PREAMBLE

France's commitments to gender equality

Equality between women and men is a priority of the French government. The Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) promotes this commitment internationally through its feminist diplomacy. In its advocacy for gender equality in international forums, France strives to ensure that this objective is integrated into all foreign policy issues: reduction of inequalities and sustainable development, peace and security, defense and promotion of fundamental rights, climate and economic issues.

France is also committed to ensuring that by 2022, 50% of its official development assistance is allocated to projects that have gender equality as a significant or main objective.

Even today, women and girls are often more affected than men by poverty, conflict and climate change. They face difficulties and discrimination in all areas and in all countries, as the HIV/AIDS pandemic has cruelly illustrated.

France considers women, in the same way as men, as actors in sustainable development and the proper functioning of societies or - in countries emerging from crisis - in peace negotiations and reconstruction. Their representation in all decision-making bodies must be guaranteed.

The achievement of the UN's sustainable development goals, and in particular ofMDG 5 on gender equality and women's empowerment, the respect of women's fundamental rights as affirmed in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, must be ensured.affirmed in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW-1979), are a French priority.

It is in this capacity that France co-chaired with Mexico in 2021 the Generation Equality Forum (GEF), organized by UN Women. Held online from June 30 to July 2, 2021, the GEF was the largest global feminist gathering since the 4th International Conference on Women, held under the aegis of the UN in Beijing in 1995. During 3 days, a digital platform hosted 100 events, gave the floor to nearly 650 speakers and more than 50,000 people were registered. French local authorities had their place in the event: They were strongly encouraged to join coalitions of actors to make commitments or to organize specific local events that were labeled "EGF".They were also encouraged to organize specific local events that were labeled "EGF" and a specific conference was dedicated to the role of local governments in favor of gender equality.

The GEF ended with the announcement of bold commitments and the launch of a "Global Gender Equality Acceleration Plan", a five-year trajectory of international action to accelerate progress towards gender equality.This five-year international action plan aims to accelerate the achievement of gender equality by 2026, with nearly 40 billion dollars of confirmed investments.

Decentralized cooperation as a lever for gender equality in the world

Local authorities around the world were on the front line in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating effects on our societies and economies. They were also on the front lines to see the impact of this crisis on women and girls: it has highlighted and accentuated the structural gender inequalities that exist in all areas, from health and the economy to security and social protection, illustrating the extent to which women and girls are being and social protection, illustrating the extent to which the functioning of societies is based on the formal or informal work of women, whether in the front line, particularly in the care professions, or in the home.

The hard-won gains in women's rights are also under threat. The response to the pandemic is not limited to rectifying long-standing inequalities.The response to the pandemic is not just about rectifying long-standing inequalities, it is also about building a resilient world for the benefit of all, where women are at the center and help to build recovery.

In this respect, local authorities throughout the world, as the level of proximity par excellence and as a complement to State action, have a vital role to play. Decentralized cooperation is a powerful lever for developing committed local public policies that meet the challenges of gender equality, through the sharing of experience and expertise.

Equality between women and men is a lever for the sustainable development of territories. Integrating gender equality objectives and taking gender issues into account across the board are real factors for the long-term success of projects, whatever they may be. Acting for greater equality between women and men means working for the economic and social empowerment of women, as well as for the development of their families.conomic and social empowerment of women, decent living and working conditions, ensuring and reinforcing women's and girls' access to education and vocational training, to rights and health care, and to the right to education. to education and professional training, to sexual and reproductive health and rights, and thus to contribute to the economy and development of their territory, and to ensure that they take part in decision-making and thus participate fully in local democratic life. Actions to advance towards equality must be multi-actor and multi-scalar. In France and abroad, local authorities are key players.

Through its mission to support and advise French local authorities in their international activities, the DAECT has a role to play in :

• reminding them that the gender factor is of primary importance in decentralized cooperation projects
• guaranteeing a real involvement of local authorities for gender equality in their project proposals, going beyond merely symbolic measures.

This call for projects is an expression of France's commitment to equality between women and men and to feminist diplomacy as promoted by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.

Its purpose is tosupport the joint commitment of French metropolitan and overseas territorial authorities and their counterparts abroad to make gender equality and women's rights a reality.It aims to support the joint commitment of French metropolitan and overseas local authorities and their counterparts abroad to make gender equality and the fight against gender-based violence a lever for sustainable development in their territories and to participate in the fight against global inequalities in this area.

Stakes and objectives

This call for projects aims to :

• Support international partnerships between communities and the development of actions to achieve gender equality at the local level;
• Promote equality between women and men as a factor in the development of territories and the implementation of the MDGs;
• Maintain the momentum and the level of collective commitment made during the GEF in favor of gender equality;
• Promote French territorial expertise in the area of equality between women and men.

It aims to support projects corresponding to a "gender marker 2" level of commitment according to the OECD classification, i.e. projects dedicated to gender equality.

I. Recipients

This call for projects is addressed to French metropolitan or overseas territorial authorities (CTF) or their groupings that carry out projects in the framework of decentralized cooperation partnerships with foreign local authorities.

In all cases, the project must be managed by one or several BTCs or groups of BTCs and their counterparts, and the project must be monitored by one or several BTCs or groups of BTCs. The submitted cooperation project must be accompanied by an agreement signed by the official representatives of the BTC(s) and the foreign local government(ies) partner(s) or by letters of intent concerning the project. The project management can be delegated, for example, to an association, a company, a public institution, etc.

Projects that fall within the framework of one of the specific DAECT PAAs are not eligible for this PAA, namely

• Those covered by a bilateral agreement between the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) and a foreign partner government, or by a special support fund for decentralized cooperation. Namely the "geographical" PAAs: Morocco, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Tunisia and Senegal.
• Those entering in the framework of thematic calls for projects "Youth VIII" and "Sport".

For projects carried out in countries eligible for ODA and benefiting from increased support from the DAECT, the CTF project owner undertakes toIn the case of projects carried out in countries eligible for ODA and benefiting from enhanced support from the DAECT, the CTF in charge of the project undertakes to set up or have set up, where necessary, actions and training to improve the project management capacity of the local authority in the partner country.

II. Amount of co-financing

The co-financing granted by the DAECT will be a maximum of :

• 50% of the total cost of the project, for projects with countries eligible for official development assistance (ODA);
• 70% for projects with countries eligible for ODA and designated as priorities by the CICID;
• 30% for those with non-ODA eligible countries.

In the case of multi-country projects, BTCs may choose to apply these different maximum co-financing rates to each part of the project depending on the country concerned, or to apply a single rate of 50% to the entire project.

A minimum contribution of 10% of the project budget from the French local authority(ies) is required. The expenses of valorization, in particular the salaries of the territorial agents of the CTF, cannot exceed 50% of their total contribution to the project.

A participation of the foreign partner community corresponding to its means will have to be sought as well as a support of the authorities of the partner State or the private sector when it is possible.

III. Duration

Local authorities may submit projects for a period of one year from the date of notification of the MEAE co-financing agreement.

IV. Fields of intervention and examples of projects

Projects must fall within one of the following fields of intervention, which correspond to the 6 stakeholder coalitions of the Generation Equality Forum, or which are part of the"Women, Peace and Security" agenda.

1. Gender-based violence

The aim is to design and implement concrete actions to respond to gender-based violence against women and girls in all their diversity.

Local authorities can thus intervene by :

• Supporting women's rights and/or feminist organizations with their foreign partners and recognizing their expertise, for example by involving them in the design and/or implementation of the project;
• Addressing gender-based domination, gender stereotypes and patriarchal social norms;
• Conducting actions to prevent and combat gender-based violence with an intersectional and evidence-based approach;
• Developing local public policies against gender-based violence and ensuring their implementation;
• Providing safe access to comprehensive support services for victims.

Examples of actions: Acting against gender-based violence such as early and/or forced marriages, genital mutilation, domestic violence, and sexual assault, exploitation, and harassment through education and awareness-raising, training, and advocacy.This is achieved through education and awareness-raising, the development of specific public policies to prevent and punish such violence, and the establishment of mechanisms for listening to, receiving and caring for victims, etc.

2. Justice and economic rights

Justice and economic rights must be guaranteed for women and girls in all their diversity, including adolescent girls, as well as for men and boys.

Local governments can intervene by :

• Making local economic decision-making structures and public policies gender-sensitive, to ensure equal and secure access to resources, services and decision-making;
• Promoting a non-discriminatory, equal access labor market, free of violence and harassment, but also decent working conditions to reduce the number of women living below the poverty line;
• Developing a care economy in which domestic and care work is valued and shared equally between women and men;
• Taking into account the voices of diverse women and girls, making their leadership a reality.

Examples of actions: Acting on girls' schooling that contributes to their insertion into the world of work and their empowerment, raising awareness of the sharing of domestic tasks and mental burden, strengthening women's access to the formal job market and to good living conditions.This includes: promoting girls' education, which contributes to their integration into the world of work and their empowerment; raising awareness about the sharing of domestic tasks and mental burdens; strengthening women's access to the formal job market and to decent working conditions (pay, working hours, etc.); developing their access to and control over productive resources (financial, land, economic, etc.), etc.

3. Bodily autonomy, sexual and reproductive rights and health

Women and girls, in all their diversity, must be empowered to exercise their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and to make autonomous decisions about their bodies, free from coercion, violence and discrimination.

To achieve this, local governments can act by:

• Disseminating information, promoting comprehensive sexuality education, and providing freely accessible, quality SRHR services;
• Strengthening feminist and girls' and women's organizations and networks and their allies to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights;
• Promoting, protecting and investing in sexual and reproductive health and rights;
• Promoting equality between women and men through an intersectional, cross-cultural and human rights-based approach.

Examples of actions: Developing access to quality health care, particularly obstetric and gynecological care to combat infant and maternal mortality, developing access to contraception and Examples of actions: develop access to quality health care, especially obstetrics and gynecology, to fight infant and maternal mortality, develop access to contraception and family planning (to act on early pregnancies in particular), develop comprehensive sexuality education programs, fight against harmful practices (sexual mutilation, early and forced marriages), reinforce menstrual hygiene, etc.

4. Feminist action for climate justice

Women are the first victims of climate change but also the first actors to face this challenge, because of their role in production (they are the majority in agriculture) and access to resources. The aim is to promote gender-just climate solutions, particularly at the local and rural levels.

Local and regional authorities can thus intervene by :

• Increasing the proportion of women and girls in decision-making and leadership roles in environmental governance and sectors involved in the transition to a circular, green and regenerative economy ;
• Building and harnessing the capacities of millions more women and girls, in all their diversity, to improve resilience to climate hazards and disaster risks, mitigate the effects of climate change andmitigate the effects of climate change and address loss and damage, including through access to quality education, community-based cooperative models and land rights.

Examples of actions: Raising awareness and training girls and women on climate change, which can start with literacy work, working on access to land rights locally, integrating and respecting gender in local decision-making bodies that deal with the environment, promoting and developing responsible, sustainable and empowering resource production models for women, such as cooperatives, etc.

5. Technologies and innovations for equality between women and men

This is about ensuring that women and girls in their diversity have equal opportunities to safely and meaningfully access, use, lead and design technology and innovation with freedom of expression, joy and unlimited potential.

Sample Actions: Addressing gender-based violence and gender discrimination online such as harassment or porn-disclosure, closing the digital divide between women and men in terms of access and skills, working on precareers in the digital sector and thus contribute to the feminization of these professions, promote the emergence of feminist innovations in technology by creating inclusive and responsible ecosystems, etc.

6. Feminist movements and leadership

Feminist leaders, movements and organizations, including those led by transgender, intersex and non-binary people, Aboriginal women, women and people with disabilities, young feminists and other historical people, should be encouraged to participate in the development of feminist movements.and other historically marginalized people, must be able to access and fully benefit from the resources and support necessary to sustain their work. They must be able to carry out their work without fear of reprisal to advance gender equality, peace and human rights for all.

Examples of actions: establishing and respecting parity in positions of responsibility, particularly political positions, supporting local feminist organizations and movements, particularly those led by girls and young women, promoting the participation of women in local public decision-making bodies as well as in civil society, implementing a gender-sensitive budget, etc.

7. Women, peace and security" agenda

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, "Women, Peace and Security", adopted on October 31, 2000, aims to increase women's participation in conflict prevention and resolution, as well as in peacebuilding. This agenda attests to the fact that women and girls are more victims and more vulnerable to conflict (they are the targets of specific violence, are the most numerous among refugee/displaced populations, have less access to education and health care than men).On the other hand, they must be fully integrated into mechanisms aimed at preventing or resolving conflicts.

French local authorities also cooperate with foreign partners who are sometimes located in conflict zones (e.g. Sahel, Haiti, Lebanon, etc.): Sahel, Haiti, Lebanon, etc), projects integrating this dimension are also eligible for this PAA, in particular if they integrate actions in the field of:

• Prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, by raising awareness of gender equality and promoting women's rights;
• Participation of women in local decision-making processes related to peace and security, particularly in the stabilization and reconstruction phases;
• Protection of women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence during and after conflicts.

More information on the "Women, Peace and Security" agenda on the MEAE website.

Examples of projects and resources on gender equality in decentralized cooperation:

• On France Diplomatie: Pages dedicated to gender equality in decentralized cooperation
• Mapping of gender equality in decentralized cooperation
• On our youtube account CNCD_Fr: Online seminar of November 18, 2020 dedicated to gender equality in decentralized cooperation
• Guide "Promoting gender equality: towards a gender approach in decentralized cooperation projects" designed by AFCCRE and Platforma
• MOOC Gender and Development developed jointly by the MEAE, Expertise France and AFD
• The MEAE's gender and development platform
• Gender and development pedagogical sheets of the F3E
• The reports of the Gender Thematic Group of Cités Unies France

V. Selection criteria

In addition to the intrinsic quality and interest of the project as well as the respect of the themes stated in point IV, the following criteria will be taken into account

1. Mandatory criteria to be met under penalty of ineligibility

Updating of the Atlas of decentralized cooperation and declaration of Official Development Assistance (ODA)

The BTCs must have filled in/updated the French Atlas of Decentralized Cooperation(www.cncd.fr) with information on all their international partnerships, when submitting their application and when submitting the project implementation report.

In addition, each year, the BTCs are required to declare their official development assistance online (between April 15 and May 31): details are available on the MEAE website.

Submission of technical and financial reports

The CTFs that have received financial support from the DAECT in the past and that have not submitted a technical and financial report online are not eligible.

2. Positive criteria

For each of the above-mentioned fields of intervention, particular attention will be paid to projects aligned with the following criteria

Integration of the Sustainable Development Goals

In addition to taking into account SDG 5 on gender equality and women's empowerment, which corresponds to the theme of this call for projects, files that integrate other SDGs in a spirit of transversality and multiplication of the project's positive impacts will be favored.

Social inclusion and involvement of vulnerable populations

Projects involving in particular populations coming from priority districts of the city policy, rural, peri-urban and overseas territories, populations from disadvantaged socio-professional categories, people in professional insertion or in situation of handicap are encouraged.

Reciprocity between territories

Eligible projects must present guarantees of a balanced partnership and good reciprocity for the benefit of the BTC populations. The citizens of the BTC must be involved in the project through actions and communication.

Mutualization and coordination of projects between BTCs

Priority will be given to projects carried out by several BTCs - at least two - working together in order to give more coherence and efficiency to their actions. New BTC projects proposed in the territory of a foreign local authority partner, where projects and partnerships are already underway with one or more other BTCs, will only be eligible if there is a good coordination between them.The new projects proposed by BTCs in the territory of a foreign local authority partner, where projects and partnerships are already in place with one or more other BTCs, will only be eligible when the various stakeholders explicitly state that the new project is well coordinated with the existing project(s) (e.g. joint letter). The Atlas of Decentralized Cooperation can help to identify existing partnerships.

In addition, the BTCs are encouraged to get in touch with the international organizations present in France and in the territories of their partners in order to study synergies and complementarities. In addition, multiparty cooperation with third countries of the European Union is encouraged.

Participation of local companies

Projects in which BTCs plan to integrate one or more companies, including from the social economy sector, from their territory in their actions (co-financing, provision of expertise, etc.) will be favored. Similarly, the participation of federating organizations or organizations with links to companies in the French territorial community, such as competitiveness clusters, will be encouraged.The participation of federating organizations or organizations with links to French local authorities, such as competitiveness clusters and economic development agencies, is encouraged.

Participation of women's associations

BTCs are encouraged to involve feminist organizations in their territory as well as in the territory of the foreign local authority partner in the structuring and/or implementation of their projects, to ensure the relevance and sustainability of the actions.

Priority will be given to BTCs that are members of a regional multi-actor network

Priority will be given to projects led by BTCs that are members of a French regional multi-stakeholder network (RRMA), when it exists in their region.

3. Negative criteria: non-eligible actions

Are not eligible for co-financing by this program, projects that are presented in the form of a list of unrelated actions and those aimed at one or other of the following operations

• The operation of partner local authorities or their services;
• The provision of logistical resources (containers, vehicles, etc.);
• The contribution to another local development fund;
• Support for very specific cultural projects and support for artistic creation as the only issue.

Generally speaking, the DAECT does not finance real estate infrastructures or equipment. However, in countries eligible for ODA, it may consider paying for some of the small equipment needed to launch the project (purchase of computers, software, basic sports equipment) if these operations constitute a complementary element enabling the implementation of a project.tion of a structuring capacity-building project in a developing country, linked to employment and income generation, and within the limits of the DAECT's general financing keys.

Projects are not eligible if, depending on their characteristics, they can be financed by other donors, for example the European Union through its programs, or the European Agency for Development and Cooperation (EACD). through its programs, or the French Development Agency (AFD), with its FICOL instrument (Facility for financing French local authorities). Upstream financing or co-financing is however possible in some cases, particularly for leveraging.

The BTCs are encouraged to get in touch with the international organizations present in France and in their partners' territories in order to study synergies and complementarities. In addition, multiparty cooperation with third countries of the European Union is encouraged.

VI. Monitoring and impact measurement

A technical and financial report at the end of the project, showing the use of the co-financing granted by the MEAE, must be submitted to the website www.cncd.fr. The report must include an evaluation of the local impact of the project.

VII. Communication

Each project must be communicated by the partners, involving the MEAE and the other partners of the call for projects, both to the inhabitants of the CTF in collaboration with the DAECT, and to those of the beneficiary community in collaboration with the French Embassy in the country concerned.

In the interim and final reports of the action, a report on this communication and on the mention of the support of the MEAE and the partners must be provided.

The use of the MEAE logo is subject to the prior agreement of the DAECT.

VIII. Procedure

The CTFs are invited to make all the necessary contacts as early as possible with the departments under the authority of theAmbassador of France, in particular the Service d'action et de coopération culturelle (SCAC), which will be their main contact for information on the local context of their cooperation.

List of decentralized cooperation correspondents in the embassies

1. Procedure for submitting applications

Applications must be submitted online using the electronic procedure on the decentralized cooperation portal at the following address: www.cncd.fr. {{ No applications will be accepted in paper format.

A "Word" version of the form is attached to these rules to enable local authorities to read it and prepare the answers that must be entered in the online form.

Each CTF must create an account on the CNCD extranet, in order to be given a personal login and password. A guide to the online application procedure is available on the MEAE website.

In case of difficulty in the online submission procedure, the CTFs can contact: secretariat.dgm-aect@diplomatie.gouv.fr / 01 43 17 62 64.

2. Summary calendar

3. Examination of the applications and selection

The list of selected projects will be decided by the selection committee after receiving the opinions of the embassies and regional prefectures and examination by the DAECT team.

The selection committee, chaired by the DAECT, will include MEAE operators and partner associations.

The applicant communities will then be notified of the selection committee's opinion and the amount of co-financing that may be granted.