Beirut, 21 April 2015

This activity notably aims to mobilise different categories of actors, namely the clusters, research centres, local organisations, the media and the enterprises working for gender equality at a decentralised level in 7 southern Mediterranean countries in order to encourage networking and partnerships.

Each year, in each of the seven countries targeted by the project, a local cluster of actors for gender equality will be established in order to analyse the status of women in a specific region and to encourage the sharing of experiences and practices in the field of equality.

The project partners, along with over 15 representatives of associations, local and regional authorities and universities from seven countries jointly, reflected on mobilisation on a local scale. The reflection enabled them to exchange views on the challenges, objectives and composition of these local clusters in order to facilitate their future identification and adapt the project’s methodology as much as possible to the reality of the southern Mediterranean countries. The gathering in Beirut is part of the Axis 1 "Strengthening the capacities of actors working for gender equality", of the project Women for the future in the Mediterranean, funded by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development and the project “Developing Women’s Empowerment”, labelled by the Union for the Mediterranean.

Among the project phases of the projects, it is planned to launch a call to the leaders of the local clusters.