Gender Mainstreaming Competence Development Framework

In 1997 ECOSOC adopted agreed conclusions on mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes in the United Nations system. Gender mainstreaming was clearly defined by ECOSOC: Mainstreaming a gender perspective is 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.

The Council emphasized the need to incorporate a gender perspective into the mainstream of all areas of the United Nations' work, including macroeconomic questions, operational activities for development, poverty eradication, human rights, humanitarian assistance, budgeting, disarmament, peace and security and legal affairs.

In a letter to all heads of Departments, Programmes, Funds and Regional Commissions in October 1997, Secretary General Kofi Annan wrote that "this process is the responsibility of us all, and not just gender experts or isolated units." The letter requested a number of steps including the formulation of: "specific strategies for ensuring that gender issues are brought into the mainstream of activities" within each area of responsibility.

The recent General Assembly special session to follow-up the Beijing conference (June 2000) reinforced the gender mainstreaming mandate. The United Nations was specifically called upon to continue to implement, evaluate and follow-up on the mandated work of mainstreaming gender perspectives into all policy making, planning processes and programmes; ensure the allocation of sufficient resources, including the maintenance of gender focal points; and provide training on gender mainstreaming and appropriate follow-up to all staff.