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To what extent is the EU projecting democratic norms in the area of gender? Gender equality and women's empowerment have been at the heart of the EU's external action since the Arab uprisings. This article is an in-depth study of how the EU interacts with non-state actors in practice, and beyond the recipient-donor relationship, in the format of tripartite dialogue whereby the EU, civil society and the Tunisian government consult each other before any major EU meeting. First, this article reviews what EU democracy projection involves in the field of gender equality. Then it offers a mapping of the local, active participants on feminism and gender equality. Third, the article focuses on an innovative practice of trust-building, that of the gender sub-group of the tripartite dialogue. The main argument is that the dialogue has provided a new venue to project trust-building practices that are central to the consolidation of democracy. Yet this practice is weakened by the lack of considerations of major divides around gender in Tunisian society. Interaction on democratic norms thus remains secluded to a very selective venue. Democracy projection is, however, not fully 'transversal' as the Islamist-secularist cleavage, socioeconomic inequalities and divides of the rural peripheries constrain the impact of the tripartite dialogue and subsequent democracy projection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Women's Working Group of the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples' Mechanism (CSM) of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) has long advocated for policies reflective of gender equity in agriculture and food systems rooted in agroecology, human rights, and food sovereignty. In 2021, after years of activism, a series of drafts toward a set of Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment were produced by the CFS. With contributions from members of the CSM and La Via Campesina, we provide insights into the struggles, critiques, and paths forward for continued engagement with the CFS on this heavily politicized topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The paper examines 'gender empowerment' and 'women empowerment' approaches in the select villages of north Indian states viz. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh. It is a result of field experience (2009–2011) and theoretical frameworks of women and gender empowerment endorsed by the world level donor organizations. The study finds that intervention by civil societies and mere providing power and position to women in local governance both have a very limited effect on women empowerment in patriarchic Indian societies and argues that women empowerment approach is a pre-requisite to achieve gender equality in the rural north Indian societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]