Activity 2 Identifying gender mainstreaming • Give five minutes to the participants to discuss gender mainstreaming in pairs. • Distribute cards (4”x 3”) and pens among pairs of participants • Instruct pairs to write what they think about “Gender Mainstreaming” • Ask several participants to read and describe what was written. Various descriptions may be given as gender mainstreaming is not commonly used in Sri Lanka. • Help participants understand the meaning of gender mainstreaming using slides below: Slide Policies of the State and other organization and the outcomes of projects affect the entire society. However, these policies and projects are formulated and implemented by a majority of men. Men make the highest representation from higher level legislative, executive and judicial institutions to lower level institutions in any government. Economic and business sectors are also dominated by men. In this background the common situation in most countries is evidence of gender disparities in political, economic and social fields. The main objective of gender mainstreaming is the creation of gender based equality impacting on a change in the situation of women who have less power and in men and women relationships. Slide Gender mainstreaming is 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 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. Gender mainstreaming can be implemented in the ways. Taking into consideration the needs and problems of both men and women in all laws, state policies, development policies, strategies and priorities. Deciding what men and women need and do not need having analysed the social situation and problems in a gender based approach in the whole development process. Real development can only be achieved by this. 64