The EuroMed Gender Connection Network
is active since November 2005 and is made up of individuals and not-for-profit organizations that work to guarantee, advocate and effectively put into practice real equality between men and women in all fields, and widely promote gender issues, for example rights and their application, in the 37 countries of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.

The previous lack of permanent and structured networking between youth organizations working on Gender issues in the region resulted in the following: a lack of communication and sharing between organizations and therefore a repetition of projects and initiatives instead of a coherent evolution, lack of awareness by youth organizations of the exact meaning of equal opportunities, an absence of knowledge about the role and representation of women in other EuroMed countries and the low impact of youth work on Gender issues at civil society, policy making and other institutional levels (local, national, European and EuroMed).

The mission of the EuroMed Gender Connection is to increase Gender equality within the 37 countries of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. Its aim is to develop and coordinate the work of European and Mediterranean youth organizations and structures actively promoting gender equality.

Members of EuroMed Gender Connection work together towards the promotion of gender issues and the respect of women’s rights as a universal value, particularly in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership countries.

All founding partners decided that the Network should have the following general objectives:

To develop within the EuroMed region, effective coordination of activities in civil society and in particular those carried out by youth organisations, which promote action on gender issues;
To ensure a coherent dialogue and long term cooperation on work related to gender issues between civil society actors and public institutions;
To encourage the effective participation of youth organisations at all decision-making levels;
To intensify the sharing of good practices and relevant experiences;
To improve the quality and quantity of local, national, European and Euro-Mediterranean projects promoting gender issues;
To empower youth organizations at all levels (local, national, international) that promote gender issues; and to enhance the impact of their actions at the political level through a lobbying and advocacy.

The EuroMed Gender Connection Network in Member of the EuroMed Youth Platform (http://www.euromedp.org)

The EuroMed Gender Connection is sustain since it’s beginning by the OING AFEM - Association des Femmes d’Europe Méridionale - (http://www.afem-europa.org/)