Just published: a brief, toolkit and study to raise awareness and build capacity of institutions and public buyers on how to use public procurement while promoting gender equality. The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) commissioned AEIDL for this assignment and I was part of its expert team.
Gender-responsive public procurement (GRPP) is procurement that promotes gender equality through the goods, services or works being purchased. This means that buyers and suppliers examine the impact of all contracted activities on women’s and men’s needs, interests and concerns, and design and deliver contracts in away that reduces inequalities.
In our brief we explain what GRPP is, how it works and why it is important. The toolkit offers practical help to implement GRPP across the different stages of the procurement cycle is designed for contracting authorities at all levels, including EU institutions, bodies and agencies. It also provides support to policymakers and practitioners working towards gender equality and gender mainstreaming.
In addition, the final publication of the GRPP contract "Gender-responsive public procurement in the EU | European Institute for Gender Equality (europa.eu)" has been published. This report presents the main research findings of this project, followed by a selection of case studies and policy recommendations. The publication merges three deliverables: the legal analysis, the EU synthesis report based on country reports plus case studies, and the report on the institutionalization of GRPP.
Gender equality and gender mainstreaming experts do not necessarily have public procurement expertise and the other way around. That's why we organized virtual expert consultations to bring these different groups together. Since GRPP is not yet widely known, the experts' input guided us in making the toolkit relevant, too, for other stakeholders such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and gender equality experts to support advocacy activities such as awareness raising about GRPP.
Although not specifically targeted at potential bidders, the toolkit can provide them with inspiration and guidance on how to address gender considerations while preparing a technical offer. And gently make GRPP the talk of the town.
(First published 16 May 2022, updated with final publication: 29 July 2022)
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