GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN PRACTICE: A TOOLKIT PRESENTED IN SARAJEVO

May 31 2007 – (UNDP) One of the UNDP’s primary approaches to work towards gender equality is gender mainstreaming.

To implement more effectively such a mandate, the UNDP Regional Centre for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) published ‘Gender Mainstreaming in Practice: A Toolkit’ presenting the gender mainstreaming methodology based on best practices, illustrated with cases and tools in a hands on and applicable way.

By supplying the tools necessary, the aim is to simplify the process of mainstreaming gender into policy making and programming across the region. UNDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina joined the initiative and presented the Toolkit in Sarajevo.

Ten years have passed since the UN adopted gender mainstreaming, and the realisation that inclusion of gender equality goals is necessary for ensuring equitable and sustainable human development. Progress has been made in the area of gender equality in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS.

Yet, this has been matched by new circumstances and emerging challenges. This shifting terrain has demanded that strategies for enhancing gender equality be flexible, innovative and persistent. Thus, gender mainstreaming is as relevant as ever.

Although transition in the post-socialist era has brought opportunities and benefits for some, there has also been an increase in levels of poverty, unemployment, social exclusion, and polarisation emerging from the massive restructuring that have been present in the region.

These changes have had different impact on men and women. Largely it has become increasingly difficult for women to sustain a balance between family responsibilities and breadwinner duties with the cutbacks in the public sector provision. Mass unemployment has led to outwards-migration from communities.

Coupled with a return to conservative ideologies this have sometimes left women with little or no opportunities to sustain their livelihoods.

Furthermore, across the region there has been a decline in political participation for women, girls are dropping out of school in Central Asia and the speed in which the number of HIV and AIDS infected is increasing in the region.

Experience presented in the publication shows that inclusion of gender mainstreaming into programming has led to efforts to strengthen mechanisms on the national and local level to ensure that gender concerns are being taken into account.

Gender mainstreaming is being incorporated in national development frameworks such as poverty reduction papers and MDG strategies. Provision of accessible university accommodation in Dushanbe has increased the number of girls from rural areas attending education and efforts have been made to tackle the challenges of migration by supporting women’s access to credit.

Other initiatives have increased the numbers of women in leadership and politics in for example Armenia and Belarus. In one municipality in Armenia 41 percent of women trained by UNDP running for local elections were elected.

Across the board there has been learning though cooperation between government institutions, civil society organisations and international organisations.

This learning has opened up cooperation with the potential to lay ground for a more inclusive development process showing that gender mainstreaming can have an impact that leads to human development outcomes for all.

Gender Mainstreaming in Practice: A Handbook has been put together to present a comprehensive understanding of what gender mainstreaming is and to provide detailed guidance on how gender mainstreaming can be put into practice.

More than anything it is a unique collection of practical tools and guidelines, practical examples and illustrations to facilitate a further implementation of the strategy. It is designed for public policy and development practitioners who are not experts in gender issues.

It also targets non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups to monitor and support the actions of government and international organizations; students for learning how gender mainstreaming works in practice; supervisors of policy-makers and project staff to incorporate gender mainstreaming into their performance appraisal systems and allocate budget resources; for gender specialists and consultants as a quick and succinct reference in their own work or when training others.

 

From:http://www.undp.ba/index.aspx?PID=7&RID=410