European Commission Launches New Gender Equality, Women's Empowerment Foreign Policy Plan

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European External Action Service, the foreign policy branch of the European Commission, has launched a new plan aimed at boosting gender equality and female empowerment across the world, according to a press release published on Wednesday.

Josep Borrell, the bloc's foreign policy chief, said that the new Action Plan on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in External Action, which will run from 2021 to 2025, will see the European Union push for greater and faster progress towards gender equality.

"The participation and leadership of women and girls is essential for democracy, justice, peace, security, prosperity and a greener planet. With this new Gender Action Plan, we are pushing for more and faster progress towards gender equality," Borrell said in the press release.

The bloc will aim to ensure that 85% of its new foreign policy actions contribute to gender equality by 2025. A "strategic vision" on gender equality and women's empowerment will also be shared with member states and partners at the national and regional levels, according to the press release.

Upon taking office as European Commission president this past December, Ursula von der Leyen called gender equality a "core principle" of the European Union.