The Policy Context for Gender Mainstreaming in the United Nations

Introduction

I would like to firstly express appreciation to the UNCHS Habitat, on behalf of the Special Adviser to the Secretary General on gender equality, Ms Angela E.V. King, for the opportunity to share some of the experiences of the United Nations in gender mainstreaming at this workshop. I would also like to congratulate UNCHS for its commitment to gender mainstreaming, illustrated through the gender policy revision being undertaken, and to commend in particular the emphasis on stakeholder involvement in the process, which this workshop clearly exemplifies.

The gender mainstreaming strategy

The focus on the advancement of women and gender equality within the United Nations over the past three decades has led to an increased international recognition that there are important gender perspectives in relation to the overall goals of the United Nations, such as poverty eradication, human rights, good governance, environmentally sustainable development, and to all areas of the work of the United Nations. These perspectives must be taken into account in policy making and planning, to ensure the achievement of both gender equality and sustainable people-centred development. The 189 countries attending the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 endorsed gender mainstreaming as a strategy for promoting equality between women and men. Governments and the United Nations made commitments to consider the realities of women and men and the potential impact of planned activities on women and men, before any decisions were taken, actions planned or resources allocated. Implementing the mainstreaming strategy within the United Nations system itself, and supporting the implementation of the strategy by Member States, is one of the most important means for the United Nations to further the advancement of women and promote gender equality throughout the world.

Gender mainstreaming is a strategy, an approach, a process, a means to an end, rather than an end in itself. The ultimate goal is equality between women and men. As a strategy gender mainstreaming entails bringing gender perspectives to the centre of attention in all areas of societal development (economic and political as well as social) and in all types of activities. This involves identifying and addressing relevant gender perspectives in data collection and research, analysis, legislation, policy development, development of projects and programmes as well as in training and other institutional development activities. Mainstreaming can reveal a need for changes in goals, strategies and activities to ensure that both women and men can influence, participate in and benefit from development processes. It can require changes in organizations – structures, procedures and organizational cultures – to create organizational environments which are conducive to the promotion of gender equality.

The strategy of mainstreaming is defined in the ECOSOC Agreed Conclusions, 1997/2, as “…the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women's as well as men's concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality.”

Gender mainstreaming means bringing in the perceptions, knowledge, contributions, priorities and needs of both women and men to enrich development. Identifying and addressing gender perspectives is important from a human rights and social justice perspective; it is equally important for ensuring sustainable people-centred development in all areas and for ensuring that other social and economic goals are attained. Sustainable and effective development can only be achieved in any area of societal activity, including economic development, if the interests and needs of all groups in society – including both women and men - are taken into account and the potential of all groups is released. The role of the mainstreaming strategy in promoting and facilitating the full contributions of both women and men to social and economic development has been clearly identified (including in the Agreed Conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women between 1996 and 1999). Gender mainstreaming involves, however, much more than increasing wo men's participation; it involves identifying and addressing the gender perspectives – the linkages between gender and different sector areas - in the work of an organization. The limitations of approaches which ignore gender perspectives have become increasingly clear.