Gender Mainstreaming: Principles and Applications

• Gender mainstreaming aims to consider differences when designing, implementing, and evaluating policies and projects
• This ensures benefits for both genders, enhancing gender equality without increasing inequality
• The ultimate goal of gender mainstreaming is to achieve gender equality
• Mainstreaming includes gender-specific activities and affirmative action, particularly when either gender is disadvantaged
• The five principles of gender mainstreaming: Gender-sensitive language, Specific data collection/analysis, Equal access to services, Equal involvement in decision making, Equal treatment in steering processes

Gender-Sensitive Language

• Texts should equally represent women and men in all forms of communication, including documents, advertising, and online content
• Gender-sensitive images should also be used in public relations materials.

Data Collection and Analysis

• Data must be collected, analyzed, and presented by gender
• It should reflect social dimensions like age, ethnicity, income, and education
• Gender-specific analysis must inform all decisions

Egalitarianism

• Supports equal rights and opportunities for all, socially, politically, and economically
• It advocates for the removal of inequalities among people

Gender and Development Awareness

• Promotes understanding of gender-related challenges, such as violence

Gender and Equity Approaches

• Aims to show how values and norms influence reality and reinforce stereotypes that produce said inequalities.
• It has two guiding principle: Fairness and impartiality
• Fairness ensures treatment without favoritism or prejudice, while impartiality means treating all parties equally.
• The Philippine Commission on Women defines Gender and Development as a participatory, empowering, equitable, and sustainable development perspective that respects human rights, supports self-determination, and actualizes potential
• It serves as a shift in feminist understanding of development, offering a comprehensive overview of social, economic, and political realities

Women in Development (WID) Approach

• It integrates women into the workforce to boost productivity
• WID focuses on the role of women in economic and social development
• It was developed in the 1970s to address the neglect of women's needs and focuses on the contributions in traditional development
• WID acknowledges challenges women face, such as limited access to education, economic opportunities, and decision-making power.
• It calls for women's inclusion in development planning and policy design, emphasizing capacity building and empowerment

Origins of WID

• Arose from three major feminist movements related to feminine conditions
• The first wave, or women's suffrage movement, fought for equal voting rights
• The second-wave sought to address social and cultural inequalities like sexual violence and discrimination
• The UN organized the first global conference on women in Mexico in 1975, focusing on fighting gender inequalities and supporting women's rights
• Ester Boserup's 1970 publication "Women's Role in Economic Development" sent shockwaves through development agencies

Principles and Goals of WID

• Achieving gender equality
• Empowering women through active participation and removal of limiting barriers; acknowledging and protecting women's rights
• Integrating a gender perspective into development policies and programs

Benefits of WID

• Increased awareness of gender inequality
• Improved access to education and employment; greater participation in decision-making
• Enhanced livelihoods

Marxist Feminism

• Focuses on women's roles in domestic and public spheres, marriage, sexual practices, and labor power reproduction
• It claims a division of labor exists where men are assigned economic production, and women are assigned workforce reproduction
• WAD recognizes women's contribution to economic development in both public and private spheres

Gender and Development (GAD) Approach

• Originated in the 1980s through socialist feminism
• It aims to analyze the causes of gender inequality and stereotyping by transforming gender relationships into a more equal system.
• GAD promotes the need to ensure society empowers women, it aims to ensure their full participation is prioritized
• It was formed by the government to respond to gender imbalances and existing inequalities.
• GAD approaches focus on transforming gender relations and broadening women's participation at all levels without marginalizing men

Women's Roles in Development

• Women form the backbone of families and communities
• Provide care and support to families and build community
• Women take on leadership roles in organizations.
• Development programs must integrate women to eradicate poverty and improve socioeconomic status

Main Theoretical Approaches

• Welfare, Women in Development (WID), Women and Development (WAD), Gender and Development (GAD), Effectiveness, and Mainstreaming Gender Equality.

Welfare Approach

• Focuses on basic needs and strengthens women's homemaker roles
• Acts as an immediate response to poverty, especially on the personal level.
• Based on assumptions, the welfare approach treats women as passive recipients and prioritizes motherhood.
• The welfare system provide well-being to support social/financial security sufficient for adequate living.

Effectiveness Approach

• Originated int he 1980's, the approach highlights inequalities women faced
• Reinforces women's productivity and effectiveness, requiring infrastructure to increase earnings

Mainstreaming Gender Equality (MGE)

• As a development approach, it integrates gender equality into policies, programs, and projects at all levels
• MGE Ensures gender issues are integrated at all levels and originated in 1995 at the Fourth UN Conference on Women in Beijing
• During the conference, Participants agreed that inclusion of both genders in development led to national economic growth
• Its purpose is to better public policies/projects, improve resource allocation, increase well-being, and create a more socially just/sustainable society

Equal Access and Utilization

• Services/products must be assessed for their effects on both women and men
• Important to identify service users, clients, target groups, and their different needs
• Important to consider circumstances, accessible information, beneficiaries, and potential impact.
• Examine whether the service offices are structurally gendered and barrier-free

Equal Involvement in Decision Making

• Binding targets exist for a balanced gender ratio at all decision-making levels
• Strategies geared towards achieving balanced gender must be taken
• Important when appointing working/project groups
• Ensure workplaces are structurally gendered/barrier free with sufficient lighting

Integrated Treatment in Steering Processes

• Instruments include quality management and gender budgeting
• Attention enhances success, effectiveness, and maximum utilization of funds
• Targets relate to full equality and are attained by gender, controlling routine

Women and Development (WAD)

• Theoretical, practical development approach introduced into gender studies scholarship in the late 1970s
• Originated from 1975 First UN Conference on Women in Mexico City
• WAD argues that women have always been a part of development processes and focuses on the relationship between women and development

WAD Approach to Development

• Adopting a Marxist feminist approach, asserting women have always been part of development
• Undermines value of women's work
• Explains why women are deprived of equal share in social benefits and economic gains
• In 1973, the US Congress implemented a bill requiring USAID to include women in programs

Marxist Feminists

• Fran Ansley argued women absorb the anger that would otherwise be directed at capitalism
• Connects oppression to gendered structures of capitalism and private property

Explore gender mainstreaming principles for policy and project design. Understand gender-sensitive language, data collection, equal access, involvement in decision-making, and equal treatment. Learn how to promote gender equality through mainstreaming efforts.