Mainstreaming Gender in Mainstreaming Gender in development Policies and development Policies and

ProgrammesProgrammes20072007

Haifa Abu GhazalehHaifa Abu GhazalehRegional Programme DirectorRegional Programme DirectorUNIFEMUNIFEM

IAEG Meeting on Gender and MDGs in the Arab Region

Cairo, 10-11 September 2007

The conceptThe concept Gender mainstreaming occurred on Gender mainstreaming occurred on

19851985 Third World Conference on Third World Conference on Women in Nairobi. The idea has been Women in Nairobi. The idea has been developed in the developed in the United NationsUnited Nations development community. The idea development community. The idea was formally featured in 1995 on the was formally featured in 1995 on the Fourth World Conference on WomenFourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. Most definitions conform to in Beijing. Most definitions conform to the UN the UN Economic and Social CouncilEconomic and Social Council formally defined concept:formally defined concept:

Gender mainstreamingGender mainstreaming

*is the process of assessing the *is the process of assessing the implications for women and men implications for women and men of any planned action, including of any planned action, including legislationlegislation, , policiespolicies or or programmesprogrammes, in all areas and at , in all areas and at all levelsall levels

*Is a globally accepted strategy *Is a globally accepted strategy for for promoting gender equalitypromoting gender equality

MainstreamingMainstreaming **Maistreaming is not an end in itself but Maistreaming is not an end in itself but a a

strategy, an approachstrategy, an approach, a means to achieve , a means to achieve the goal of gender equality.the goal of gender equality.

*Mainstreaming involves ensuring that *Mainstreaming involves ensuring that gender perspectives and attention to the gender perspectives and attention to the goal of gender equality are central to all goal of gender equality are central to all activities - activities - policy development, research, policy development, research, advocacy/ dialogue, legislation, resource advocacy/ dialogue, legislation, resource allocation, and planning, implementation allocation, and planning, implementation and monitoringand monitoring of programmes and projects of programmes and projects

Mainstreaming Gender in Mainstreaming Gender in PoliciesPolicies

Mainstreaming is a way of ensuring that Mainstreaming is a way of ensuring that policy and decision-making take account policy and decision-making take account of of men’s and women’s different interests men’s and women’s different interests and needs. and needs.

The aim is for policy to make a genuinely The aim is for policy to make a genuinely sustainable contribution to equalitysustainable contribution to equality between men and women, rather than between men and women, rather than unintentionally increasing inequality in unintentionally increasing inequality in some unforeseen way. some unforeseen way.

Mainstreaming Gender in Mainstreaming Gender in PoliciesPolicies

Gender mainstreamingGender mainstreaming decision-making decision-making on policy measures and priorities has to be on policy measures and priorities has to be organised and documentedorganised and documented in such a way in such a way as to do justice to the differences between as to do justice to the differences between men and women. men and women.

Gender mainstreamingGender mainstreaming process and its process and its outcome shows that great care has been outcome shows that great care has been taken in dealing with men’s and women’s taken in dealing with men’s and women’s specific specific opportunities, obligations and opportunities, obligations and rightsrights. .

The importance of Gender The importance of Gender MainstreamingMainstreaming

Throughout the world, women suffer Throughout the world, women suffer disadvantage. There are differences from disadvantage. There are differences from country to country and region to region, country to country and region to region, because because disadvantage is caused by disadvantage is caused by cultural, historical and social factors. cultural, historical and social factors.

Nonetheless ,agreements have been made Nonetheless ,agreements have been made – by, for instance, – by, for instance, the UN member states the UN member states - on improving the position of women and - on improving the position of women and on the efforts governments and non-on the efforts governments and non-governmental, private and multilateral governmental, private and multilateral organizationsorganizations must make towards this goal. must make towards this goal.

GenderGender mainstreamingmainstreaming should lead to changesshould lead to changes

* * A policy need to be gender aware if it is to A policy need to be gender aware if it is to address/ address/ reduce gender inequalitiesreduce gender inequalities otherwise otherwise policies would actually reinforce further policies would actually reinforce further oppression/ discrimination.oppression/ discrimination.

*Through policy-making and *Through policy-making and implementation ,Gender mainstreaming should implementation ,Gender mainstreaming should lead to changes in the structure of the lead to changes in the structure of the mainstreammainstream..

* In other words, policy must respond promptly to * In other words, policy must respond promptly to changes in requirements, interests, and changes in requirements, interests, and perceptionsperceptions with regard to men’s and women’s with regard to men’s and women’s social roles, and promote equality.social roles, and promote equality.

GenderGender mainstreamingmainstreaming should lead to changesshould lead to changes

* It should not have * It should not have Unintentional side Unintentional side effects which worsen the position of effects which worsen the position of womenwomen Through policy-making and Through policy-making and implementation, implementation,

* Gender mainstreaming requires * Gender mainstreaming requires sound knowledge – gender expertise – sound knowledge – gender expertise – on the way in which the differences on the way in which the differences between men’s and women’s power between men’s and women’s power positions manifest themselves in positions manifest themselves in society side effects which worsen the society side effects which worsen the position of women. position of women.

Why Gender MainstreamingWhy Gender Mainstreaming

Recognition of the need for Recognition of the need for a a combined strategy to address women combined strategy to address women empowerment issuesempowerment issues including including selected focus of channeling selected focus of channeling assistance to women, as a target assistance to women, as a target group, to a more mainstreaming group, to a more mainstreaming approach of promoting gender approach of promoting gender equality as a development goalequality as a development goal

Why Gender MainstreamingWhy Gender Mainstreaming

**Ensure that the needs of both are taken on Ensure that the needs of both are taken on board during board during policy development, policy development, implementation – M and E.implementation – M and E.

*The need of collective process of *The need of collective process of articulating a shared vision articulating a shared vision sustainable sustainable human development and translating it into human development and translating it into realityreality (through policy, programmes and (through policy, programmes and budgets) hence the need for the effective budgets) hence the need for the effective participation of both women and men.participation of both women and men.

Why Gender MainstreamingWhy Gender Mainstreaming

It is a commitment to ensure concerns It is a commitment to ensure concerns and experiences of both women and and experiences of both women and men are men are integral to the design, integral to the design, implementation, monitoring and implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all legislation, policies evaluation of all legislation, policies and programmesand programmes

It concerns the It concerns the staffing, procedures, staffing, procedures, programmes and cultureprogrammes and culture of of development organizationsdevelopment organizations

Why Gender MainstreamingWhy Gender Mainstreaming

It advances women to reach their It advances women to reach their developmentaldevelopmental potential since potential since programs and policies will be programs and policies will be analyzed from the perspectives of analyzed from the perspectives of men and women.men and women.

Recognizes Recognizes gender equality as gender equality as critical to the achievement of other critical to the achievement of other development goalsdevelopment goals including poverty including poverty reductionreduction

Why Gender MainstreamingWhy Gender Mainstreaming

It minimizes negative impactsIt minimizes negative impacts by by ensuring that needs and concerns ensuring that needs and concerns are addressed.are addressed.

It ensures development programs It ensures development programs and policies and policies are people centered are people centered and sustain the effects of and sustain the effects of developmentdevelopment

CHALLENGES FOR MAINSTREAMING CHALLENGES FOR MAINSTREAMING GENDER IN GENDER IN POLICY FORMULATION / POLICY FORMULATION /

PROGRMMES / STRATEGIESPROGRMMES / STRATEGIES

Limited adoption of gender Limited adoption of gender mainstreaming approachmainstreaming approach from from the beginning of policy the beginning of policy processes i.e. from situation / processes i.e. from situation / problem analysis, prioritization / problem analysis, prioritization / policy choices, implementation, policy choices, implementation, M and E and impact tracking.M and E and impact tracking.

CHALLENGES FOR MAINSTREAMING GENDER CHALLENGES FOR MAINSTREAMING GENDER IN IN POLICY FORMULATION / PROGRMMES / POLICY FORMULATION / PROGRMMES /

STRATEGIESSTRATEGIES

Limited and uncoordinated Limited and uncoordinated institutional mechanisminstitutional mechanism for for gender mainstreaming at gender mainstreaming at national / Sectoral levels.national / Sectoral levels.

Information and knowledge Information and knowledge gaps: gaps: Lack of Gender Lack of Gender Disaggregated dataDisaggregated data in most of in most of the Government sectors and the Government sectors and Departments such as Health and Departments such as Health and EducationEducation..

CHALLENGES FOR MAINSTREAMING GENDER CHALLENGES FOR MAINSTREAMING GENDER IN IN POLICY FORMULATION / PROGRMMES / POLICY FORMULATION / PROGRMMES /

STRATEGIESSTRATEGIES

Lack of technical backstoppingLack of technical backstopping to support to support on gender mainstreaming efforts at various on gender mainstreaming efforts at various levels.levels.

Unsustainable institutional gender capacityUnsustainable institutional gender capacity including conceptual clarity on gender including conceptual clarity on gender mainstreaming (skills, systems, tools, mainstreaming (skills, systems, tools, accountability) for effective implementation accountability) for effective implementation and monitoring .and monitoring .

Difficulty in developing tangible gender Difficulty in developing tangible gender indicatorsindicators because most of the gender because most of the gender indicators are qualitative.indicators are qualitative.

OPPORTUNITIESOPPORTUNITIES Availability of gender disaggregated Availability of gender disaggregated

datadata in some sectors / research. in some sectors / research. Collaborative efforts between Collaborative efforts between

Government and CSOsGovernment and CSOs working towards working towards improving the interpretation of various improving the interpretation of various policies such as poverty , education , policies such as poverty , education , health and legal frameworks.health and legal frameworks.

Capacity / skills building to staffCapacity / skills building to staff from from sectors / programmes / projects for sectors / programmes / projects for gender mainstreaming and advocacy in gender mainstreaming and advocacy in the countrythe country..

RECOMMENDATIONRECOMMENDATION

*For effective mainstreaming of *For effective mainstreaming of Gender in development policies, Gender in development policies, the the following are recommended:following are recommended:

**Capacity buildingCapacity building / strengthening of / strengthening of various actors involved in various actors involved in development policies / programmes development policies / programmes and strategies on gender issues, and strategies on gender issues, monitoring and evaluationmonitoring and evaluation

RECOMMENDATIONRECOMMENDATION

Lobby for adequate budget and Lobby for adequate budget and fundsfunds both from the government both from the government and development partners.and development partners.

Gender activities should be Gender activities should be properly fundedproperly funded just as any just as any mainstream activitymainstream activity..

RECOMMENDATIONRECOMMENDATION

Development programmes / Development programmes / PolicesPolices to build gender and pro- to build gender and pro-poor priorities in a poor priorities in a mainstreamed and interlinked mainstreamed and interlinked way e.g. all strategies with way e.g. all strategies with gender approaches to link to: gender approaches to link to: Violence issues; Good Violence issues; Good governance, HIV/AIDS, etc.governance, HIV/AIDS, etc.

Thank youThank you