The goal of the paper has been to build a shared understanding on how to approach the gender perspective in dialogues with third countries in the area of STI (Science, Technology and Innovation) in order to deep the knowledge of the current implementation of the Council conclusions of 1 December 2015, which invited the EC and MS to consider the gender perspective in dialogues with third countries.

The policy context of gender equality for international cooperation in STI has “promoted” policies and initiatives regarding the integration of gender perspective. Already existing initiatives like the EC Strategic Engagement for Gender Equality and the priority of the European Research Area (ERA) shape and boost the gender equality in bilateral and multilateral agreements with third countries.