what does it mean?
"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 any area and at all levels. It is a strategy for making the concerns and experiences of women as well as of men an integral part 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 perpetruated. the ultimate goal of mainstreaming is to acheive gender equality. "( United Nations Economic and Social Councl:1997)
Mainstreaming includes gender-specific activities and affirmative action, whenever women or men are in a particularly disadvantages position. Gender- specific interventions can target women exclusively, men and women together, or only men, to enable them to participate in and benefit equally from development efforts. these are necessary temporary measures designed to combat the direct and indirect consequences of past discrimination.
Gender mainstreaming seeks to put people first in development. In doing so, it demands that both men and women's aspirations and needs are considered. The gender perspective in development planning explicity takes into consideration, in a given socio-economc context, their different roles and responsibilities of men and women and their relative access to resources.
why is it needed?
Mainstreaming gender is important and focuses more on women because, throughout history, they have been sidelined in the development process and have the furthest to travel to catch up. Even where equality exists in theory in national law, women are disadvantaged because in practice this equality does not exist due to instittutional and social barriers and cultural beleifs.
However, there are two overriding justifications for governments to implement gender mainstreaming:
1. It has ecnomic and social benefits for the nation
2. It is fair to everyone- forming the basis of good governance
These are such value that gender mainstreaming has become entrenched in international conventions, regional platforms for action and national government policies around the world. In fact it has become a key variable in development.
After all women generally make up 50% of a country's population and often have different perspectives and experiences form men and are often the first to be affected by political or development decisions. Just how much inequality exists in the pacific is exemplified in vanuatu, where a gender mapping consultation of all the provinces identified 4 strategic areas where mainstreaming could make a difference:Reducing domestic and gender based violence, enhancing women's economic empowerment, promoting women's leadership and equal political participation and building foundation for gender mainstreaming.
When and where can it be applied?
Women's concerns and needs in particular must be treated as seperate issues, but reflected in national strategic development plans and policies and government's sector investment programs to achieve gender equality and equity and the subsequent economic benefits,gender mainstreaming requires that women take a more active interest in politics and economics and the political planners take more notice of women's input. Women's participation on public decisions and policy making must improve if they are to be more active in lobbying for the national change. Women have much to contribute makers must recognize that women as well as men are producers and their needs are priorities differ from those of men, particularely as working women must also cope with multiple burdens of home, family care reproduction.
How do we know when we achieve it ?
Mainstreaming can be achieved when:
1. Government recognize and incorporate the different perspectives, needs and concerns of women and men in development decision makings.
2. there are competent and committed women in development decision making who can ensure women's perspectives are incorporated into development policies, programs and projects.
Mainstreaming activities will vary across nations but the overall vision will be that of people oriented, people centred , variable and sustainable development.