Gender Mainstreaming Programme

One of the areas in which the Institute of Women works is in promoting the mainstreaming of the principle of equality between women and men at all levels of the public administration. To this end, and in compliance with the Equality Act, the Institute runs its Gender Mainstreaming Programme, the main aim of which is to incorporate gender mainstreaming in the various areas of intervention of public policy, particularly by advising General State Administration management centres, the European Social Fund Management Authority, and other organisations, such as, for example, trans-national networks and regional authorities. This programme is co-financed by the European Social Fund.

According to the European Council in 1998, gender mainstreaming is: “the (re)organisation, improvement, development and assessment of policies to ensure that an equal-opportunity approach is incorporated into all policies at all levels and at all stages on behalf of those normally involved in said processes”.

Gender mainstreaming is an effective strategy to advance towards achievement of equality between women and men in public policy, and means contributing to eradicating gender inequalities, correcting working procedures and methods and promoting trends which favour social change. This is not a sporadic application of random measures but an application of cross-cutting gender policies which represent structural and social change.

Although the mainstreaming strategy is covered by various regulations, national and international, the key point of reference within Spain is Organic Law 3/2007 regarding Effective Equality between Women and Men, Article 15 of which states: “The principle of equal treatment and equal opportunities for men and women shall inform, across the board, of the actions of all Public Powers. The public administration shall actively strive to heed this principle when adopting and carrying out its regulatory provisions, when defining and budgeting public policy in all areas and when generally performing all their activities”.

To this end, the Gender Mainstreaming Programme puts forward a course of action developed around a series of specific objectives:

• Supporting the General State Administration in the integration of the gender perspective in its policies.

• Supporting the European Social Fund in the incorporation, monitoring and assessment of gender mainstreaming in the action it takes in Spain's various regions.

• Incorporating equal opportunities in transnational projects and activities.

• Advising and supporting the European Gender Mainstreaming Network.

• Strengthening the women's associative movement and promoting its participation in the development of public equality policy.

Access to Working Rooms at the Equality Units

Access to the Working Room at the UAFSE (Spain's ESF administration unit)