NHRI Guidelines for Mainstreaming the Human Rights of Women and Girls into Our Everyday Work Commitment and leadership • Legal and policy framework: the extent that gender equality and mainstreaming commitments are part of the NHRI’s formal systems. • Demonstrated political will: the extent that action is taken on gender equality commitments and that action is formalised within systems and mechanisms to ensure mainstreaming is sustainable. Systems • Organisational culture: the extent that the attitudes of staff, NHRI members and formal institutional systems, policies and structures support or marginalise gender equality. • Accountability and responsibility: the extent that actions on commitments to gender mainstreaming are monitored and reported on within the NHRI. Capability and capacity • Technical capacity: the extent of skills and experience that the NHRI can draw on to support gender and human rights mainstreaming initiatives across and within their operations and programs. • Adequate resources: the extent of human and financial resources allocated to gender mainstreaming.23 PITFALLS TO AVOID WHEN IMPLEMENTING A GENDER MAINSTREAMING STRATEGY • Responsibility for gender equality policies are not placed at a sufficiently senior level within the NHRI • Gender focal points/units are under-resourced • Gender equality programs are under-resourced • Work on gender equality occurs in silos, with insufficient capacity, planning and accountability • Mainstreaming strategies are coordinated and supported at the national level, but not at the regional level • Lack of sanctions for employees who do not comply to gender equality requirements and/or a lack of incentives encouraging compliance • Lack of tailored gender expertise in policy areas targeted with mainstreaming strategies (i.e. gender in climate change, gender in technologies etc.) • Coordination mechanisms/efforts are fragmented and responsibilities reside in multiple departments with risks of duplication, overlapping and missed opportunities. Adapted by APF from the OECD, Toolkit for Mainstreaming and Implementing Gender Equality: Implementing the 2015 OECD Recommendation on Gender Equality in Public Life. Available at www.oecd.org/gov/toolkit-for-mainstreaming-and-implementing-gender-equality.pdf 34