2018 Annual Implementation Report of GAP II

Brussels, 11.9.2019 SWD(2019) 326

Joint staff working document

EU Gender Action Plan II. Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Transforming the Lives of Girls and Women through EU External Relations 2016-2020

Annual implementation report 2018

This report monitors progress achieved in the implementation of the European Union’s Gender Action Plan II, ‘Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Transforming the Lives of Girls and Women through EU External Relations 2016-2020’ (GAP II) during 2018, the third year of its implementation.

It presents progress achieved to date, by means of a comprehensive set of actions taken by the European Commission, the European External Action Services (EEAS), EU Delegations and EU Member States, while underlining the remaining challenges still to be addressed to meet the GAP II’s objectives. The implementation of the GAP II contributes to the implementation of the EU policy framework on gender equality and girls' and women's empowerment. It also contributes to accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).