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Intergovernmental mandates on gender mainstreaming

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Introduction

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 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."

The importance of the gender mainstreaming strategy was reiterated by the at its in June 2000 and in subsequent resolutions.

The 2005 World Summit Outcome (General Assembly resolution 60/1, paragraph 166), the Secretary-General was called on to take further steps in mainstreaming a gender perspective in the policies and decisions of the Organization. In response, a system-wide policy on gender equality and the empowerment of women and a strategy on gender mainstreaming were developed in the framework of the Network chaired by the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. :

a) continue to pursue the goals of gender equality and the empowerment of women, both collectively within the United Nations system and individually within our specific organizations, through coherent and coordinated implementation of the gender mainstreaming strategy adopted by the Economic and Social Council in its agreed conclusions 1997/2;

b) to providing strong leadership within our organizations to ensure that a gender perspective is reflected in all our organizational practices, policies and programmes.

As result, the CEB adopted a system-wide gender mainstreaming strategy as a key for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women is intended to work in conjunction with women-specific actions. It should not be seen as replacing them, but rather as supplementing and enhancing their effectiveness. The main elements of the strategy include:

a) Accountability;

b) Results-based management for gender equality; 

c) Oversight through monitoring, evaluation, audit and reporting;

d) Human and financial resources;

e) Capacity development; and

f) Coherence, coordination and knowledge and information management.

Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB)


The most recent resolution on gender mainstreaming was adopted at the 2009 substantive session of ECOSOC (Council resolution 2009/12).

Related ECOSOC Resolutions

2009/12 7(e) 28 July 2009

2008/34

14(a)

25 July 2008

2007/33

7(e), 14(a)

27 July 2007
2006/36   27 July 2006
2005/31   26 July 2005
2004/4   1 July 2004
2003/49   24 July 2003
2002/23   24 July 2002
2001/41   26 July 2001
1998/43 Mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes in the United Nations system    

 

General Assembly

Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and full implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly (A/RES/64/141)
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Mainstreaming the gender perspective into all policies and programmes in the United Nations system (paras. 58 and 166)  (A/RES/60/1)
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Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [on the report of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole of the Twenty-third Special Session of the General Assembly (A/S-23/10/Rev.1)] (A/RES/S-23/2)
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Commission on the Status of Women

The Commission plays a catalytic role in promoting gender mainstreaming at national level and within the United Nations system. Its work has led to increased efforts to mainstream a gender perspective into the work of other functional commissions of the , the work of the on the human rights of women, as well as the work of the on women, peace and security.

Other general mandates on gender mainstreaming

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 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 as well as in the development of programme budgets in the United Nations.