The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has continuously demonstrated within its work that gender equality is not simply a matter of human rights, but is key to eliminating poverty and hunger. It is only by closing the gender gap that sustainable agriculture and rural development can reach their full potential. Consequently, FAO is committed to promoting gender equality in all of its interventions, as well as by building knowledge, identifying promising practices and widely disseminating these among member states and national partners. This publication focuses on case studies from five member countries of the European Union (EU). These illustrate how gender equality issues can be addressed in agriculture and rural development policies (including fisheries and aquaculture, forestry and livestock), programmes and practices. This publication forms part of FAO’s wider efforts to collect, analyse and disseminate promising practices on gender mainstreaming.