Sex refers to the biological characteristics that define human beings as male or female. These biological characteristics are not mutually exclusive, since some individuals possess both. Gender, on the other hand, is a concept that refers to the distribution of roles and the nature of relations between women and men. Unlike biological sex, this social construction of gender relations evolves in time and space. Thus, the status, roles and responsibilities as well as the power attributed to individuals may vary according to criteria other than the mere belonging to one or the other sex; according to country, culture, age, ethnicity, political status, socio-economic group, caste, religion, sexual orientation etc.
Globally, women are much more likely to be at a social, political and economic disadvantage than men. The benefits of taking gender into account for development are now recognized by donors. Gender inequality means not only giving up the important contribution that women can make to the economy, but also losing the benefit of years of investment in girls’ and young women’s education. By making the most of talent, we can ensure that women and men have the same opportunities to contribute to the edifice, both in the family sphere and at work, which contributes to the well-being of both parties, and more generally of society.
Gender mainstreaming requires a comprehensive approach that integrates gender perspectives at all stages (planning, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation) of policies, programmes and projects, in order to identify gender-related development challenges, needs and impacts.
Gender mainstreaming is an organizational strategy to introduce a gender perspective into all aspects of an institution’s policies and activities, through capacity building and gender accountability.
