Mainstreaming Gender: Shift from Advocacy to Policy

Abstract

Gender mainstreaming as a holistic strategy proposes to introduce the gender sensitivity and equality perspective to all policies at all levels and at all stages by changing the norms and practices that stand at the roots of gender inequality. Although Beijing platform prioritized gender mainstreaming to achieve gender equality and efforts by the women’s movements to mainstream a gender perspective in public policy brought a change. However, implementation of gender mainstreaming strategy remains a challenging process because of different social and economic circumstances, policy cultures, different gender equality approaches of the state and countries. The article intends to discuss the process of development of gender issue resulted in shifting of policy particularly in India and the problematic process of implementation and putting into practice of the gender mainstreaming strategy. The key to placing gender values firmly at all levels and in all sectors, a change in philosophy requires conceptualization of gender within the culturally defined roles, constraints and potentialities. The article suggests that gender mainstreaming is underdeveloped as a concept and identifies a need to elaborate further on the areas of women’s need, rights and the relationship between gender mainstreaming, policy and societal change.