(15 December 2020) – The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) recently awarded a contract to AEIDL to raise awareness and build capacity of institutions and public buyers on how to use public procurement to promote gender equality.
Promoting gender equality is one of the objectives of the EU and this also concerns public procurement, which represents 14% of the EU’s gross domestic product.
When public authorities purchase goods, works and services from third parties, they can and should design public procurement processes in a way that promotes gender equality (this is called Gender-Responsive Public Procurement – GRPP).
One concrete example: in a contract for uniforms, a public authority examines the entire supply chain to ensure that all workers receive a fair wage (e.g. by applying fair trade principles), human and employment rights are respected, and that the uniforms are suitable and comfortable for both male and female employees to wear.