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Programme Leaflet [PDF version Oct. 2004] Programme Leaflet [WORD version] Oct 2004

One of the important outcomes from the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China in 1995 was international recognition that true gender equality cannot be achieved if women's rights continue to be viewed as a separate question and that a gender perspective should be integrated into all planning, programmes and legislation from their outset.

In 1997 the Economic and Social Council of the General Assembly (ECOSOC), adopted gender mainstreaming as the methodology by which the entire United Nations system would work towards the advancement of women and gender equality goals:

"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".
(E.1997.L.O. Para.4. Adopted by ECOSOC 17/7/97)

IFUW is one of the international non-governmental organization taking a leading role to promote new concepts for reaching gender equality and advancing the status of women and their economic and social empowerment - endeavouring to shift the image of women as a vulnerable group to women as catalysts and agents of change. Gender equality and women's empowerment are achievable only when all rights are taken as a whole. Gender mainstreaming is a critical prerequisite for this.

Our teams of representatives at the United Nations and its specialized agencies are working to ensure that a gender perspective is included in all international debates and agreement. Our efforts have focussed on issues such as

• shifting the male paradigm and all the traditional practices and stereotypes that go with the division of labour, the unpaid work of women and their reproductive role
• adopting a rights-based approach to sustainable development using as an entry point education and participation in decision-making at all levels and in all sectors
• promoting the importance of gender budgeting and disaggregating data by sex and age
• integrating gender perspective in trade and development agendas
• including women in building peace and sustainable development
• reducing the gender divide that has retarded women’s advancement in society and has contributed to feminizing poverty

Gender analysis does not stop at reforming legislation and institutional mechanisms. Much of gender inequality emanates from indirect forms of discrimination and violence against women. Cultures, traditions and religion, factors that in themselves are good, must be examined since it is the interpretation and abusive use of these that often exacerbate the inequalities. It is cultural relativism that is the most serious factor of violence in the private sphere of the household especially in the propagation of HIV/AIDS.

Efforts to ensure gender analysis are needed not only at the international level, but also on a national and local level within each country.

Click on the links below to access further information on specific issues,
ideas for action, project examples and links to additional resources

• Visit the UNESCO's Gender Mainstreaming Resource Center for teaching methods, learning tools, case studies, synoptic powerpoint presentations and guidelines that can help you integrate gender mainstreaming in your work.