Handout Mainstreaming Gender At the 1995, Beijing International Conference of Women, the concept of mainstreaming gender was introduced as a means of changing the situation of women effectively. The underlying objective of this concept is to find out how government policies in the fields of health, education, labour professions, agriculture and industries and in decisions taken in various projects, and in the formulation of laws and statutes affect both men and women and formulating them in a manner that they address the interests and needs of both, instead of creating a separate ministry for women. This concept was emphasized by the Beijing conference as the main strategy of winning gender equality and gender justice. What is gender mainstreaming? A process based on a gender equality approach A process which assesses the manner in which the outcomes of state policies, laws, development policies and any other planned process affect both men and women. A strategy which takes into consideration the needs, desired and experiences of both men and women in the formulation, implementation, observation and evaluation of the policies, laws and projects related to all political, economic and social fields. The final objective of gender mainstreaming is winning gender equality. A more simple definition was brought forward in 2004 which reads as follows: “The objective of gender mainstreaming is to integrate gender based approach at all decision making levels and implementing all policies and decisions to winning gender parity”. According to this definition gender mainstreaming should be essentially incorporated at reforms, development attempts and decision making process of all institutions. This can be done in two ways such as taking into consideration the necessities, interests and problems of both sexes in all government policies, development projects, strategies and setting priorities and analyzing the social status and problems of men and women in a gender based approach and identifying what they want and not in the overall development drive. Gender mainstreaming is a process of integrating gender sensitivities from the beginning to the end of any initiative. Eg. observing and assessing the incorporation of gender sensitivities in identifying social needs for a project, getting priorities, planning the project, formulating the laws and policies, recruiting, promoting, training, preparation of budgets, distribution of resources and carrying out projects. 72