INTERGOVERNMENTAL MANDATES ON GENDER MAINSTREAMING
Mainstreaming
was clearly established as the global strategy for promoting
gender equality through the Platform for Action at the
United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing
in September 1995. The need to ensure that attention
to gender perspectives is an integral part of interventions
in all areas of societal development was made clear
in that document. For each of the strategic objectives
identified in Beijing specific reference was made to
the importance of the mainstreaming strategy. For example,
in the chapter on Women in power and decision-making
paragraph 189 specifically addresses mainstreaming:
"In addressing the inequality between men and
women in the sharing of power and decision-making
at all levels, Governments and other actors should
promote an active and visible policy of mainstreaming
a gender perspective in all policies and programmes
so that before decisions are taken, an analysis is
made of the effects on women and men, respectively."
The strategy
of mainstreaming is defined in the ECOSOC Agreed Conclusions,
1997/2, as
"&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 womens as well as mens
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." Generic
Mandates (ECOSOC 1997/2)
Apart from
the general mandates on gender mainstreaming there are
many explicit mandates on gender mainstreaming in specific
areas. To give two examples, there is an explicit mandate
on gender mainstreaming in the area of peace and security
in Security Council resolution
1325( 2000) of 31 October 2000
which
clearly outlines all the steps which need to be taken
to ensure gender perspectives are given adequate attention
in this area of the work of the United Nations.
Specific mandates are also available on bringing gender
perspectives to the centre of attention in
national budget processes as well as in the development
of programme budgets in the United Nations.
OSAGI has
prepared an overview of the specific mandates on gender
mainstreaming in a number of other areas of the work
of the United Nations. These are the recommendations
for action proposed by intergovernmental bodies in the
United Nations - The Commission on the Status of Women,
The Economic and Social Council or the General Assembly.
List
of Mandates are available for the following sectors
/issues:
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