What's New about Gender Mainstreaming? Three Decades of Policy Creation and Development Strategies

Abstract

After three decades of gender and development approaches, and a more recent emphasis on gender mainstreaming, it is timely to reflect on the challenges and opportunities development agencies face as they attempt to translate gender mainstreaming policies into practice. Research on development agencies and their gender main-streaming strategies uncovered an overwhelming reliance on technical solutions (or operational procedures). Technical solutions (e.g., appointing a person to oversee gender-related activities or offering gender training sessions for staff members) are unlikely to transform the mainstream, have had a limited impact within organizations, and have led to minimal changes to gender inequitable relations. Case study analysis and grounded field research also revealed alternative gender mainstreaming initiatives including “subtle strategies” (e.g., resistance or subversion) and networking: two strategies with the potential to challenge mainstream and patriarchal norms. This article uses a feminist lens to examine these approaches and concludes with an analysis of their contributions to gender main-streaming.

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