Gender Mainstreaming: Gender Mainstreaming:

Making It HappenMaking It HappenGeeta Rao GuptaGeeta Rao GuptaFebruary 16, 2006February 16, 2006

Based on a paper co-authored with Based on a paper co-authored with Rekha MehraRekha Mehra

Focus on development agenciesFocus on development agenciesNot an exhaustive reviewNot an exhaustive review

HistoryHistory

Gender mainstreaming adopted at Gender mainstreaming adopted at Beijing as a key strategy for promoting Beijing as a key strategy for promoting gender equalitygender equality

Gender analysis recommended as the Gender analysis recommended as the way to understand the differential way to understand the differential situation of women and mensituation of women and men

DefinitionDefinition ““Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the process of Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any assessing the implications for women and men of any planned actionplanned action, including legislation, policies or programs, in , including legislation, policies or programs, in all areas and at all levels…a strategy for making women’s as all areas and at all levels…a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programsand evaluation of policies and programs in all political, in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality.”is to achieve gender equality.”

UN ECOSOC, 1977UN ECOSOC, 1977

Gender Mainstreaming: The Immediate Gender Mainstreaming: The Immediate ChallengeChallenge

Gender mainstreaming (GM) is at a critical Gender mainstreaming (GM) is at a critical cross-roads; early supporters are beginning to cross-roads; early supporters are beginning to feel that it has failedfeel that it has failed

Already missed the deadline for MDG3 Already missed the deadline for MDG3 But too early to judge failureBut too early to judge failure A timely moment to reinvigorate efforts on A timely moment to reinvigorate efforts on

gender mainstreaming and make them gender mainstreaming and make them successfulsuccessful

How GM is understoodHow GM is understood Gender mainstreaming as currently Gender mainstreaming as currently

understood:understood: Must involve all aspects of planning, Must involve all aspects of planning,

implementing and monitoring any social, implementing and monitoring any social, political or economic actionpolitical or economic action

Transforming of both “internal” organizational Transforming of both “internal” organizational and “external” operational procedures, with and “external” operational procedures, with internal organizational changes to be done firstinternal organizational changes to be done first

How GM works right nowHow GM works right now Organizations have launched transformation Organizations have launched transformation

processes:processes: Established gender units and focal pointsEstablished gender units and focal points Restructured internal systems and proceduresRestructured internal systems and procedures Held gender training programs for allHeld gender training programs for all Attempted to change attitudes and values, Attempted to change attitudes and values,

especially male biasespecially male bias

Challenges in implementationChallenges in implementation Significant resistanceSignificant resistance Difficult to change attitudes and valuesDifficult to change attitudes and values An absence of focus on gender in operationsAn absence of focus on gender in operations A struggle to implement organizational structural A struggle to implement organizational structural

and attitudinal changes rather than changes in and attitudinal changes rather than changes in operationsoperations

Gender rendered invisible with mainstreamingGender rendered invisible with mainstreaming

A New Approach: GM in A New Approach: GM in OperationsOperations Important to get results in operations because Important to get results in operations because

success is motivating and helps lower resistancesuccess is motivating and helps lower resistance It is entrepreneurial, results-oriented and has It is entrepreneurial, results-oriented and has

impactimpact It delivers concrete benefits to women and low-It delivers concrete benefits to women and low-

income communities and demonstrates income communities and demonstrates development effectivenessdevelopment effectiveness

It offers the opportunity to model success that It offers the opportunity to model success that can be replicated and can build momentum for can be replicated and can build momentum for wider impactwider impact

What is needed to mainstream What is needed to mainstream gender in operations?gender in operations?

Strategy:Strategy: select a strategic issue to work on and select a strategic issue to work on and choose ways to ensure successful implementationchoose ways to ensure successful implementation

Relevance:Relevance: work on high priority development work on high priority development issues that are likely to have tangible impactissues that are likely to have tangible impact

Research and analysis:Research and analysis: understand and understand and demonstrate the gender linkage, the costs of not demonstrate the gender linkage, the costs of not investing in gender and/or the value added of investing in gender and/or the value added of doing so doing so

What is needed to mainstream What is needed to mainstream gender in operations?gender in operations?

Skills and expertise in genderSkills and expertise in gender to do the to do the research and analysis, plan a course of research and analysis, plan a course of action, back-stop implementation, develop a action, back-stop implementation, develop a M&E plan and evaluate and document resultsM&E plan and evaluate and document results

Hands-on technical assistanceHands-on technical assistance on the on the “how to” of mainstreaming at the project “how to” of mainstreaming at the project levellevel

What is needed to mainstream What is needed to mainstream gender in operations?gender in operations?

““Financial resources are needed to fund:Financial resources are needed to fund: supplementary and complementary activities

necessary for mainstreaming gender into a particular project

research and analysishiring of gender experts

““Where the treasure is, the heart will follow.” Book of Mathew, Where the treasure is, the heart will follow.” Book of Mathew, New TestamentNew Testament

What is needed to mainstream What is needed to mainstream gender in operations?gender in operations?

Accountability mechanisms that Accountability mechanisms that use gender-specific indicators to:use gender-specific indicators to: examine outcomes and results and

assess them relative to expectations (and/or baseline conditions)

determine the causes for lack of success, learn from them and fix them

What is needed to mainstream What is needed to mainstream gender in operations?gender in operations?

Leadership:Leadership: preferably at the highest level and preferably at the highest level and at an intermediate technical level, accompanied byat an intermediate technical level, accompanied bypolitical will and commitmentopenness to innovationwillingness to allocate resources expectation of concrete development outcomes

Important tips on mainstreamingImportant tips on mainstreaminggender in operationsgender in operations It is not necessary to do “everything” or to act on It is not necessary to do “everything” or to act on

all levelsall levels It is important to determine It is important to determine contextuallycontextually who who

needs to know what and to provide that needs to know what and to provide that informationinformation

Maintain focus on specific tasksMaintain focus on specific tasks Country cooperation – created through demand Country cooperation – created through demand

and accountability from civil society groupsand accountability from civil society groups

Moving ForwardMoving Forward

Looking ahead, gender mainstreaming Looking ahead, gender mainstreaming requires:requires:

A sense of urgencyA sense of urgency Donor coordination to generateDonor coordination to generate

political will and commitmentfinancial resources evaluation data and analysispool of sector-specific gender experts