Gender mainstreaming takes center stage in public policies

Eliminating inequality in all aspects of public life remains a workhorse for current politics. Although various advances have been made in the labor, social and educational fields, there are still several issues to be solved, such as the wage gap or the glass ceiling, which continue to be deeply rooted in business environments. Gender mainstreaming is a concept that emerges to encompass all political strategies that promote equality between men and women.

Do you want to know more about gender mainstreaming and gender mainstreaming? Find out about everything in this post!

What is gender mainstreaming?

Gender mainstreaming is a strategy whose goal is to incorporate  gender mainstreaming  in the different sectors where public policies intervene. Getting genders to be equally integrated, with the same assessment and participation, in the management and decision processes carried out by public administrations, is the main objective.

In addition, gender mainstreaming not only seeks for all genders to participate equally in political life, but also for the implementation of laws that favor equal opportunities and treatment in all aspects in which public services are involved.

Origin of gender mainstreaming or gender mainstreaming

Although gender mainstreaming is currently being valued and is gaining prominence in all areas of society, the truth is that this concept is not new.

The first time it was mentioned was at the UN III World Conference on Women in Nairobi, in 1985, and it would appear again at the IV World Conference on Women in Beijing, in 1995. This way of developing policies public was assumed by the EU in the Treaty of Amsterdam, in 1999, where the commitment to gender equality is formalized.

What objectives does gender mainstreaming pursue?

Gender mainstreaming pursues a global goal, which is to achieve equality in all policies and public aspects of society, and for this, these intermediate points must be worked on:

• Take measures to eliminate stereotypes and discrimination based on gender.
• Incorporate the gender perspective in all policies, programs and actions; recognizing the existing differences and inequalities and studying how these can affect each individual.
• Raise awareness in society about gender inequalities and discrimination, promoting greater awareness and understanding of the problems faced by women and men in different contexts.
• Guarantee the equal participation of women and men in all spheres of society, including political, economic and social decision-making, as well as representation in spaces of power and leadership.
• Challenge the most archaic and entrenched social structures, beliefs and norms with new proposals.

What are the main agents in a gender mainstreaming strategy?

In order for a plan based on gender mainstreaming to have the desired success, it is important to focus on the main agents that promote it and work on it, since they are the ones that lay the foundations from which each action will start.

• First of all, each of the people who work in the public policy sector must be committed and have a strong conviction on the matter of equality. This will promote a critical vision of the current panorama , and will allow the detection of cases of inequality.

• Once identified, equality proposals are incorporated into all the agendas of public entities and, once these initiatives have been proposed, it will be very important that a specific methodology be designed to carry them out.

• To ensure that the entire team works for the same objective, each agent involved in the development of the sector or public service must participate in the established strategy.

New laws that promote gender mainstreaming in public life

In the last decade, several regulations and laws have been promoted that affect gender mainstreaming and contemplate sexual freedom and expression, not just for each group, but for each individual. Some of the most relevant have been these:

• Law 4/2023, of February 28, for the real and effective equality of trans people and for the guarantee of the rights of LGTBI people.
• Law 7/2023, of April 20, on effective equality between women and men in La Rioja.
• Organic Law 3/2020, of December 29, which modifies Organic Law 2/2006, of May 3, on Education.
• Royal Decree 455/2020, of March 10, which develops the basic organic structure of the Ministry of Equality.
• Royal Decree-Law 12/2020, of March 31, on urgent measures for the protection and assistance of victims of gender violence.
• Order IGD/577/2020, of June 24, which creates the Participation Council for lesbian, gay, trans, bisexual and intersex People (LGTBI) and regulates its operation.
• Royal Decree 902/2020, of October 13, on equal pay between women and men.
• Organic Law 10/2022, of September 6, on the comprehensive guarantee of sexual freedom.

As you can see, equality is a leading issue that worries everyone who wants a more developed, competent and fair society.

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