This article is written by Aylen Rodriguez Ferrari, Social Protection and Gender Consultant, World Bank. You can visit Aylen on LinkedIn or Twitter.

  • The problem: Public policies impact men and women differently because of gender stereotypes and norms. The lack of gender perspective in public policies and laws may unintentionally perpetuate gender inequalities and exacerbate the gender gap.
  • Why it matters: Gender equality is a human right. Almost all countries have signed the gender equality commitment. Still, no country has achieved equality, and we are far from realising it.
  • The solution: Gender mainstreaming is a valuable tool for making visible the diverse realities experienced by men and women in their diversity. It enables the development of effective and tailored public solutions to address the needs of both genders and ensure gender equality.

Public policies are commonly considered gender-neutral, assuming that treating men and women equally benefits everyone. However, as the “Equity vs. Equality” debate emphasises, a one-size-fits-all policy likely perpetuates gender inequalities. Rooted social norms, gender stereotypes and legislation mean that individuals, including non-binary people, face different needs and situations. To give a sense of this, 176 countries still maintain legal barriers affecting women, according to the World Bank's Women Business and the Law report.

In an imbalanced society, gender mainstreaming (GM) appears as a strategy to design, implement and evaluate better and fairer policies. Gender mainstreaming is a policymaking process aimed at identifying gender inequalities and anticipating different policy impacts on women and men in their diversity, meaning age, ethnicity, sexual orientation/identity, social or migration status and disability. GM is not a policy goal in itself but a means to achieve gender equality. The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) developed the concept in 1997 as “the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in any area and at all levels (...)”

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Why gender mainstreaming matters

Gender mainstreaming ensures that the needs of all individuals are equally addressed. To do so, we first need diverse women’s representation in the entire policymaking cycle. Second, we need reliable and up-to-date gender statistics. With women’s representation, we are better equipped to integrate a gender lens into policymaking. This is important as men are still seen as the “standard human being” and target of policies. Diversity brings a change in approach and contributes to more inclusive frameworks.

Gender statistics are the other crucial pillar, as they provide a deeper understanding of women’s realities necessary for any gender analysis. Gender statistics are more than sex-disagregated data; they consider the intersection with age, education, family composition, nationality and disability. Also, take into account gender biases in data collection methods and tools. Because of the relevance of this type of information, the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has a Gender Statistics Database with gender mainstreaming indicators. The World Bank has the Gender Data Portal which facilitates analyses that inform policy choices and the Women, Business and the Law Index that facilitates monitoring of laws and legislations, among other high-profile data sets.

Other prerequisites for gender mainstreaming are political will, and allocation of financial and human resources. As policymakers, we should always start a new activity with the assumption that there is gender equality. It could be inequalities in access to political, economic and social decision-making, resources, including time for work and leisure, legal differences, or a prevalence of violence against women. Then, it is helpful to continue with four questions:

  1. Will the policy impact women and men differently?
  2. Will that difference cause or deepen gender inequality in society?
  3. What mitigation measures should be taken and how will these inequalities be solved?
  4. Who will be responsible for implementing mitigation measures?

Gender mainstreaming case studies show it works

There are many good examples of countries implementing a gender mainstreaming approach. A revealing one is the case of local snow removal in Sweden. In the city of Karlskoga, during winter, the incidence of women being injured by icy road accidents was three times greater than people driving a car on slippery roads. A gender-based analysis showed that snow removal prioritised men’s needs unintentionally. Cleaners first removed the snow on major roads and during the night, when very few people, primarily men, drive. Second, they removed the snow from highways and streets that lead to large male-dominated workplaces, such as factories. Last, they cleared bus stops, walkways, and bike paths. Policymakers observed that most pedestrians were women, who cycled and used public transport more than men. Thus, when the city administration planned the snow removal, women’s mobility needs were not considered in the same way as men’s. Facing the evidence, they decided to adjust priorities based on how men and women move in public spaces. Now, walkways and bike paths are cleared first, as parents take children to school before going to work. Then larger workplaces, including female-dominated industries such as hospitals and municipalities, and finally, the rest of the infrastructures. It is important to note that the new order made the resource allocation more efficient, gender-equal and accessible for everyone — not only for women but also children, older people and people with reduced mobility — and it did not cause an extra cost.

These examples show that gender mainstreaming is a fundamental approach to building a more just, inclusive and prosperous society.

Another recent example is the case of Superblocks in Spain. Since 2016, Barcelona has been reshaping the city to create a more equitable and sustainable urban space. Superblocks or Superilles are designated zones that prioritise people over cars. With furniture-like benches and tables, playgrounds, and adequate lighting, they promote the safe use of public spaces for everyday activities and leisure, creating a sense of community and incentivising walking and cycling. The creation of Superilles involved a participatory community process that encouraged listening to different perspectives. In addition, Barcelona enhanced public transportation and the bike path network. Superilles exemplify gender mainstreaming by addressing traditional gender inequalities in mobility, safety, community participation and access to public spaces.

Finland provides another interesting example. At the beginning of the 2000s, the Finnish Occupational Safety and Health Act was amended. The reform committee identified that the Finnish labour market was strongly gender segregated. After a gender analysis, they found that workplace regulations impacted men and women differently; women were more likely to suffer work-related stress, such as workload fatigue and harassment, while men were more likely to suffer physical accidents and health problems from exposure to agents such as noise. Prior to the amendment, the law only considered “accidents” in the workplace, unattending the risks that women typically face. As a result of a gender mainstreaming process, the concept of occupational safety was broadened and in addition to “accidents” in the workplace, they incorporated “hazards”. Now the law better serves the occupational safety needs of both women and men.

These examples show that gender mainstreaming is a fundamental approach to building a more just, inclusive and prosperous society by recognising, addressing and eliminating gender-based inequalities at all levels. As policymakers, this is an approach we should all implement. We cannot afford 130 years to close the gender gap.

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