Mainstreaming Gender in IWRM in Southeast Asia
August 13, 2010
Gender Mainstreaming has been endorsed by the Beijing Platform for Action (Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 1995) and has been followed by governments and other actors to promote an active and visible policy of mainstreaming the gender perspectives in policies and projects/programmes, so that, before decisions are taken, an analysis is made of the effects on both women and men. This approach was defined by UNDP as taking account of gender concerns in all policy and programmes. It is further defined as the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women's as well as men's concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally. The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality, and not to perpetuate inequality. These definitions indicate clearly that gender concerns are to be addressed in all socio-economic, environmental and cultural policies.
