Gender equality and gender mainstreaming is a priority for the APF membership, recognising that gender equality is vital in achieving substantive equality for all. Considering that women and girls have historically been discriminated against owing to patriarchal norms and power structures, gender mainstreaming practices have a strong focus on advancing gender equality between women/girls and men/boys including cis and trans gender. Gender mainstreaming also includes working toward equality for gender diverse people, those who identify as neither female nor male but a third or alternative gender, or a combination of genders, or no gender. Applying a gender-neutral approach that does not make explicit the distinct and differential situation of women and girls or the specific inequalities arising across genders, prevents the visibility of issues for women and girls and diverse gender identities. If women, girls and gender diverse identities are not actively included in human rights facilitation practices, they may be unintentionally excluded. This means that achieving substantive gender equality when facilitating a human rights activity goes beyond the number of male and female participants, to applying a gender lens to all stages of the activity.5 A facilitator will consider the following when applying a gender lens to the facilitation of a human rights activity: • developing a gender strategy • involving diverse genders in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of an activity • ensuring a gender balance among facilitators • using inclusive facilitation practices • creating gender safe, respectful, non discriminating and inclusive environments • recognising the gender implications across intersecting and diverse identities including race, disability, age, socio economic status/class, caste, indigeneity, sexual orientation, sex characteristics, rurality, migrant and refugee status • ensuring participation of all genders through relevant methods and approaches • recognising that gender equality does not mean treating people the same – women/girls, people of diverse gender identities may need more support than others to achieve equality. Special measures may need to be taken to achieve this. Working with diverse groups (such as religious or indigenous groups) When working with diverse groups facilitating a human rights activity, you might consider; 5 For more information, please see the APF Gender Mainstreaming Guidelines Trainers Developers. Available at https://www.asiapacificforum.net/resources/apf-gender-mainstreaming-guidelines-trainers/ 5