Guidance Note – Inclusion

of Gender equality and Women’s empowerment

EU Guidance note. Leaving no one behind. Disability inclusion in EU

external action with technical briefs on gender and disability and
disability and climate change

Making Consultations and Dialogues Inclusive And Accessible For All

- Practice Note

EU Guidelines to promote and protect the enjoyment of all human

rights by LGBTI persons (2013)​

EU KNOWLEDGE Human Rights-Based Approach (self-paced training)

PLATFORMS
The Gender Action Plan III (2021-2025) in a nutshell (self-paced
training)

How to use the OECD-DAC gender equality policy marker​(self-

paced training)

E-learning tool disability (self-paced training)

Guidance on disability marker (Cap4Dev)

 Welcome package on on Human Rights-Based Approach, Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion

Click on the title to access the resource

RESOURCE BOX

OTHER EU International policy framework in GEWE

RESOURCES
Background paper on GBV – Setting the context​

Policy guidelines on inclusive SDGs

EXTERNAL Sustainable Development Goals

RESOURCES
UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the SDG-
CRPD resource package

Council of Europe

UN Women Training Centre

The Danish Institute for Human Rights

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