Why does gender mainstreaming often appear to focus on women?

There is overwhelming evidence that women and girls face more discrimination and are more disadvantaged in many spheres of lidfe than men and boys. Interventions therefore often attempt to strengthen women’s position. However, gender mainstreaming includes interventions aimed at men and boys as well.

1. Collecting available data.
   • The first step is to collect available data and information and to identify data gaps. Identify relevant data to provide a picture of the gender equality situation in a given context.
   • Draw on existing qualitative and quantitative research findings as a basis for evidence-based data.
   • Ensure that data is disaggregated by sex (and other intersecting forms of discrimination, such as age, ethnicity and any other factors relevant to shedding light on intersectionality).
   • Identify where further data is needed and generate additional data that captures gender issues.
2. Identifying gender differences and the underlying causes of gender inequalities.

The second step is to uncover the underlying causes of gender inequalities and seek to examine and address the cause of the problem in order to fully meet the different needs of women and men.

• Reveal and examine differences and inequalities in women’s and men’s lives. Without this step, ‘unexpected’ consequences of policies, programmes and projects can arise, which may prompt the failure of the intervention or lead to further inequalities and discrimination. Where inequalities between women and men are found, they must be analysed in order to establish both their causes and their effects.
• Include and integrate relevant gender issues, gaps and inequalities into the full problem analysis. In particular: assess how the gender division of labour and patterns of decision-making affect the policy, programme or project;
• Assess who has access to and control over resources, assets and benefits, including programme or project benefits;
• Assess the barriers and constraints on women and men participating in and benefiting equally from the policy, programme or project.
• Explore the representation and participation of women and men in different policy sectors and at different levels. Specifically: define in what way your policy aims to respond to the needs of women and men;
• describe how the policy will affect the everyday lives of women and men or specific groups of women and men, taking intersectional inequalities into account (i.e. relating it to age, bodily ability, ethnicity, migration status, income, etc.);
• define the differences between women and men in the policy area (with regard to rights, participation and representation, access to and use of resources, social norms that affect gender roles and relations and gender-specific behaviour);
• identify gender gaps among professionals (e.g. in pay and access to senior and leadership positions) in the main institutions in the sector;
• identify the role of women in management at the local and national levels in the sector;
3. Informing policies, programmes and projects.

   Gender analysis is essential to the mainstreaming of a gender perspective through the policy cycle. It is a preparatory step for the planning stage and serves to inform the development policies, programmes and projects which respond to the different needs of wom­en and men. A rigorous gender analysis will ensure that sound and credible advice is provided and the policies, programmes and projects developed on the basis of it will have greater credibility and validity among those af­fected by them.

Gender mainstreaming in Peace and Security is about:

• Identifying the differential impacts of conflicts on the lives of women, men, girls and boys;
• Identifying practical solutions to respond to the specific impacts and needs of women, men, girls and boys;
• Acknowledging the different ways in which conflict affects women and men is a first essential step to sensitizing policy makers and practitioners to the need for differentiated policy responses in crisis prevention and conflict management.
• Building equal opportunities for both women and men to participate in post-conflict processes.

1. Commitment to gender equality
International and regional legal and policy commitments on gender equality and women’s rights:
• Constitute a solid base and a common ground for action;
• Provide a comprehensive set of critical areas of concern and objectives that are internationally and regionally shared;
• National Action Plans on UNSC Resolutions and CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discriminations against Women) reports are a useful source of information at country level on the gender equality situation and the challenges that should be addressed.
2. Conduct Gender Analysis

Gender analysis is a critical examination of how differences in gender roles, activities, needs, opportunities and rights/entitlements affect men, women, girls and boys in certain situation or contexts. Gender analysis examines the relationships between females and males and their access to and control of resources and the constraints they face relative to each other. A gender analysis should be integrated into all sector assessments or situational analyses to ensure that gender-based injustices and inequalities are not exacerbated by interventions, and that where possible, greater equality and justice in gender relations are promoted.

Gender analysis is a critical examination of how differences in gender roles, activities, needs, opportunities and rights/entitlements affect men, women, girls and boys in certain situation or contexts. Gender analysis examines the relationships between females and males and their access to and control of resources and the constraints they face relative to each other. A gender analysis should be integrated into all sector assessments or situational analyses to ensure that gender-based injustices and inequalities are not exacerbated by interventions, and that where possible, greater equality and justice in gender relations are promoted.

The purpose of gender analysis is
• Helps to identify the gender perspectives of the sector area/issue as well as the needs of women and men, boys and girls in the sector and area;
• Help to identify the opportunities existing in the sector for gender mainstreaming;
• Help to identify differences between and among women and men, based on the unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, constraints and power;
• Identify additional actions that might need to be taken to address a particular issue affecting a specific group (women, girls, men, boys etc.)
• Recognise that policies, programmes and projects can have different effects on women and men;
• Seek and articulate the viewpoints of women and men and making their contribution a critical part of developing policies, programmes and projects;
• Help to promote better informed, gender-responsive and effective interventions;
• Help to ensure that the different needs of women and men are clearly identified and addressed at all stages of the policy cycle
• At programme, project, or policy level the gender analysis helps to assess whether:
  • Gender equality objectives are articulated
  • The planned activities contribute to or challenge existing inequalities
  • There are any gender issues that have not been addressed.

Gender refers to the roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society at a given time considers appropriate for men and women. In addition to the social attributes and opportunities associated with being male and female and the relationships between women and men and girls and boys, gender also refers to the relations between women and those between men. These attributes, opportunities and relationships are socially constructed and are learned through socialization processes. They are context/ time-specific and changeable.
Gender determines what is expected, allowed and valued in a woman or a man in a given context. In most societies there are differences and inequalities between women and men in responsibilities assigned, activities undertaken, access to and control over resources, as well as decision-making opportunities. Gender is part of the broader socio-cultural context, as are other important criteria for socio-cultural analysis including class, race, poverty level, ethnic group, sexual orientation, age, etc.

These are commonly confused and understanding the difference is useful and indeed fundamental to understanding gender inequality. In simplified terms:

• Sex refers to biological and anatomical features men and women are born with.
• Gender refers to the socially constructed roles and expectations assigned to men and women in society. This is the aspect of gender that we are addressing in the pursuit of social inclusivity, gender equality and poverty reduction.

Gender roles refer to social and behavioural norms that, within a specific culture, are widely considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex. These often determine the traditional responsibilities and tasks assigned to men, women, boys and girls (see gender division of labour). Gender-specific roles are often conditioned by household structure, access to resources, specific impacts of the global economy, occurrence of conflict or disaster, and other locally relevant factors such as ecological conditions. Like gender itself, gender roles can evolve over time, in particular through the empowerment of women and transformation of masculinities.

A generalized view or preconception about attributes or characteristics that are or ought to be possessed by, or the roles that are or should be performed by women and men. A gender stereotype is harmful when it limits women’s and men’s capacity to develop their personal abilities, pursue their professional careers and make choices about their lives and life plans. Harmful stereotypes can be both hostile/negative (e.g., women are irrational) or seemingly benign (e.g., women are nurturing). It is for example based on the stereotype that women are more nurturing that child rearing responsibilities often fall exclusively on them. Gender stereotyping refers to the practice of ascribing to an individual woman or man specific attributes, characteristics, or roles by reason only of her or his membership in the social group of women or men. Gender stereotyping is wrongful when it results in a violation or violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. An example of this, is the failure to criminalise marital rape based on societal perception of women as the sexual property of men. Compounded gender stereotypes can have a disproportionate negative impact on certain groups of women, such women in custody and conflict with the law, women from minority or indigenous groups, women with disabilities, women from lower caste groups or with lower economic status, migrant women.

Gender equality refers to the equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men and girls and boys. Equality does not mean that women and men will become the same but that women’s and men’s rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female. Gender equality implies that the interests, needs and priorities of both women and men are taken into consideration, recognizing the diversity of different groups of women and men. Gender equality is not a women’s issue but should concern and fully engage men as well as women. Equality between women and men is seen both as a human rights issue and as a precondition for, and indicator of, sustainable people-centred development.

• Refers to “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 the concerns and experiences of women and men an integral dimension of 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.”(ECOSOC 1997)
• Brings a gender perspective to all dimensions that affect the lives of human beings, including foreign policy, education, science, technology, social, health, political and security aspects.
• Seeks to transform organisational processes and practices by eliminating gender biases recognising that discrimination can be embedded in laws, cultural norms and community practices and by relying on access to data, gender expertise, analysis, budgets.
• There is no ready-made model for gender mainstreaming. Each context has different obstacles and different opportunities for promoting gender equality.
• It is a collective responsibility, and not solely a task for Gender Advisors and Gender Focal Persons.