• • • • • • • • • • • • • • Gender mainstreaming emphasizes a process to examine the manner in which all State policies affect the lives of men and women. The simple meaning of gender mainstreaming includes a process of a gender based approach in all activities such as the formulation of policies of the state on any other organization, restructuring them, enhancing the status of the organization, evaluation and observation. It also means that gender should be considered in all decision making levels and their objective is to win gender equality. Often the structure of States and other institutions is patriarchal. The majority of the persons represented at decision making levels are men. Thus decisions are taken in the aforesaid institutions by a majority men who bear traditional attitudes. For example, men have no or less experiences or they have no sensitivity or evaluation regarding the services done by women without a salary and they do not consider such services as ‘labour’. They consider only the tasks from which direct economic benefits could be obtained as “labour”. The decisions taken by the majority of men based on such attitudes are essentially be advantageous to them. Similarly such men do not have a deep understanding regarding the gender relationships and gender based socialization process in the society. Decisions are taken in regard to the structure of patriarchal institutions, divisions of work, paying salaries and evaluation in a manner which is more advantageous to men. Thus women are relegated to a disadvantaged position in society and obstacles are created that prevent their contribution being added to the development process. To avoid such a situation, action should be taken to get the participation of both men and women, pay consideration to the needs of both parties, give priority to the most important needs, incorporate the objectives of winning gender equality and equity in the formulation of all forms of state policies and in making decisions. Participation of both men and women should be obtained in the implementation, evaluation and observation of the aforesaid decisions and gender should be considered in allocating finance and other resources as well. Accordingly gender mainstreaming is a process based on gender equity and promotes gender equality. Gender mainstreaming emphasizes that there should be a gender equality based policy document in any organization and making recruitments, determination of salaries, division of work, promotions, transfers, evaluation, providing facilities in the place of work and granting leave should be done based on gender. At the same time this concept also means that participation of both men and women and gender should essentially be considered in the decision making process of the organization specially in restructuring institutional development and in effecting changes in the organization. 63